The family on the Green Scooter

 Was browsing through the sad news of Stalwart Rahul Bajaj's demise on newspaper today. There was one article along with a pic of the famous ad in which a man is wiping the front of the scooter with a white washcloth. The green shade of the scooter is unique, darkest of the leafy green but not quite touching the olive zone.

The first scooter my Dad ever owned was Bajaj Chetak in the same dark green shade. I remember my mom narrating the story of how we saved pennies to purchase that scooter. In those days, scooter was a premier product and not easily available in Berhampur, Odisha. Much to our delight, one of my uncles helped us get it from Kolkata. Me, my sister and brother were tiny tots and used to reside in the coastal sleepy town of Berhampur which was just 30 odd kms from the now super-famous Gopalpur beach. And the first ride we ever took on the majestic Chetak was to this beach. What began after this was a series of most looked forward to happenings of our young life ; weekend picnics to the beach. I was the tiniest of the lot, hence used to stand infront of Dad holding the handle of the scooter squinting hard at the wind and trying to tame down my hair which turned into Einstein's infamous hairdo in minutes, while the rest of my family used to pile up behind. My bro sandwiched in between Mom and Dad & sis on my Mom's lap. The family on the Green Scooter! 

The sea held immense charm for us, the thrill of frolicking in the surf used to keep us excited the entire week long. Mom & Dad keeping an eye on us from afar sitting on the mat while sipping on the sugary chai sold by the hawker and we three kids going delirious with joy in the waves. And when we got too tired after our frolicking, we used to get treated with hot Samosas which we had carried with us from town. There were hardly any shops on the beach. Those were the times, when the Gopalpur beach was yet to bask in its share of fame which it duly received in subsequent years after the establishment of Mayfair chain of resorts there. 

This tradition continued for a long time till we kids outgrew the scooter ride. The dark green scooter gave way to light blue one after few years and many more after that. But those initial rides to Gopalpur beach on our trustworthy Chetak will forever remain etched in our memories. It was not just a scooter, it was our ticket to self-sufficiency, independence and progress in life. Not just for the little family on Green scooter in the tiny town of Berhampur but for the middle class of an entire nation.

Rahul Bajaj. May you rest in peace, wherever you are.

No goodbyes, pls!

 Lately I have been remembering my mother a lot. One of the reasons behind the rumination is the way she brought us up. How she managed her career and home with equal aplomb, juggling between the myriad tasks with so meagre resources at hand. We never had a cook at home. So she cooked all three meals for five of us at home each single day, with great love and care. She never cut corners by serving lazy breakfasts like cornflakes, oats, bread jam etc. So it used to be Paratha and fried egg for breakfast during our school days and nutritious veg curry with rice etc for lunch. Dinner used to be simple fare like roti and some veg item cooked and served to us kids before 8 PM. How she managed to do all this along with her career, I can never begin to fathom. Add to this the extra chore of washing our clothes. We welcomed washing machine very late in our lives may be in class 6th. She also took extra care in our grooming. We were always dressed in our very best, she being an amazing seamstress, stitched all out clothes in her sewing machine at home. Till class 12th, we wore frocks created by her only. Did I mention, she used to knit our sweaters as well?! Yes, she was a jack of all trades and master of most.

An ordinary lady would have cribbed & crashed after coming home from work. But did she ever complain?! Never. Always sociable and welcoming to all relatives and neighbours alike, she loved to play host and served lip smacking dishes. Her biryani was to die for and eclectic dishes like pudding etc still make my mouth water. In those days, we never had cable tv at home so our sources for entertainment were limited. But we never felt the need of that. Because, she used to come home from work and take us out for shopping and snacks. I still remember our fav joint Super Snax in Mayfair Rourkela, where she used to take us for Dosas and Ice-cream followed by shopping. And all this, after a full day of work and cooking, cleaning etc. She didn't drive so her work involved a minimum of 2 hours of commute each single day, changing multiple autos to reach college. [She was a professor] And then a bit of walking to reach the auto stand as well. And every day, she used to get something or the other to eat for us while returning home. My fav was Alu Chop. Hence mostly it used to be that or chowmein at times...

Sometimes when I return home from work and I feel so dead inside, hardly have the energy to make a cup of tea. Can never begin to imagine how she managed three kids clinging to her and demanding her attention all the time and she managing to exceed our expectations always...I see lot of mothers around me and I observe different parenting styles these days. But nothing or nobody comes even close to what she was or she did for us. Super-woman she was. In every sense of the word. I still remember her words so very vividly, "Don't ever mourn my death, don't ever ever shed a tear in my memory...It will hurt me the most. Always keep smiling...And then I will come in your dreams to communicate with you all."

A mother's love is like an ocean. It never ends or changes...even with a shift in realms. So I will not grieve, because I know... anything that we lose will come round in another form...sooner or later.

The Picasso in me…

 

What is your calling?

“There is more to life than work and family.”

Prophetic words, right? Casually uttered by a friend of mine recently. He is not just a hard working professional but also a very loving and committed family person. Father to two adorable kids and always kind and helpful to everyone around. 

So, is there something wrong if we feel we need something more in life to make us withstand the mundanity. More than family and work? Are we being unrealistic or just plain selfish? What he actually meant was the need to address a higher “calling”. Something which will make you jump out of bed each morning. Things that motivate you and make you feel on top of the world. Adrenaline rush. Excitement. Feeling of vindication after you accomplish it. 

For my friend, it’s running. He is a marathon runner and runs long distance with great ease. Creating records one after another. We often discuss fitness and nutrition and I always feel inspired after every chat with him. And these words of his about having something more in life really stuck with me. And I started thinking... what is my calling? Reading? Painting? Exercise? Cooking?

Actually apart from reading, I am bit inconsistent on the other stuff, kinda on and off. Yo-yo. But Reading is something I truly enjoy. It’s my caffeine/cocaine. I wake up and read TOI online, Scroll, Medium, newspaper hard copy in addition to the book I would have in hand. All this reading I finish before even thinking about breakfast. Even when I am working, I always have a book open next to my laptop. I sleep with a book next to my pillow. Books are like my most favourite possessions. Last year I read 22 books. This year, I intend to break the record. 

Ok. To cut the long story short, reading is my calling. 

Elif Shafak

 

ELIF SHAFAK. My latest muse. An amazing writer who specialises in stories which are derivatives of the beautiful Turkish world. 

Currently I am enjoying my 4th read by her, “HONOR”. The previous ones which I thoroughly enjoyed are “40 RULES OF LOVE”, “BASTARDS OF ISTANBUL” and “THE APPRENTICE”.

After a long time, I have come across a writer who breathes life into each word she pens down. With so much love, thought and care. Not to mention, how she opens a whole new world for readers who have never been to Turkey and experienced the culture of this picturesque land. Her writings have elements of Sufism as well and that will inspire you to introspect into your own life at times. You will find meaning and logic in random happenings and find yourself taking solace from many of Rumi’s sayings. My favourite ones are actually too many to be mentioned here.

Highly recommend the books by ELIF SHAFAK.