रिश्ते - कल और आज के

 

कल के रिश्तों में एक मिठास थी 

एक दुसरे से लोग प्यार, इज़त से बात करते थे 

आज बात करने केलिए समय कहाँ है 

जल्दबाज़ी में शब्द कड़वा बनने लगते है  

विवाह के रिश्ता भी व्यापर सा हो गए 

"तुम्हारे पास कितने गाडी , बांग्ला है ?

मेरे पास बड़े जगहों पे काम आने वाले 

 मित्र, रिश्तेदार है "    

बिज़नेस के फायदे देखते देखते 

बाढ़ में  गए वधु - वर का कल्याण  

युवक - युवतियाँ भूल गए, इश्क़ मोहब्बत करने की कला 

एक ज़माना ऐसा था जब प्रियतम 

अपनी प्रियतमा केलिए सालों का इंतज़ार करता था 

कभी कभी शादी ही छोड़ देते, 

और बिता देते, पूरी ज़िन्दगी उसकी यादों में ...

आज ,सब तरह की रिश्ता में 

चाहे बाप- बेटे , पति-पत्नी , 

 नाना- पोथे या मालिक - मज़दूर 

पहली सोच  यह आ जाता है 

कि "इस से मुझको क्या मिलेगा ? " 

उन दिनों को वापस ला सकता है 

 जीत सकते है हम फिर से  संसार - प्यार, मोहब्बत से  

आदमी आदमी से प्रेम करने से 

एक दुसरे केलिए प्यार , सहानुभूति, जगाने से 

जीवन में संतुष्ट, और खुश रहने से 

दिलचस्ब काम करने से 

और  प्रकृति  के अनुसार जीने से  

राजीव  मूतेढत

Urmila's Honeymoon

Preamble: For the  Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day. 

As they had planned since a long time, Urmila and Vivek took the flight for their honeymoon to the "Paradise on Earth". This nick name was earned by the Kashmir valley on account of her stunning natural beauty characterized by lush greenery, snow capped mountains, serene lakes. houseboats and vibrant culture.

 Urmila and Vivek had fallen in love while in college. Unlike an earlier generation for whom "Love was blind", being representatives of the intelligent "New Gen", they went in for a 'planned' love affair. Both of them made sure that the other was from equally strong financial background, from the same caste and educated equally as they were pursuing engineering in a reputed college in Kochi, Kerala. This way, there could not be any objection from the parents to their union. 

As expected, they got the green signal for the wedding without any hitch. Being from business families, there was not even a delay on account of the need to secure a job. Vivek was slated to take over his father's business. Therefore  the wedding was fixed shortly after they became qualified engineers. Urmila and Vivek were excited to go to the Kashmir valley for their honeymoon. It was a dream they had discussed many times during the courting period.

As the day of the wedding neared, Urmila was in a state of day dreaming, wild imagination, full of excitement and wonder. Oh the seven heavenly nights prior to the wedding! Nights engaged in dreaming with hardly any sleep! And the pictures in  the dreams were the same; fun and frolic with her beloved Vivek- throwing snow balls at each other, skating together, drinking warm ginger tea from the same glass. 

Finally,  the wedding ceremonies were over; the guests had left and it was just the two of them on the flight to the valley of their dreams. On the first three days they had so much fun. It was to put it mildly a 'heavenly experience' exactly as Urmila had imagined. They explored the capital city of Srinagar visiting the lovely Mughal gardens of Shalimar Bhag, Nishat Bhag and the architectural wonders such as Jama Masjid and Shankaracharya temple. The lovebirds took a ride while in Gulmarg on one of the highest cable cars in the world with a panoramic view of the snowcapped mountain peaks. More fun and adventure were planned for the remaining seven days of the honeymoon. 

On the fourth day, they had joined a group of tourists to explore the scenic landscapes of the Pahalgam town and also experience pony rides and nature walks. The guide advised the group to stick together.  "The bus will leave sharply at 4 PM. It gets dark after that and it is not safe for tourists to be here", he said. Urmila and Vivek were so immersed in themselves as they walked hand in hand that they were oblivious of the time. Before they knew it, it was already 6 PM and the bus had left.   

Then it happened. A group of masked men approached them. Vivek, the coward that he was, simply ran away leaving his newly wed wife to fend for herself. The next day, the brutal gang rape was reported in all the major newspapers. Vivek, now wanted divorce. But then, Urmila had already made up her mind. "Who would want to live with such a man even if he had wanted to continue the facade of a marital relationship?". For Urmila, a joyously planned event had turned out to be a nightmare. Its tremors would remain whole through the rest of her life. 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z    

Thejus 's Musical Journey

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

Thejus knew from a very young age that his destiny was tied to music. He was born into a family of musicians. His grandfather, father and elder brother were all known names in Hindustani music. However, by a stroke of luck ,more fame and recognition came the way of Thejus. In India the interest in the ghazal genre of music increased triple fold during the late seventies, just when he entered the music scene as a young man. Thejus found that he was a natural when it came to this form of music. While earlier, film music was perhaps the only way for popular recognition, ghazal also became an important avenue for instant fame & success. The market for ghazal singers opened up in a big way in the country in the form of albums .

A number of music albums sung by Tejus became hits and he became a highly sought after artiste for giving live performances in the country and abroad. During this period, Tejus started collaborating extensively with  established and promising new poets. The collaborations contributed immensely to Thejus's  success. 

Amidst huge popularity came a lot of awards and recognition including the prestigious national civil honour, the Padmasri. Another thing that happened during this phase of life was an increase in the number of sycophants who followed Thejus around. The main activity of these people was to praise him to the skies  and ensure that they remained part of the celebrity's inner circle. 

With more and more demands on his time by the professional commitments and by the sycophants who hung around late into the night, Thejus found he was having less and less time for his wife and family. Ramesh, his bosom pal since college was a co-traveler in the journey and had taken on the mantle of his manager. Ramesh also objected to Thejus's  changed lifestyle  wherein he was not setting aside enough time for 'Riaz' or practice of music. A lot of time was being wasted on the 'Hangers-on' who were not adding value but serving as stumbling blocks to the main goals of the singer. 

Seema who was single handedly managing all affairs of the house demanded that he spend more time with the children at least two days in a week. Fed up with the lack of responsibility and empathy on the part of Thejus, Seema filed for divorce and shifted base to Nagpur where her parents lived. The children were admitted to the school in that city. Even at this stage Thejus was oblivious to the fact that his life was slowly and surely slipping away. 

The singer had lately taken to drinking more and more in the company of the sycophants. In their eagerness to flatter and lavish praise on their idol, they began to suggest that all his success was solely on account of  the singer's silky voice. The people with whom he had successfully collaborated over the years didn't matter. Why pay them more and share credit with them when he could do equally well collaborating with just any new comer is what they put in to Thejus's head.

Ramesh found that his counsel to reduce the drinking fell on deaf ears. He was also admonished on one occasion by Thejus telling him that he was overstepping  his position, that of an employee. Deeply hurt,  Ramesh also decided to leave. He had been getting offers to work with bright promising talent. An alcoholic Thejus was equivalent to a 'perished' artist, as good as dead. 

Thejus was upset by the double blow of his wife and long time friend & manager leaving one after the other. "I don't care! Get lost! I will win alone. I am "the one and only Thejus!" he screamed at Ramesh when he came to say a final good bye. 

Five years went by since the departure of Seema and Ramesh from the life of Tejus. He began to realize that his life had been beautiful and thriving because of their presence in it. He also began to miss his children for whom  previously he had no time. At one time,  they were at arms length craving for his love and attention. 

The career of Tejus had also begun to nose dive. Three new albums released by him bombed. People stopped calling him for shows after it became public that he had become an alcoholic. The sycophants also began to disappear one by one and Tejus ended up alone and lonely. In the last two years, he took stock of his life and had stopped drinking all together. But it appeared that no one believed him. Tejus did not get any invitation to concerts in spite of writing to his old contacts and associates of his changed, disciplined lifestyle.

Finally, in the year 2010, Tejus received an invitation from the Sangeet  Natak Academy to perform at a small venue in Nagpur. Tejus had butterflies in his stomach. Although he had been pursuing for an opportunity for a comeback, when it actually came, he was feeling weak in the knees and lacking in confidence. After all it was a long time since he had faced a live audience on stage. 

The D day and time arrived and Tejus was on stage. He commenced the first song of the evening with apprehension. But on receiving a cheering response from the audience Tejus felt reassured  like a fish in familiar waters.

As the evening progressed Tejus was on fire and the audience in raptures. At the end of the last song of the evening, they gave him a standing ovation. Tears of joy flowed down the cheeks of Tejus. It was then that he noticed the face of  Ramesh in the third row. He was clapping and cheering away.  Tejus was overjoyed and his only desire was to hug his old friend who had come to witness his moment of redemption. Weaving through the mad frenzy of fans, Ramesh finally managed to reach Tejus.

 When they were in a tight hug lock, Ramesh smiled and said " I am not alone. My Bhabi (sister in law) , your wife is sitting in the last row waiting for you. It was she who insisted that I witness your comeback performance. "You were like Ram- Lakshman. It is high time that the gap is bridged between brothers" she had said. I told her I would go if she also came along . Tejus just did not know how to respond. He thanked God for the best day in his life, a day that he would cherish forever! 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z   

Sunita the Fearless

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

Everyone was scared of Sunita's husband Sheru. His real name was Raja. But the people of the basti (crowded colony) in which they live in Dharavi, Mumbai gave him that name. Sheru was known to be ruthless with enemies. He started as a gang member very early in life engaged in unlawful activities. After he proved his street smartness and dexterity with weapons, he started his own gang and was now a terror in his 'territory' of operation. Sunita's friends jokingly ask her "How do you live with this man? Are you not scared of him?". 

Although she had known only poverty in life right from childhood, Sunita was determined to make her life better. She fought with her father to go to school and then plus two. Initially, her father mocked her. "what will you do after study in school ? Just get married and start a family, so I can play with my grandchildren".  Later, seeing her dedication and persistence he gave in and let Sunita study. But after plus two, Sunita's father put his foot down and insisted that she marry. 

Sunita turned down her father's proposal to marry Sheru whom he believed was an enterprising young guy who was making 'good money'. Sunita outrightly refused to marry an uneducated muscle brain. He may be the local hero for those who valued physical show of strength but Sunita was not impressed. Even after the refusal, Sheru continued silently to adore her in his mind and kept a watch over her from a distance like a  guardian angel. His opportunity came one day when Sunita was returning home  after purchasing grocery from the neighbourhood store, at around 8 PM.

Two guys approached her, asked her something and tried to grab her. Sheru appeared as if from no where and beat them to pulp. Sunita started to take notice of him after the incident although Sheru maintained a safe distance from her. The feelers came again for marriage two years later and this time, Sunita accepted. Given the circumstances under which the two got together, there was no reason for Sunita to be scared of her husband.

 He was in a way in awe of her as some of the few in the colony who had studied and could read books in English as well. Sheru always spoke to her politely and treated her well. Then it happened .One day Sheru came home drunk. Sunita said he could not share her bed and that he could sleep in the verandah.  Hard words were followed by a hard slap on Sunita's face. 

The next morning she disappeared. When he came to his senses, Sheru rushed to Sunita's parent's house only to find that she hadn't gone there. When she did not return  even after a week , Sheru began to get desperate and went about searching for her frantically. Sunita was finally traced to her aunt's house in the village. After many apologies and assurances Sunita returned but made it clear such behaviour was not acceptable to her no matter how big a 'Rowdy image' he had.   

Sheru hit her for one more time. This time she disappeared for six months and by the time Sunita returned to Dharavi, Sheru had become a total wreck. It was made clear to Sheru that there will not be a third time. Thus, Sunita was given the title of the "fearless" by her colony residents. If anything, it was Sheru who was fearful of her. He had to carefully monitor his behaviour whenever she was around...

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z   

Rajesh had it Coming!

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

Rajesh Kumar was known for his sense of humour right from childhood. After all, his birth place was Tenali, in Guntur district Andhra Pradesh .Tenali is famous for the legendary figure of  Tenali Ramakrishna , a poet and advisor in the court of Emperor Krishna Devaraya of the Vijayanagara empire. The town's reputation for humour is tied to the tales of cleverness and quick wit of Tenali Ramakrishna. 

Rajesh studied at the Hindu college Tenali, traditionally known to encourage its students in various forms of art and culture apart from the mandatory curricular activities. Rajesh had a gang of friends who met regularly to crack jokes and get appreciation from the other members. If no one laughed at a joke, the particular member was debarred  from presentation for two weeks to enable him to sharpen his skills.  It was this association that helped Rajesh to make a mark on the film sets when he moved into the cine industry to try his luck as an actor. 

Those days the whole of south Indian cinema was based out of Madras and many struggling actors and  technicians became friends cutting across the language differences. Although Rajesh worked in the Telugu film industry, he had many friends in all possible groups and was a hit during the get togethers. Everyone appreciated his sense of humour and ability to tell stories. The camaraderie continued  even after the Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam film industries shifted production base to their home states. 

The stories of Rajesh were only half true ; he tweaked them to create humour and at times made up far fetched tales such as a romance between co- artists. Most people who knew Rajesh well, took his tales in a lighter vein and laughed it off when they came to know the actual truth of the matter months later.

 Once Rajesh told a lady artist working with him " Anjali, I hear you are doing a double role in a Tamil movie." 

"Yes brother. I am so happy to get this opportunity." 

"You are getting double payment for your double efforts isn't it?"

"No" The poor girl answered. "Do you normally get paid double ?" 

"Yes of course! After all you are putting in double the work." 

Anjali enquired about this with a couple of friends during lunch time and she became the laughing stock and source of mirth for everyone on the sets for the entire fortnight 's schedule of the film's shoot! 

Rajesh continued to be the centre of attraction of meetings when there was no work or when they were travelling abroad for a shoot. It was during one of these travels that Rajesh told a funny story of  Captain Naidu a relatively new member to the film industry . Captain Naidu entered the industry donning the role of a villain after taking premature retirement from the army. 

Rajesh's story goes like this: They were all staying at a star hotel for the shoot of a film. As there was early pack up on one day due to bad sunlight, the actors and crew returned to the hotel at 4 PM. At around 5 PM when people were having fun at the hotel's swimming pool, Captain Naidu ogled at a pretty woman in the pool. When this continued for about 15 minutes a man said to be her husband and a Superintendent of Police, appeared with a gun and shot at Captain who rushed to his room on the ground floor and bolted it from inside.  

Everyone was imagining the funny scenes of a fleeing Captain and had a hearty laugh. Usually, whatever Rajesh said between friends was enjoyed for the moment and they forget about it as they moved on to the next assignment. On this occasion though, a waiter who happened to overhear the conversation passed it on to a film magazine. Then all hell broke lose. Captain threatened to kill the offender. He said his remarks had created marital discord and a wedge between him and his wife. 

Two years later. Rajesh checked in to the Ritz, the best hotel in the city . At round 12 noon, he was relaxing at the lounge near the reception . His shooting would start only the next day. Some local friends had invited him for drinks & dinner.  He was looking forward to an enjoyable evening.

It was then that he saw the captain! The burly man took one look at him and started moving menacingly towards him. Rajesh got up and immediately ran for life, followed in hot pursuit by the panting captain. Rajesh first had no idea where to run. Finally  he ran up two flight of stairs to the safety of his room. He could hear fierce thumping on the door by the captain and his angry words rending the air. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, the staff came and took the captain away. 

The hotel staff passed on the information to whom they called "friends of both the actors". A team landed up in an hour's time and a meeting was arranged at the King suite , the best accommodation in the hotel. .During the discussions and after mediation, Rajesh apologized to the Captain and said he had not intended to cause any harm and that whatever he said was in jest, for the fun of the moment. However, Rajesh hastened to add that in future, he would never ever tell a story about captain. The two actors shook hands and the matter was treated as closed. 

Truce had been achieved with the intervention of some noble souls. The actor had managed to save himself by the skin of his teeth. Yet , given his basic nature, perhaps ten, fifteen or twenty years later, Rajesh may relate this very incident on a public platform to regale the audience! Who knows? 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z   

Queen's Life Trajectory

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

Every girl in the college was envious of her. She came from a comfortable economic background with a senior bureaucrat for father. She was also good in studies and was very pretty in appearance. There was always a spring in her walk  and her dazzling smile was a passport to most hearts. Although her real name was Preeti, the boys called her the 'Queen'. 

In spite of all the attention she got from the students and teachers, Queen did not allow all this to go to her head. This was during the sixties in India. A time when the most the boys could do to express their admiration was to give the girl a flower or two. It was a given that when the time came to acquire a life partner, Queen would wed someone chosen by her parents in an arranged marriage. 

The parents of Queen were also keen to get the best possible match for their darling daughter. They finally zeroed in on an engineer, son of a Superintendent of Police and employed in a prestigious public sector undertaking. The boy, Vishwas was handsome, well qualified with bright chances to visit Germany for training. Most of the machines were purchased from Demag, a company based out of that country. 

The wedding was a grand show with the presence of many bigwigs in society. The young couple settled down to a happy marital life. Initially , Queen did not notice the tell tale signs of her husband being an alcoholic. By the time she was sure of it. they already had two children, a girl and a boy. It was not long before Queen realized that most of her husband's earning was being spent on liquor. Initially she covered up for him and did not reveal the sad state of affairs to her parents. Eventually, there was no other alternative but to tell them. She had  to save her children from starvation and also meet the basic needs of the house. 

As Vishwas had a dashing personality , with the gift of the gab to project himself in good light, he continued to get promotions and reached the position of a senior manager. But socially and in his personal life he had reached the lowest ebb. After starting out as one drinking high class liquor, he had come down to the level of patronizing cheap bars. Many of his alcoholic friends were workmen working in his own company. Preeti had ceased feeling like a queen since ages. With marriage, her whole life had taken an unexpected slide for the worst. She was diffident and embarrassed about meeting old college mates to whom she was still the 'Queen'. Preeti made conscious efforts to avoid meeting any of her old friends. 

When her daughter was old enough to be married, all the wedding expenses were borne by Queen's parents. Vishwas was completely sidelined during the event. He just about made a brief appearance and disappeared. Three years later, the inevitable happened. Vishwas who was grappling with cirrhosis of the liver succumbed to the disease. No one seemed to have missed him, not even his bosom 'drinking pals'.  Preeti and her daughter who had suffered the most on account of an "alcoholic head of family" was in a way relieved. Drunken men would no longer be coming and knocking on their door in the dead of night. 

Strange are the ways and the twist and turns of life. Who, from those dazzling college days could have ever predicted that the 'Queen', envied by one and all, had such a sad future in store for her...? 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z  

Prakash's Journey

 Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

A small start up automotive company in Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh decided to start a canteen for its employees. Although the company was not required to run a canteen as per statute in view of the number of employees being less than 250, the management wanted to introduce it as a welfare measure. The lowest quotation was won by a party from a far away district of Rajahmundry. The contractor however, was confident of providing efficient service and also making profits for himself. Prakash aged about 52 years came as the supervisor of the canteen contractor. 

Although genial most of the time, if and when a wrong button was pressed, Prakash could take offence and be really angry. On such occasions, you find him switching language from Telugu to English and revealing a little about his past. " You know I was a senior level officer with a loving family and a comfortable lifestyle. It is life's leela ( play) that I gave it all up when a call came to me to retire to the caves in the Himalayas. It is another matter that I could not continue that path as I became seriously sick while atop the mountains forcing me to return". The story goes that although Prakash returned from the mountains, he found it awkward and delicate to  return to his family and old way of life. After all he had bid them 'Good bye' and had openly relinquished his worldly life. 

It is another matter that he had not only come back to this world but  presently,  also work to keep starvation at bay. Sometimes, he lamented at the financial struggles he was facing and recalling the 'comfortable' life he had led and would have continued to have, had he not left for the Himalayas. When you are neither in this world nor in the other world of the sanyasis , at times thoughts of dejection enters your mind. You also end up feeling a strong sense of loneliness as relationships with people  build over many years  had become unavailable and lost forever. It's like a person becoming incognito losing all sense of identity. Prakash confessed to having suicidal tendencies at times.

Then it happened. One day during the morning shift in the factory there were hushed discussions amongst the employees. It seemed that Prakash, the canteen supervisor had died the previous night. As he had no known relatives , the canteen contractor took the onus of cremating the mortal remains. One of the guys in the group commented " What a strange journey this person Prakash's has been on. Even if we want to renounce and become a sanyasi, it cannot happen just like that. It happens only when you have God's will and blessing on your side."  

As they say "Man proposes; God disposes" quipped another guy.

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z   

Octavia's Mood Swings

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

Octavia, lady super star of Bollywood cinema admits that she does have mood swings. But then if you were to examine her life trajectory, you would see so many ups and downs,  moments of excitement and disappointments. "It is no wonder that she had become the person she is" is how Octavia justifies her behaviour which some would term as 'Bizarre'. 

Octavia was crowned Little Miss Pune at the age of 6 years in the year 2004. Since then it has been a constant drive to achieve stardom in Hindi movies and if possible at the world level. It was her grandmother Padmaja who was the driving force behind all activities with the ultimate destination of stardom. Padmaja had rechristened the name of her grandchild as Octavia . She believed that such a name would be more acceptable to a world wide audience while pursuing the ultimate destination of Hollywood. 

It was Padmaja's ardent desire to become a film star; but she couldn't pursue or realize it, given the circumstances and times that she lived in. She wanted to achieve all of it through her granddaughter who was very pretty even as a four year old. Poor Octavia had no choice; she was pushed into a regimented journey from a tender age even before she could comprehend what was happening. She was given dancing lessons and exposed to other routines that would contribute to her becoming the heart throb of the masses . 

Octavia debuted as heroine at the age of 15, paired with the reigning matinee idol who was 52 years of age at that time. She went on to do more movies most of which were super duper hits. In the meanwhile , the family coerced her into a breast enhancement procedure that was quite painful and also took a psychological toll on her. But it was felt necessary to get her to look more mature and older than her chronological age, On the one side, there was lot of acclaim and wealth while on the other she was missing out on the little pleasures of girls her age. Her former classmates went to college, some had crushes. heartbreaks and some had secured employment in responsible positions in corporate companies. 

Octavia often felt that she was not living the life that she would have wished. In fact, her aspirations could not be determined as she was pushed so early into a profession that she was liking less and less with each passing day. All the roles seemed so repetitive and boring where she was mainly required to look cute and attractive. She would rather have become a teacher, doctor or social scientist, serving society at large. Further, all decisions concerning her career were being taken by her father. She had no idea how much money was being earned and spent. Hers was to simply perform like a robot, go to the sets or locations and do the bidding of the director. 

As she was the golden goose and the chief provider of the household, the family watched over her like a hawk. They wouldn't let her get friendly with anyone. It was almost as if she was a bird imprisoned in a golden cage. It was the tantrums that gave Octavia some feeling of power - the only time when her accompanying mom was scared of her. She also liked to watch the expression of 'surprise' when she was unexpectedly sweet or kind to people. No wonder they dubbed her a "Moody and unpredictable star". 

"One of these days", Octavia tells herself, "I will cut through this frustration of  not having any future either professionally or personally".  There was this co-star Ajay who seemed to be genuinely drawn to her and has been giving her feelers and messages on the mobile phone. If she could find in him, the enduring love she was seeking for a long time, she would be able to settle down, have children like any other woman. Then hopefully she would be able to say "Bye-bye" for good, to her mood swings! 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z

Nivedita at peace with Herself -At last!

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

It was only three days since Nivedita had come to Davangere to visit her mother. She had told herself that this time she will have a great time with mom and not have a single fight during the 10 days that she would be there. But already strains were beginning to show. Who is it that said “If you believe you have become mature and enlightened, go spend a few days with your parents!”  Nivedita felt that there could not be a truer statement. Although she frequently reminded herself to live in the present, Nivedita found herself going back to the past more often that she would have liked.

This time, her travel from Bangalore where she lived with husband Neeraj and two sons was after a quarrel with spouse. She felt that he was taking her for granted because she was a woman. After all, she was also working and earning. Yet, it seemed as if it was sort of expected that a big chunk of the household chores would be attend to by her. Nivedita felt that a bad precedent was being set for the boys aged 12 and 8, who are growing up. They are going to have faulty expectations that would be even more unrealistic when they become adults. 

Neeraj should have been told about the requirement of equally sharing the household chores right from the time they were married.  She simply lacked the courage to tell him even as she was hurt and upset over his insensitivity of not pitching in to help. Nivedita felt that she had not been assertive enough because of the wrong upbringing by her parents, particularly her mother Brinda who was always partial towards her brother Arjun.

During this visit also, the discussion as usual, centered around this topic.

“Just because Arjun loved and was crazy about dosas, you made dosas all the time , whether it is for breakfast or supper”

 “Nivedita dear, please don’t go back to the past once again.” 

 “Although, you were also a working woman, you spent so much time making dosas for him at night and that fellow had a voracious appetite, eating 13 to 14 dosas at a time!”

 “Nivedita, I always served you first. It was your decision to eat only 3 for supper. Can’t blame your brother for wanting to satiate his hunger.”

 “But did you ask me what food I liked? It just did not count! If Arjun was obsessed with dosas, everyone, including dad, had to eat only dosas most of the time. Did you know I developed a hatred for the dish! I don’t make it at home.” 

 “Well, that is such a silly decision, child. Dosa is a tasty, healthy dish that has both carbs and protein”

 “Do you remember Amma, on some days when you were tired from work, you asked me to make the Dosas for dinner and serve Arjun.  After 8 or 9, if I asked Arjun if it was enough, you used to chide me saying don’t ask; serve him until he says he has had enough!” 

 “Nivedita, I don’t know why you bring up such trifles after so many years.”

“You may think it is trifling. But you robbed me of my self-esteem and assertiveness. Today, I can’t speak firmly to Neeraj on any matter."

 Although the conversation ended on that day, three to four days later the conversation veered to the same subject with minor changes with the result that mother and daughter experienced conflict in their relationship. She raised the issue of not getting support for pursuing the career of her choice. While her brother was encouraged to do medicine, she was told that it was too expensive for both children to study medicine.

 One day, unable to contain herself, Nivedita found herself asking her mom “For all that you have done for Arjun, why has he not taken you to live with him after Appa’s death?  Ananya regretted the words even as they escaped her lips. She could see from the change in her mother’s demeanor that she was hurt and sad although she tried to brush it off with the words “Well, you know that he is tied down with a busy job and so is Vineeta. Moreover, this being a flat in a gated community I am safe and happy with friends having lived here for a long time”

 It was the night prior to her departure to Bangalore, to join her husband and kids. Even as she was packing, Nivedita told herself that “enough was enough”. She cannot torture her aged mother each time she met her with harsh reminders of the past. “I also have to get on with my life” she told herself. How much longer can one continue escaping from the challenges of the present like the need to be assertive or firm citing the past as an excuse? She thought. “I will need to take charge and seek the help of a counsellor if need be. Neeraj may readily agree to share chores. Why assume that he would refuse point blank even before asking him? It is high time, the cobwebs of the past are exorcised from my mind”.

 Nivedita hugged her mother and bid goodbye. It was always a sad moment taking leave of her mother, knowing that she would be alone in the house after she left. At least, during this visit “I gained some clarity and insight into my life circumstances and how to deal with them" she thought to herself. 

"The next time I come to meet Amma, I will ensure that we spend the whole of the available time joyfully and not allow the past to come in between us. After all, my loving mother was herself a product of circumstances that moulded her." mused Nivedita as she got into the car. 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z

Mithun's Midlife Crisis

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

It was sometime after his 45th birthday that Mithun seemed to have unconsciously taken stock of his life. He had this feeling that his life was three fourths over with just 15 years more for retirement. Thus far, he had managed to reach the position of only a Deputy manager. Now it looked like he would never reach the great heights vis-à-vis the corporate ladder that he had dreamt of when he started career as a management trainee. 

Mithun felt that his two children, a daughter and son who were teenagers didn't think much of him. He was just someone to play the role of provider, to give them money when they needed it. Mithun had always felt that his wife Sarita was the main reason he did not get the respect as head of family. She was always laughing away most of what he said as if it was a joke. While Mithun had previously taken what was happening in his life in a matter of fact manner, he suddenly began to feel edgy and upset as if time is running out and that he would never get his due either professionally or socially or even  from family in his own home! 

Mithun travelled down the memory lane. The honeymoon  period in their marriage was so very short. Sarita had come into the relationship with preconceived notions. One of them, Mithun felt was her idea that given half the chance a husband would try to lord over the wife. Therefore, she appeared to be guarded in all interaction. She wanted to assert that she had a mind of her own. 

So much so, she would turn down his choice of a saree that he thought would look lovely on her. Over a period of time, her choices in most matters turned out to be diametrically opposite to his. In fact they hardly shopped together these days. If she wanted to go shopping, Sarita went with the children. Mithun had no say in the selection of the clothes of the children either. It is a small mercy that he has been choosing his own clothes over the years. 

Things had reached such a low ebb that Mithun did not know what present to buy his wife for her birthday or the wedding anniversary. Her tastes in clothes being totally different buying an attire was ruled out. On a couple of occasions, he bought her books thinking that it was a safe bet only to find her face registering scorn. At one time he bought her a gift from one of those cute, unique souvenir shops. Months later when they visited  in law's house he found his 'special birthday gift' casually lying around in mother in law's room. That was the importance his wife attached to his presents! 

It was around this time that Mithun decided to make a solo trip to his native place. He wanted to visit the old school and laze around in the calm environment of his village. More importantly, Mithun wanted to discuss his problems and apprehensions with his bosom pal Venky at a place "Far from the madding crowd". 

Mithun was at the railway station. The hibernation period was over. He was returning to the hustle and bustle of the city to resume both work and family life from where he had left off. But there was a calmness in his mind that came from the long chats he had  with Venky during the two weeks he spent in the serene environment. Venky advised him not to be overwhelmed. 

"Your worries can partly be attributed to a mid life crisis, when one feels that time is running out and all that one wanted to achieve in life seems to be slipping away." he said. It is not as if you alone have problems. Everyone has some kind of dissatisfaction with some aspect of life. Life is all about accepting both the hills and valleys and navigating between them skillfully and effortlessly . The station master waved the green flag . Mithun settled down in his seat with a calm confidence that had been eluding him for days. 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z

The Woman You Love

 Write, on “the woman you love the most”

Exhorts organizors of a “poetry contest”

Seeds sown for avoidable conflicts

Is one to choose between mother & spouse?

Or worse still- face dire consequences

If choice is from a shortlist !

 

Easier to celebrate womanhood

The one side of coin without which

The other side is incomplete, of no value

They can come in many ways and forms

A kind teacher at school, an aunt, grandmom

A friend who engages you in stimulating discussions

A doting daughter for whom you are hero

Surely, very challenging for many

To choose one over the other!

 

To my mind, mother Earth, the ever giving

Never complaining, epitome of love

In the form of trees, water, natural resources

Is the “Woman” I love the most! 

NB: Written for Million Muse FB Group Monthly poetry contest - March 2024

Lakshmi's Story

 Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

Lakshmi was always in a hurry. As she did housework for 4 houses in the apartment complex, life was like always being on the run. The afternoons are a bit quiet though. It is in the morning when everyone has to go for work that they wanted her to come in early and complete house work such as washing the vessels. Lakshmi was lucky to get work in two houses where the 'Didi's are not working women, meaning she can go there a little later after completing the other two houses. 

Lakshmi's husband has been working in a public sector undertaking since many years as a contract labourer with the hope that one day he would be made permanent under the contract labour (Regulation & Abolition Act). But now all such hopes have vanished with the change in approach and policy of the Government to encourage more and more temporary workmen on the pretext of  the country's requirement to be competitive in a globalized environment.

 The expenses that are most visible to the management when they want to  cut corners are the labour cost which is kept to as minimum as possible. With the earnings of both of them put together they could only manage a small sized house in a basti (overcrowded colony) in the city . Lakshmi lives here with her husband and a fourteen year old son and eight year old daughter.  

Although she works for four of them. Lakshmi's favourite was "Sarla didi". She was very kind and understanding when she was delayed by the sickness of the children in their growing up years. Moreover, she allowed her to take the leftover food home. The others were very strict and would not allow food to be taken out. If food is available eat it yourself; not to be taken out was the rule.  The relationship of Lakshmi with didi was reciprocal. Whenever she had guests visiting from the native place, Laksmi would always pitch in unmindful of the time.

Looking back , Lakshmi feels her association with the the 'Apartment' people helped in having a bigger vision. She did not hesitate to buy second hand fridge and washing machine when the opportunity presented itself for making her life comfortable at home on returning from a tiring day's work. Looking at the better lives of the 'Apartment people', she urges her children to aim high and not end up as someone doing other's house work for life. 

Some children in the basti have enrolled for engineering and other promising courses. Laksmi  however, does not have much hope with respect to her son Deepak who seems to be whiling away his time roaming around with the other boys of the basti. All her hopes are pinned on daughter Neeti who invariably comes first in her class. 

Like a seesaw, the ups and downs continue in Lakshmi's life. Sometimes it is a raise that her husband got while at other time it is an unexpected hospitalization. Lakshmi accepts them all with equanimity. She has no time to stop and think. She has to keep running to be able to be in the same place. That about sums up the life and times of Lakshmi." Embracing 'Hope' for a better morrow, no matter whatever the present circumstances" is the motto she lives by. 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z  

Kiran's Tryst with Ego

 Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

Kiran Kumar worked for over 35 years in the corporate. During his long innings he managed to climb the ladder and reach the position of manager two years prior to his retirement. Kiran always felt that his work life could have been a lot better if  there were fewer people with large egos in the form of bosses , peers, suppliers or customers. 

Kiran particularly talks about a colleague Kalyan. They had  both joined the company together. Although Kalyan got faster promotions, he did not let that get in the way of his friendships or relationships across departments. Therefore everyone had a good word about Kalyan, the ever smiling yet persuasive officer who got work done without being autocratic or egoistic. 

Kiran says this nature continued till Kalyan was senior manager. Then one fine day, he got promoted as Assistant General Manager. No one knows why? Perhaps some jinx in the designation. Kalyan began to get egoistic, argumentative, find faults easily- A far cry from the genial personality that they had all loved so much. In fact many refused to believe such drastic change in personality, particularly those who did not have much interaction with Kalyan  after his donning the new role and designation. However, Kiran could vouch for the change in Kalyan. 

As destiny would have it, Kiran's tryst with ego came much later after his retirement. As a person who was very interested in writing and in literary matters, Kiran joined a what's app group for those with similar interests. Admin would give them two subjects or topics to write on in a week. Members would then share their unique and interesting perspectives to which others could comment. 

The number of members increased during the Covid 19 period when people were tied down to their houses and were looking for ways to occupy and keep themselves busy. Being an active participant, members voted for Kiran to be the chief admin in place of the earlier incumbent who quit due to reasons of health. The procedure followed for notifying the topics was to seek suggestions from members with the final decision being that of the chief admin for selecting the two topics for the week. 

After a couple of weeks in the role of chief Admin, Kiran began to ignore the suggestions given by members and notified his own topics. Although most of the members were silent, a couple of them were annoyed and expressed themselves. Some hard words were exchanged including on competency level of people to even choose the topics. Things then began to happen very fast. Not only did the two who first raised the protest, but also 3 more members left the group. Immediately the 'silent' members swung into action and began praising Kiran Kumar. Some said he was the epitome of quality literature and that they would abide by his decisions. 

It was at this stage that Kiran introspected on the entire episode and revisited his understanding of the term "Ego". He came to the conclusion that he had behaved in the same egotistic manner during the recent weeks of which he had been complaining whole through his work life. A quick decision was taken to correct and make amends. Now, Kiran thinks twice, many times before passing judgements on anyone.

 "We know how prone we are to something only when we are exposed to it ourselves or in close proximity to it." tells Kiran these days to anyone and everyone who cares to listen to his story. 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z    

Jyothika's Search

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

Jyothika was very excited at the prospect of her brother's wedding. It was an occasion for her to project herself too, wear beautiful clothes, fun and frolic with relatives and friends. It was a surprise when her brother Varun opted for an arranged marriage. Somehow she had thought that he would find his own bride and that, that would open the door to acceptance of a love marriage for her and their little sister as well when her time came. 

Their family could boast to being a very close knit one. The members shared freely whatever was happening in their lives be it father of his woes at work or Jyothika herself about her challenges at college. She particularly had a bond with big brother Varun. He would take her with him to most places and make it a point to bring back something special for her when he went on tour.

Finally, the big day arrived and passed off with a lot of colour, celebration and happiness. But it was the days succeeding the big event that was bothering Jyothika. She felt that her sister in law Aditi was slowly and surely shutting out others and keeping her husband Varun only for herself. Jyothika began to feel that she was not welcome in many situations where her brother would have previously happily associated her. Granted that he was now married and some space would be lost to the wife. But '"all space?" is what was bothering Jyothika. She noticed this happening in respect of other members of the family too. In fact Varun was seeing less and less of them with each passing day. It was almost like they were building this exclusive castle in which only both of them could be residents! 

Jyothika raised her apprehensions with her mom but she dismissed it with the words "The poor girl lost both her parents when young and was brought up by an uncle. Naturally, she would be a little possessive of her husband. Stop being super sensitive Jyothika!" 

Jyothika was not however convinced. She felt that she had to know more about this person who seemed to have made 'a prisoner' out of her brother. She began to cultivate friendship with anyone and everyone who knew Aditi or her family well. Then casually she came across a girl who had studied with Aditi for her graduation and had shared the same hostel facilities of the college in Indore. Jyothika was very happy to meet Meera who knew Aditi at close quarters. How was she at college and in social situations?  she asked her.

'Well, I will tell you just one incident at the college hostel" said Meera. 

"We were all discussing boys and what qualities each one of us would want in a future husband. The girls were giving various criteria like looks, sound financial background, well employed, of good character, one caring by nature and so on. Aditi was sitting a little distance away detached and cool. Then one of the girls noticing her said "Hey aditi, what are your preferences?" 

Aditi answered in a matter of fact manner "I also will get my man. Then I will love him, love him, love him so much as to suffocate him..."

Jyothika got her answer and the reason for the total surrender of her brother. She also sort of knew it was a losing battle. It was futile to attempt getting anywhere near to the bond that she had shared with her brother for the last 20 years... 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z   

Inbanathan's Better Half

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

" Why do you want to go to Kodaikanal for a school reunion after 15 years?" asked Inbanathan to his wife Latha. 

"We never had such a reunion in so many years. This would be the first one ever! There would be so many things to catch up with friends!" said  Latha who was speaking about the reunion of the 2005 batch of the St Peters Matriculation school, where she had studied till her 12th class.

Inbanathan, a software engineer basically from Coimbatore lived in Bangalore with his wife and two girls aged 5 and 3 years.  As his wife was very keen to go, he decided to go to his native place with the girls during the weekend so that his parents would have the opportunity to meet their grandchildren. They would also be able to pitch in for tending to the kids in Lata's absence. It was agreed that Latha would take a bus to Kodaikanal and come to Coimbatore after the event so that they could all return together to Bangalore. 

The grandparents were very happy to see the girls. They made the weekend memorable for them taking them to Black Thunder, the biggest water theme park in Asia and also to the VOC park & zoo. The girls had exciting things to relate to their mother when she joined them on the night of Sunday. The plan was to relax during the day time on Monday in Coimbatore and return in the night to Bangalore. 

After the family was back in Bangalore, Inba began to notice some distance in the behaviour of his wife. Contrary to expectations, she was not speaking much about the reunion. When asked , she merely kept mumbling that "it went well"  When the' mood off' continued for over a week, Inba was concerned. He found Latha to be absent minded and not paying attention to what the children were saying. Sometimes, she ran to the balcony along with her mobile phone and seemed to be in a conversation. 

One day, three months later when Inba returned from office, he found the house empty. Looking around, he finally found a chit on the dressing table saying " I am leaving. I met Senthil at the reunion. Our love for each other was rekindled and we cannot live without each other. I am taking the girls. Don't worry. They will be safe and well looked after .. Senthil has promised me that." 

Inba was shocked and did not know how to respond. He did not have an address to which he could go and at least bring back his girls. The next few days were panic ridden. He frantically called everyone whom he thought would be able to guide him. Some advised against filing a police complaint in view of the stigma attached, while others opined that it was the only sensible thing to do. Finally, a police complaint was filed without much fan fare. Not much progress was reported by the department even after months. 

In the meanwhile, Inba came to know that Latha and Senthil had moved to some remote area in the city limits of Hyderabad. By then he was totally exhausted. He had no energy to take action in the matter. After the initial show of solidarity the family and friends had returned to their routine life.  As it is , Inba was slipping in achieving the monthly targets at work. There were condoning it for the moment out of sheer kindness. This cannot be expected to continue as a business is about profits and not charity.

He also received information that there was a storm on the side of Senthil 's family as well. His wife filed for divorce and took their only child to live with her parents. According to the 'source', everything is not well with the run away couple either. After the initial excitement of rekindling an old flame, the practical difficulties of day to day living was beginning to hit them. They had given up steady sound jobs to grab those below their worth and competence. Senthil who had been initially treating the girls like princesses was now getting irritated with them frequently. He was also missing his son. 

Then it happened. Inba received a feeler from a distant relative saying Latha was willing to return if she could be forgiven for the lapse that occurred due to the 'force of circumstances'. Two days later he received a call. It was his elder girl Divya. "Daddy we want to see you!" she wept. Inba did not know what to do. His parents had already been putting pressure on him for a second marriage. He had stalled it saying it was not possible as first formal divorce had to be obtained.

 In India, a decision is not just about two people making it. Whole of society have and want a say in it. Loneliness, deteriorating health and performance at work was killing Inba as well. He had to take a decision sooner than later.  

NB: This post is a part of challenge #BlogchatterA2Z  

Harita's Maiden Reportage

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

This story goes back to a time when there was no social media and people depended mainly on the print media for story and headlines. Comedy actor Sidharth Kulkarni of Marathi cinema was in the news for the wrong reasons. It was reported that fans had gone to his residence to invite him for a cultural function as chief guest. Sidharth, 'according to sources' was not only unfriendly but threw them out of the house saying "Get out!". 

The chief editor of Cinema News, Ram Gopal felt that something was amiss. He had been following Kulkarni for quite a few years and he was known to be very sober and mild mannered personality. It seemed almost unbelievable that Kulkarni abused his fans and threw them out! Yet, all the competitor magazines were selling the story with relish and increasing the sales of their magazine.

Ram Gopal sent word for the new recruit Harita. As soon as she came, he got her to relax, offered her tea and made some small talk including queries as to  how she was finding the work atmosphere. The editor explained the situation and told Harita to dig deeper into the matter as the story so far does not corelate with the basic nature and temperament of the actor.

" As I know Sidharth well, I will talk to him and ask him to give you an interview. Let us get the story from the Horse's mouth! As your first major assignment, this will open doors for better things. So put your best foot forward Harita." he said  

Harita thanked the boss and returned to her table with mixed emotions like excitement on the one hand and anxiety, apprehensions on the other. As she was new to the job, she wondered how she would be treated when she went to meet the actor. Will she also be spoken to harshly and face the ire of the actor like his fans did? Anyway, she felt comforted by the fact that she was going on an invitation and also had the backing of her editor. 

When Harita  rang the door bell, she was greeted by by a woman who said "Please sit down. Saheb is expecting you."  As she was waiting for the actor, Harita looked around the living room. The show cases were filled with number of trophies Sidharth Kulkarni had won for best comedian including a couple of film fare awards. From behind, she heard the voice of the actor " Ah, I have been waiting for you. what would you like to have? Tea or something cool? 

From then on they had a long conversation tracing Kulkarni's career thus far and his future projects. Harita wanted to bring up the 'incident' in a natural, matter of fact manner without offending the actor. But, before she could raise the issue Kulkarni said " I know you want to hear about the 'fans' episode. 

"Yes sir... If you don't mind" said Harita falteringly. 

" Well, these guys barged in unannounced last Wednesday. They said that they had a function of their cultural association on 24th of next month and they wanted me to be the chief guest. "Did you check with me whether I am free before fixing the date of 24th?" I asked them. 

"No but we knew that you will surely come! Please make it convenient sir. We have committed to our members and even published pamphlets"  

I told them " Look I am not in the proper frame of mind to accept any invitation in the near future. Please understand and fix someone else. But do so after checking with the person first." 

This annoyed them and they started arguing with me. One guy said" Cinema loafers like you should understand that it is we who make you. Without us you are nothing! Understand you comic punk!" 

This was the last straw. I got up and asked them to "get out!" 

" But sir, why did you get so upset ? After all, you are a public figure and used to invasion of privacy" asked Harita. 

" Harita, you should know that we are also human beings. Three days prior to the incident, my wife Sarla had a miscarriage. We had been eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the baby after many years. At one time, we had given up hope of ever becoming parents. We were so happy when she conceived after a series of treatments and prayers. And then this..." 

" Very sorry to hear this sir" said Harita feeling so inadequate as a young woman to express appropriate words of  solace. 

" These guys came with the mindset that they were doing a favour, inviting me, a comedian as chief guest. Therefore they did not feel the need to check with me or even seek an appointment before barging into my house. At that time I was in an emotional turmoil; blaming myself for not taking adequate care of my wife during pregnancy. I cursed my profession for taking me away for days  for outdoor shooting when my family needed me the most. " 

"Sir, I now understand very well why you behaved with the 'fans' the way you did. We tend to forget that public figures also have normal emotions of disappointment, grief and anger like anyone of us." 

As Harita took leave and proceeded to her office, she felt that her very fist assignment was a very enlightening experience. She thought of the headline for her reportage. Would "Truth of the Matter" be good enough? Well, she would leave that to the chief editor. 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z