Wait and reconsider, before jumping to conclusion
On a visit to my affectionate maternal uncle in Lucknow one late evening, not being offered dinner hurt us deeply, and we tended to cherish feelings that were not in good taste. However, a rethink made us change our perception. Whenever out of town, my priority is meeting relatives & friends there, and interacting […]
Taking care of the Care Takers
They are again to the fore in this scary point of time. In the ongoing war against Covid-19 that has so far defied any sure shot medicine, the frontline health care functionaries i.e. nurses have demonstrated remarkable resilience and ‘never say die’ spirit. Undeterred by episodic humiliation, abuse and assaults at some hospitals, they are […]
Making the best of times during the lock down
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …” This opening line of ‘Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens was meant to pinpoint the-then glaringly divergent conditions of contemporary London and erstwhile Paris; however, it is more true to the home-bound Indians today than it was to Brits way […]
Learning before it is too late
Ironically, the gravitas of precepts of teachers and the other elderly is often realised belatedly. However, the revelation is useful for a more meaningful life and key to sustained teacher-student bonds. The news of demise of Mr S.C. Sharma, our teacher in class VII, immersed me down the memory lane of school days in mid […]
Darkness can’t beat darkness, light does
Getting busy in (or contributing to) beautication of the interior and façade of your home, office or factory premises in the festival of lights is OK. A clean uncluttered ambience helps usher positive vibes. Yet remember. Since man’s true self is divine, cleansing of your mental drawing room is not less significant … so that inner […]
Pleasure of baby-sitting
Tending the grandchild can be quite a pleasant, exhilarating experience. Had it not been for the 20-some days sojourn of our grand-daughter from Mumbai with us, demise of my beloved father few days ago could have fell harder on me and my wife. More than a care taker when we both were away on […]
If only the sons could read his father’s mind!
The first ever letter I received from my methodical father was a sheer advisory. That was in 1980, when I left my parents and others in Delhi to join a new job in Bhopal. Landline phones were few and far between, and mobile phones we had just heard of. Exchange of letters was the […]
Father overrides his strict order
I was often admonished for my nocturnal ways; however, one day my father how soft he was inside. My nocturnal ways: Something reflexive in me prevents following the universal precept of ‘early to bed’. For my nocturnal habit, I drew flak perennially that began in my teens with almost daily admonitions from my father. I […]
An angel who loves to play with water
Our daughter’s plan to stay with us for a month along with her 3-year-old sent all three elderly inmates at home—my wife, my father and me—to action mode. The fledgling, overactive boy was replete with highly explorative spirits. Except while in sleep, his nimble fingers reflexively experimented with anything accessible in the kitchen, wardrobe, fridge, […]
Can I have just a little more please?
Some years back in his hunt for residential land in Dehradun, my uncle set his heart on a far-flung rural site close to a ravine. The kith and kin did much to dissuade him and settle for another plot close to the city that was available at a marginally higher rate but the resolute uncle […]
Unnerved by the idea of separation
Memories of parents linger when the feelings were not just skin deep. Remembrances haunt me as I see my 88-plus father admitted to the ICU of a hospital near my residence in Delhi for over a week, or when I think of the ordeal he is undergoing. So integral to me in the preceding six […]
His benevolent soul continues to bless us
Each item in my father’s room triggers a chain of fond memories, overwhelming me. This happens each time I go upstairs to my dad’s room. I am disabled and can’t proceed any further. Pangs of separation can be more intense and prolonged when one’s bonds with the deceased are deep and not just cosmetic, I […]