Democratic rights exercised!
How much I wish, still perfect results remain far away in many ways
in life. Never mind, rising above imperfections to embrace the way they come
and move on is the simple truth of life.
Well, last few months calendar was
choking. Managed some time to clear up pending messages and notifications. The
last one that I responded bought back a bundle of energy as my mind bows down
in respect.
He was on the silver screen and I in a cosy chair in B or C row
on the dress circle. Was in my prime teen and have just got set into the daily
morning classes of the Girls College. They said
this road ends with another two years of grind to get a token into a world
which is fairly “settled”. Little did I realize that the run never ends, until
you stop running! In our times students had a few options coined as future. It
was almost mandatory to get ready for the yellow or the green admit card for a
student opting for Science stream in +2. I was never an exception but choose green
card to avoid more exams. I realized very late in life that I should have chosen
the yellow card. That remains the biggest regret as I retrospect. That is
another story, for some other day. Well life moves on and at every cross road one
has to decide a way to go. We all choose one, so did I!
“Kakima” as I called her, our next door neighbor stood by
her gate waving at me when I pushed the paddle for the first time for my first
day first class for plus 2, along with my mother. I had seen twinkle of freedom
in their eyes as my “Hero” (I mean my bicycle) hit the road. They thought I
will pave a long way. Those were great blessings indeed.
But it was increasingly becoming difficult. One afternoon
while unlocking the bicycle lock after the maths tuition class was over, realized
the last friend in the group have made it too. Yes, they all spoke about him. Scene
by scene, act by act!! Concepts of vector was just setting and sense of direction
yet to sync in that this chocolate boy made me stand out like an alien among my
friends. As much as I wanted to see him I expressed a face of ignorance to paint
a picture otherwise. Parcels of big fat books from “Agarwal Classes” (in case you don’t
know in late 80s and early 90s they along with their sole competitor “Brilliant Tutorials”
had fueled brains of India…) were getting delivered at my door steps for me to
get ready for doing justice to the green admit card on my way. I was yet to
meet him.
Some days do start as ordinary but turn out to be bit extra.
The last class got dissolved for some reasons I fail to recollect. I had just pressed
the clutch and the brake in front of our house to see Kakima and a bunch of boys
including her sons rushing out. They wore a jovial face. In reality she had
made a force entry into the boy’s league who had decided to bunk college for a
movie that has created roar in hearts.
“Want to join?” – A motherly voice in the spree of a
teenager asked.
Golden opportunity! Felt prudent to accept. My first movie show
without my family. The boys had means to get seats quite far away from us. They
must be thankful to me for locking her out of the vicinity and give them the
freedom they deserved in the darkness of a movie hall with sweet Juhi on the
screen. And yes, the moment Amir made his debut turn with a guitar the hall reverberated
with “Papa Kaheti….” An ounce of teenage moment that remain ever
tagged with Kakima in my mind as #QSQT a box office hit then. The day ended and
years crossed. Many a roads traversed yet these sweet yester moments often
boosts the most when one feels low swamped in daily drudgery and uncertainties.
The message was lying in one of my social sites. With a sip
of cold coffee, opened the unread to find my #QSQT hashtag friend had bid a
farewell and made her way to the land of peace. This time I stand here to wave
you Kakima. The pain gave way to an unadulterated pleasure.
Mind rolled back to
be in teens that beholds the tenderness that we need to keep the youth in us alive.