God's Own People

Some people we come across in life are soo soo very cute that you cannot forget them even if you want to. Not because they’ve done something especially for you but just because they’ve been there when you needed them them the most. That feeling is just like the one I would  get when I’m sitting alone somewhere with a cup of tea, into my own thoughts and someone just holds up a pack of Parle-G in front of me. Here, I am good alone. I have my cup of tea, I’m not hungry, I don’t NEED anything but still those Parle-G biscuits add up to my tea. This is the kind of people I’m talking about. I cannot relate them to me in any way.

Today, I’m just being nostalgic while I remember Sushma - Simant and Aarya - Abhijit. They’re the ones who are not the neighbors of my sister-in-law, neither are the friends of my auntie’s second cousin’s daughter..............(he he he this is too much). Yes, they’re no way close to my native but they always understood what we felt, what we needed.

The day: We were finally moving on from Chicago.
The time: 9:30 AM (Prasad had already left for some important office work) knock knock - It’s Sushma. Hah I was relieved that someone’s here to cheer me up with the tasks. I had hardly got Pingu up and done with her breakfast. She came in n took Pingu with her to drop her at Aarya’s place where she had Parnika to play with. We had already packed almost all the things last night to minimize the last minute pains but still it seemed as if the whole world was before me to clean up. Moreover, the shipping guys didn’t show up till noon.

The time: 12 noon. knock knock - It’s Sushma again. “ Ajita ye sab box packing mai kar deti hoon, aap apne luggage packing pe dhyan deejiye” - those relieving words came from her. And within an hour or so the boxing had been completed.   

The funniest and moreso an embarassing part on my part was when she climbed the towing truck trailer for my wall clock. We had dumped some of our stuffs in the car trunk which was to be shipped. The car shipping guy came, drove the car over the trailer and was about to leave the parking lot when she saw the huge wall clock hanging there which can neither fit in any of the shipping boxes nor in any of the luggage. She simply took out the clock put it in a fresh trash bag, padded it with n number of useless plastic bags while I was on phone trying to ask the trailer driver to hold on. Sushma just climbed the trailer opened the car and dumped the wall clock  into it and came back smilingly as if nothing had happened. The temperature outside was nearing 0 degree C, she wasn’t even wearing a jacket and just had her slippers on.

I went late that afternoon at Aarya’s place to check out on Pingu’s lunch, just to find that she’d been fed, bathed and was about to doze off for her noon nap. From no one would I have expected this and felt like never leaving these wonderful people. With all the issues and tensions in my mind, I wouldn’t have eaten that afternoon if it was not for Aarya. When I left Aarya’s house that day I was in tears (obviously) which were not because I was leaving her but I was being thankful to my destiny for having her as my friend.

For that one day, I can go on with the incidents without a pause where they were someone more than GOD for me. The same day Simant came back early from office and drove me n Pingu at the Airport. Both Sushma n Simant came along till the waiting lounge of the Chicago airport to hand us over to Prasad (It would’ve been so much hassle for me to travel in a cab with so much luggage and Pingu and then trace where Prasad actually was waiting for us at the Airport).

As we bid them good bye, I was filled with so much love and respect for the two of them. They left without turning back even once to expect a “Thank you”. What I saw was a Happy couple so much filled with love that now they spread the excess of it to the world. THANK YOU for being there.

Resolutions n more

It is not even 1 month now and I know that I am not doing this despite of a great morale boosting from Prasad. This really makes me wonder why this weird thought of making “New Year Resolutions” came to my mind in the first place. If I want to do something I can do it anyways and if I don’t, I won’t, come what may..

The story starts 1 day before the new years eve. Prasad n me discussing over a coffee about the new year resolutions of the two of us. I was really very practical and I knew that this isn’t going to work out for me - Making a decision and following it throughout the year every single day. But with Prasad into it, I thought to give it a try. If it worked, good for me; If it didn’t, hard luck. As it is, with my weight crossing the early fifties, I was equally worried. Out came the declaration, I shall run at least 1 mile per day without fail. Prasad agreed to co operate and compromise if it meant no lunch box at times. I agreed to compromise an hour of my early morning sleep. 31st night was exhaustive and we hardly slept for say 4 hrs. There dangles my very first day of keeping up with my own “Resolution”..........frowny day and demoralizing of course.

Then, I thought of getting myself a partner who would accompany me. May be that would work as a driving force for me to the Gym. Off started my search for a Gym partner (By the way the whole idea was lost during this search, as if I can NOT go to Gym alone). Days went by and I deliberately made myself forget my own resolution. In came invites for a number of birthday parties back to back. I was excited and digged my wardrobe for the best dresses, best sweaters n coats. Alas !! they wouldn’t fit, or to say I wouldn’t get in them anymore. That was an eyeopener. Moreover, at the parties, posing for a snap would just be about competing with my breath (The amount of time I can hold it in till the snap’s taken).

That was it !!! I decided to join Prasad in his early morning Yoga and Pranayam. He told me the techniques and off we started with it. But that was very very boring, and the results would be too far I knew. Still I continued with it till I could find another option. Then I found GOD in disguise - Swati. She was equally interested and we decided to make it work.

So, now my day starts at 6:30 AM followed by 45 min of running, and I’m free all day to eat all the crap I want to. But I should do something for my eating habits as well. Wait a minute, that large box of chocolate chip muffins we got last week will be wasted in that case (Wasting food is a bad job - me to pingu). I have to live up to it and finish them up myself. One more thing, Tina’s planning to have us invited for a smacking Lasagna party. I’ll call her up and tell her not to add any cheese over mine. It’s Rishika’s birthday and her mommy’s making delicious Samosa chaat for all of us. Why do people plan parties and get alongs when I try to plan my diet? This is not happening with me.

For now, I’m good with my running a mile schedule (It’s only 2 days it has started and I’m equally unsure how long it is going to last). Oops, I’m late. It’s already 6:30 and Swati must be waiting for me. One last thing, that I can remember here is the last line from a poem by Robert Frost - “And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep”.
Well actually, I’ve just woken up and for this day at least, I have to go 1 mile, literally - Paiiiiiinnnnnn