It hurts to see things change,
So much so beyond recognition…
Somtimes you standstill;
Life moves on and you are left behind -
The feeling kills your spirit and passion,
No longer you want to stay and envision,
When you realise you can’t move along;
It’s probably time to move away…
My soul bleeds for a word of comfort,
Heart yearns for a shoulder to rest my worries on,
I pray, let there be one more miracle;
Lest, I lose hope in life…
Memories are rife of the good ol' days,
Happiness and peace ruled my thoughts,
I pray, let me relive those precious moments;
Lest, I lose hope in life…
Joy never embraces when you most want it,
Freedom never gets to you, when you set out to seek it,
I pray, give me one more chance to endure these priceless gifts;
Lest, I lose hope in life…
I, now know, how innocence fades,
Often it's snatched and seldom lost,
I pray, nobody bears the loss of it anymore;
Lest, I lose hope in life…
Faith goes a long way in resurrecting the spirit within you,
Passion forms the strength of character,
I pray, reignite the fire within me;
Lest, I lose the last dribble of hope in life…Children these days have a wider vocabulary, all thanks to media ' visual, print and otherwise. However, not all they know leaves Parents' light hearted, a group of children in their 4th standard, avidly speaks of terror, bombs, guns etc., They do not seem as naive they are supposed to be! Their innocence is stolen and how! Where do we go and file an FIR ?
There is this Ad from an insurance company, where the father asks his lil' daughter to switch channels to watch the news, the kid inturn replies that the sensex goes kaput and your blood pressure soars. Amazing it is, that the lil' kid is so much aware of happenings around. Good thing or bad thing one wonders, being aware of your surroundings makes you better prepared to handle a situation, but do we really want our children to know so much?
They say, 'There is a child in every adult', we now get to see 'An adult in every child'. Is it the exposure, is it the peer pressure that has made them widen their paradigms at such a young age. We weren't as much equipped handle the few subjects which were a part of our curriculum ' TV and newspaper were more a means of entertainment, violence per se was never considered entertainment. Imbibing values and principles have taken a back seat, the child is now groomed for the battleground called 'Competition'.
'Compassion' is a little known thing these days - murders, killing, kidnaps have become a common sight, when 100s of people die, it's just like another day. Our country has gone to the dogs, there is an immediate necessity to safe guard the future of our country. With the kind of environment we are in today, they will grow to be individuals with no sensitivity, just like our politicians who were passing absolutely senseless comments after the nightmare that held Mumbai hostage for 4 long days!!
" nothing should be more cherished in this world than a child "
" tell me stranger what is more beautiful and precious than any dear child "
‘26/11′ is etched in everybody’s mind like many other less fathomable terrorist attacks…only this time, the gravity was horrendous. A beautiful city is down in the dumps, so much flesh and blood splashed across your TV screen leave a sordid feeling.
It’s not the first time that they have attacked, within the past few months, we have seen so many bomb blasts across major cities. We have reacted for each of them - precisely for 4 days! Politicos, are now experts in giving their speeches during such repulsive situations…they seem to be well rehearsed. Nothing more is done, no action is taken!!
The current rescue operations just go on to show how ill - prepared we are to handle critical situations, I only wish we were half as prepared as the terrorists! The most inhumane part arises, when the politicians try to cash-in on such situations…come election and trust me the opposition is going to highlight the ineptness of the ruling party during these very days of horror…
Terrorists are indeed the most secular lot, when they went on a maniac-like shooting spree at hospitals, streets, railway station, they did not categorise their victims by religion. But our Politicians just know how add fuel to fire…in their pursuit to capture ‘Vote Banks’, you sure know what they will do…
We recently saw a politician fighting for Mumbaikars and ensuring that the outsiders were kept just there - ‘Outside’…what is he upto now?! And how come he let ‘these outsiders’ ruin it all for the common man!! Our ‘Netas’ are so bloody corrupt, there is no point in trying to insinuate any sense into the current system…we need better people to manage the affairs of our Nation.
We have a bunch of talented, passionate personnel in the Army, Navy, Police force etc., there are people ready to die for Our Country…all this despite being paid ‘peanuts’ for their valor, being treated badly by a bunch of wimps, who supposedly run Our Country!! A few years from now, nobody will aspire to be in these prestigious professions, they are far low paying than the entrant level job in a BPO/Call centre, they are better off cooling their heels at an MNC which offer much better infrastructure…
Terrorist attacks cannot be prevented, it is how equipped we are to manage such situations that matters most…the common man continues to lift his ’spirit’ and get back to normalcy…It is probably this overwhelming spirit which the politicos mistake for ‘Short-memory’…
It’s time we stood up and stopped the politicians from roughing us around…’Enough is Enough’! Let’s take these guys to task this election, let’s see them hang their heads in shame this time round… We can make a difference, let us bring about awareness and revolution in the grass root level…let us not be mere spectators of these oft repeated gruesome attacks…
How many of you work on Saturdays? Well, I do!
All you guys who cosy up back home on Saturdays, if you haven’t realised what a great boon you have chanced upon, then trust me, you should be thanking your stars…
Working 6 days a week SUCKS! and HOW!!
It’s wierd that these 7 days play such an important role in our lives, they just repeat so non-stop, can’t they just get stuck on Sunday for like 15 days just once…!! Nobody can be so prompt, everybody get’s tired, the weekdays should realise that they are working about 2.5 times as hard as the weekends (in my case 6 times harder…huh!?!)…and you know what most part of the population does, they prefer the weekends man…isn’t that brutal on the weekdays…!! It’s just like the corporate world, you ghisofy your *%$ all day long and then Ta Da…surprise surprise, the person sitting next to you, who kept staring at the monitor like a maniac and was misusing all possible resources in the office is promoted…you feel so irked!!
I am sure the weekdays feel absolutely devastated, the weekends have all the nice stuff - vacation, shopping, sleeping, partying and what not…for weekdays - it’s just Work…back in school, you had to wear a boring uniform on weekdays and on weekends…no prizes for guessing… :-O
There is no grievance cell for the weekdays to complain, it has become so complacent that it continues to slog endlessly, while the weekends sit and chill out…It’s hightime some of the weekdays read this blog and committed suicide, then we would be left with fewer weekdays to fend…and I hope it’s Monday who reads it first…
Adios!!
I am not a movie buff, and by far, the last thing I would do is write about one…but this movie that I saw yesterday is an absolute ‘Master piece’ in every sense…an appallingly interesting storyline, phenomenal performances, edgy screenplay and some classy dialogues…
The movie revolves around the theme of Communalism and Terrorism within the gamut of ‘Our System’ Haven't ever come across any story which grips your attention in the first 10 mins, nobody can take credit of this except Naseeruddin Shah (the one who plots to get 4 terrorists out of the police custody) at one point, you think the movie is inspired by the 'Kandahar Hijack' incident, but voila the climax has an entirely different twist to it one that inspires, one that leaves goosebumps
At the beginning of the story, there is an absolutely normal looking character (Naseeruddin Shah) walking into a police station with a bag which has a 'J&K' tag on it. He comes in to file an FIR and then leaves the mysterious looking bag in the police station, by now you have started abhorring the character and you know that the bag undoubtedly contains RDX by the time the story races ahead, you are in awe of the same character for the sheer brilliance with which he executes what actually ‘Our System’ has continuously failed to. By the time we approach the climax, you are craving to live the very same character we started off hating what brilliant portrayal! I am not going to discuss the other equally good and praise-worthy performances for the blog would get too long!
Except for some wasteful scenes with Anupam Kher (Police commissioner) interacting with Gaurav Kapoor (an actor) the movie is gripping and flawless it is not another absolutely dark, 'I-am-portraying-realism' kinda movie
Coming from a debutante director ' Neeraj Pandey, the maturity and the detailing with which the subject has been handled is phenomenal the choice of actors is commendable, this movie is definitely 'coming of the best talent' together Kudos to the entire team ! More such movies should be made and we as audience should take time out to watch such movies alongside some of the mind-numbing ones
The movie makes an important statement that, the 'stupid common man' (as Naseeruddin Shah puts it) has undoubtedly learnt to adjust to the terror around. After every blast, one makes a few phone calls/SMSs, watches the news very closely and then the next day he returns to normalcy…but the day he chooses not to be resilient, there could be havoc the crux of the story tries to emulate that, every common man is secular and all one wants is 'peace to prevail'.
It also gently pushes the envelope saying that 'Both communalism and terrorism are equally fathomable evils' more like 2 sides of the same coin
It's an EXCELLENT movie, a MUST-WATCH!!!
When things end
leave a bitter taste to fend
A lump in the throat…
So much hatred afloat
When things end
a careless tear you continue to tend
Moments of respite constantly flash
All that remains is ash
When things end
there isn't much to mend
All that was there has vanished
you feel so punished
’Andrew’ walked soaked in rain…he cried his heart out, it was indeed a relief that nobody could catch him crying, he was from one of the Brit families which believed that ‘Men don’t cry’…he felt more wet in pain that the rain didn’t matter…
The trauma that he went through was far greater in magnitude than any of the other tragedies he had encountered in his life. He felt so helpless, so incapacitated that things had finally changed…
He kept walking for a long time now…the rain had subsided, his clothes felt relatively dry…alongside the pain tagging his heart, he felt a pang of hunger, but he knew that he could not possibly gulp a single morsel down his throat, there was a huge lump which wouldn’t go…
It was now time for him to let go of someone refreshingly special! The person who stood by him all his life, who had helped him build a vision and always kept him in high spirits when the whole world shunned him. He recalled the days of yore where he had entered the school, full of unfriendly students, who constantly ragged him and twitched his cheek to see it grow crimson. There was only one girl who showed sympathy towards him, she sat with him during lunch and shared from her tiny lunch box. She helped him through school and then they were to-gether at college, by then they had grown so used to each other that not a single day or event in their lives would go without meeting and discussing. It seemed so that they were bonded for life…
He had always held great regard for ‘Tisca’. They came from starkly different backgrounds, he was an immigrant and had come along with his family to India, as his father, an archealogist, found the country intriguing enough to research. However, they stayed long after his father passed away and his mother worked with a local bank as a clerk to provide for him and his sister. Tisca, on the other hand was the only daughter of a highly reputed, industrious family. She was a Rajput, supposedly a family of fighters! During their long tenure of friendship though, he had never ever caught her even speaking harshly to anybody, forget fighting!
Often people around misconstrued their friendship and tagged them as a ‘couple’, although it did bother Tisca a lot, ‘Andy’ seemed happy about being associated with her in this special way. He did have feelings for her, but feared that he may end up ruining what they already shared, if he ever discussed of taking their relationship to the next level. Also, he often thought that he was indeed unworthy of having a life partner like her, given her luxurious life, he couldn’t have ever given her the comforts that she was used to at her place. A sense of pragmatism always set in when he would fantasise about such things.
It was his usual visit to their favorite hangout a coffee shop, ‘Tisca’ arrived 15 mins late, very characteristic of her. They dived into a conversation, casually ‘Tisca’ mentioned that there was this guy called ‘Gaurav’ who was working with her and had placed a proposal of marriage. The shocking thing was that she had gone ahead and accepted the same! Such an important decision and not once she had thought that there was some consultation to be done! His parents were to come and discuss some formalities…blah..blah…blah…! Nothing much registered in his mind after that, he kept nodding his head and trying hard to control the overwhelming need to cry and say bitter things to her.
On the background he could feel the faint music from a bollywood movie, “Tujhe Yaad na aayi meri…kisise ab kya kahana”, he had found the movie absurd at that point of time, but now he lived the exact same situation that one of the lead actress was in. His head almost spiralled at the thought that she would be gone forever, she would be someone’s else’ in no time. Suddenly, he was jerked out of his thoughts as Tisca got up to leave, he refused her offer of being driven back home. He mumbled that he had work someplace else, said goodbyes and parted ways. She drove her ‘Ford’ and disappeared into dusk, it had started drizzling, but undeterred, he started to walk. The rain grew heavy and that is when he realised that he was crying like a small kid who was banished from playing with his favorite toy.
He had to come to terms, afterall she had to go, it was something that they often discussed, but it pained to actually face such a situation. Deep in his heart he knew, it wasn’t easy for her either, life wouldn’t be the same for both but they had to move on. They had shared years’ with precious moments and these now were part of his glorious memories, he suddenly became more rationale and smiled at the sweet memories which flashed across his mind. He knew, no matter what, those memories were his, nobody could ever take them away.
There had been numerous people in his life, but nobody meant so much, he for once did not want to take the relationship to the next level ever. He wanted Tisca to be his darling little friend, if ever he had to live his life all over again, he would live it exactly the same way. He was thankful that he had not, during their conversation at the coffiee shop, blurted out unpleasant things which could have caused a beautiful relationship to be scarred.
Suddenly, he realised that while Tisca mentioned to him about her probable marriage, he never for once acknowledged that she would be stepping into a new life with new people and new challenges.
He drew out his cellphone, it was still working intact despite the rain, all thanks to his water-proof jacket. He typed, “Hey, I forgot to say that, ‘I’m happy for you!” and hit ’send’. There was a sense of calmness in his head, finally he was able to see through the whole dilemma.
She responded without much delay, “Thanks, dearie!”
One thing, however, he would never know, whether she shared the same feelings as he did. But now, it didn’t matter…
Yet another day at office and I am checking the my system time every minute…and then I check the wall-clock across my cube and my cell and ensure that all are in sync! I so badly wanna go home today, my head is throbbing since morning…
I dont wanna b the first person out of office, coz m t last one to comein 
I dunno why m writing this blog, but then I will fall asleep on my desk if dont type something. I can feel my brain numbing already!!
I think half the headache is because of this obnoxious female at my office, who relentlessly makes a fool of herself and quite njoys all the attention that she gathers. Some people and their ways of dealing with life abs amazes me!!
5 coffees since morning and I am still fighting my headache, sad that the coffees have lost their charm of curing headaches.
I am not a morning person and any day I get up even like 10 mins b4 the scheduled time (ahem…I m nt letting u knw t time!), I am left to fend a headache and a bad mood.
If there is one thing I wud want to change abt myself right now right here, then it wud be to follow a workout regime, it is abs refreshing to workout but for some reason I cant get my butt off the bed, despite numerous alarms around my room. I wake up precisely 10 mins prior to the first alarm which is sch to go and put-off the alarms in line and seep back into my comfy bed. It really mystifies me that my bio-clock is so precise.
I oft think, was cut out for those shift jobs which started at 11 a.m, but for once I know, would be relentlessly late there as well.If there is one thing that I truly enjoy on a daily basis, then it is the late morning sleep, I pity the guys who have this itch to get up early. ‘Early bird gets the worm’, eeiw…yuck! what an incentive?! m a vegan and that definitely doesn’t appeal to me!!
N herez to all those people who wake up late and prefer the warm blanket to the chirping of birds and the chilly morning breeze!!
P.S - So many ‘I’s in this post….get the feel that ‘I’ have become too self-centred!!
From a humble 4% to a sizzling 12%, all this in a couple of months…you sure know what I am talking about…it is the ‘Unglamorous Inflation’
Life has toppled for many a salaried class, not just because their equity investments have dunked pretty bad, but also because everything from toothpaste to Idlis and dosas are costing more.
The phenomenon of ‘India Shining’ was not long ago, there were hoardings and endorsements vigorously propagating the new word coined to show-case India in the Global Arena. Global always echoed US of A, the elite humans who consistently looked down on the lesser beings like us. Far from guiding us, the developed economy is desperately trying to figure what went wrong. All the experts who predicted a glorious future have taken a beating and have suddenly made ‘U-turn’ and spelling doom. There is no sign of ‘India Shining’…well not anymore…!
RBI has taken to hike the CRR so often that everytime they meet you are sure that the market will take a beating simply because the CRR will be hiked to curtail the sky-ward moving Inflation. Three such intiatives did bring a relief of 0.02% on inflation…oh! what an achievement…
With all the money showing in the parliament, isn’t it evident that there is more liquidity than what meets the eye and no amount of such theoritical efforts would cool off the economies’ adrenaline rush…
Unaccounted money is the primary cause for all the problems which are pinching pockets of the middle-class really hard. There was this really interesting thought on inflation which caught my eye recently. A guy with $45 goes to the shop buys a shot-gun and stops by the next dept. store to buy a bag of rice which is priced at $100!!
But then they all blame it on the cycle…every market has a cycle and what goes up shall come down…the element that keeps us going is ‘Hope’ and hope we shall that Aaloo, Mutter, pyaz and all that will be more affordable, costing the ‘Aam’ aadmi less than a fortune to have 3 square meals a day…
Hey Thanks a ton!!
It feels great to be on the prestigious Rediff Home Page…
For all those stopped by to say a word about my posts…Thanks…
Best regards,
Priya S
It has been quite heart rendering to see so much news across tabloids about how a rich, spoilt kid runsover / shoots while he is weaponed with either his dad’s car/gun…and ofcourse, he is not without the fatal combination of dope…we are talking about the numerous pappu’s and their female counterparts…who have been taught that ’sabse bada rupaiya’…
They are indeed out to conquer the world, backed by their egos, free-spiritedness…they try so hard to be the best amongst their brethren…will they ever realise that life is probably a tad bit more than just impressing your senoritas and ofcourse the other bunties and babbloos who tag along with you…
The most astounding of all the stories that caught my eye over the last 2 weeks was that of a young teenager who managed to get through as an airhostess and wanted to throw a party at a 5-star hotel, her father did not consent for the same (maybe due to lack of funds) and the next best thing that the lady did was to hang herself from the ceiling…what the heck??
Wassup with you guys…are you nuts or what?? what kinda friends are you hanging around with?? Beats me…Parenting has become a very tough task…but at some stage they are the ones to be reprimanded, for they need to inculcate values and principles in their kids…I remember ‘Jug Suraiya’ famous columnist/cartoonist mentioning that all parents should obtain parenting license, funny but apt and true, given that I have seen how young / busy parents are always on a guilt trip…my colleague goes, “Kya karega bechara, he does not have anybody through the day, mein usko sab kuch dila deti hun…jo bhi mangta hai…afterall, kahin pe toh compromise karna padega na…”
Compromise?! duh…uh…I am not sure if lollypop could compromise for quality time with parents…nor would a licensed gun…??
I think it takes a mature mind to sort out priorities, adults should set an example by stepping aside from the ‘rat-race’…it’s high time Pappu got his due…of adulation and affection…of values and quality time…
And then Pappu will not only dance, but will also rock the world…wot say?
When all your friends are married and busy with life…sometimes they are just not around when you need them…it is quite an unfortunate situation if you are not hooked yet… 
I was infact in such a situation recently, for me its like I never found the kinda friends like in college…nobody to fall back on at your work place, although they may be sweet and nice, they would not take a stab in thier chest when there is a need to…I believe that I had such friends…the true ones, the special ones…but all of us have lost touch or have very little touch with one another…
It gets really tough, especially when you have grown up cocooned and dont open up to nybody so easily…
Have you guys ever faced such a thing…?
Best,
Priya S
‘Assisted Marriages’ - A term that I have had a fixation so strong that it compelled me to pen down my thoughts on the same.
I was so convinced about this concept, the author of this article was introducing a third dimension to the sacred institution of Marriage. Often, we have come across various articles / views on Love Marriages and Arranged Marriages. I have utmost respect for both these concepts and have seen success stories amongst my friends under both these types of Marriages, however, it was indeed time to rationalise and re-define the terms.
The author went on to explain in detail how this concept actually works, there is collective effort from the whole family to join two people from different backgrounds / parts of the world to live as ‘One’ - for trusting, respecting, caring and looking after each other and the families involved therein. The two people have become more involved these days, more so in the urban society. The decision is taken by the whole family, which in itself means that our society has come of age.
I personally havent been too fond of people who have eloped and hurt their parents, for whatever reason, our parents deserve better respect is what I feel. Also, forcing the son / daughter into a everlasting knot when they have shown little / no interest in the alliance is not a great idea.
These days the Son / Daughter need to be consulted on what they expect from a life partner, after all is a decision which, all of us would not want to go wrong in. The days of both girl-boy not seeing each other before the day of marriage just dont work anymore. ‘Compatability’ has become so important, especially the generation which have been coming along are not accustomed to ajdusting, they want it all and want it now! A few things have to be inculcated from very young, so is the idea of ‘Adjusting’, understanding the ‘Value of Money’, being accountable for ones actions, respecting others etc.,
Back to the topic of ‘Assisted Marriages’, every person involved should take adequate responsibility and letting the two most important people talking to each other is a gesture which should be appreciated and not condemned.
The most important aspect is to communicate, understand each others’ view and take a collective decision…
Milee was born into a very poor family, father who was a chronic drunkard and mother did odd jobs to sustain herself and the family of 6 - 4 children, the husband and the mother-in-law…Milee was the youngest of them all, aged 7 Yrs, the children were all in the age gaps of a year…the plight of the women was indeed sad, not only was she supporting the family by bearing the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner, but she also had to put up with the ever nagging Mother in law who in typical style would bestow with numerous abuses - physical & mental…well, her torments did not end here, the husband who not only did not take any responsibility, but also constantly abused his wife and took away the money she earned with great difficulty to provide 1 square meal for her children…the lady had undergone a couple of mis-carriages too due to excessive physical torture borne during her pregnancy…
While the helpless children watched their mother being treated worse than an animal, all they could do was wail in agony…it had become a common sight for the kids to see their mother tortured by the two tormentors alike, sometimes it was such a horrific site the ‘Milee’ used to have nightmares…at this young age she often wondered if she could do something to make things different…she had heard the old woman who sat alongside the river mention to her that the fairy could grant her any wish if she only longed / prayed for it with all passion and dedication…could she ask for a wish where her father and ‘daadi’ could be transformed into better human beings…or may be if that was too tough for the fairy, she could have them eliminated from their lives, it would be such a relief, indeed a blessing in disguise…
She believed that miracles could happen so much that she constantly chanted for the fairy to appear, but nothing happened for months…time passed by, years went by…she grew older, she helped her mother in finding odd jobs, the ordeal had become tougher, now that she had to protect herself from the ogling men around her…however, nothing changed much for her mother, her health began to deteriorate, her father continued to live like the scum he always was…he was so grievously addicted to liquor, that he went around begging, he would come home beat his wife, ‘Milee’s siblings had run away from home to pursue their lives which they presumed would be better than what they lived here…
Milee did not want to leave her mother, although the option did look lucrative, especially when some aunt / uncle came over to tell her that the town would offer better prospects for a young / attractive girl like her…it was now that she learnt that they were referring to flesh trade, she was thankful that she refrained from doing the same mistake that her sisters had done…
Milee continued to pray that the fairy would appear and make their lives a little better…well the miracle did happen, but only disguised in the form of Ms. Shalini Sood, an NGO worker. She had come down to the village as a part of her ongoing effort to create better awareness amongst the villagers the repurcussions of domestic violence and the right of women within the purview of the Indian Constitution in this regard…
Milee, along with a couple of her girl friends was intrigued to attend / understand the lady’s ‘bhashan’ as they called it…she pretended that she suffered a stomach ache…and stayed back home, without accompanying her mother to go to the construction site for work…although she had persuaded her mother to attend the ‘bhashan’, her mother did not seem to be intrigued…as soon her mother was out on work, she sneaked out of her house to meet her friends who had made up stories to refrain from going to work…they met at the river and hurried along to the ‘maidaan’ where the ‘bhashan’ was to take place, as she walked by the river banks, she found the old woman who had told her about the fairy who could perform miracles, she went upto her and sat beside her, the kind lady was getting very old and her vision had deteriorated, ‘Milee’ placed fruits that she was carrying to the maidaan, she whispered into the old lady’s ear, ‘Miracle may happen’, the old lady only managed to give a toothless smile in gratitude eyeing hungrily at the alms which were placed before her…
Milee got up bid good-bye and went to attend the session, she sneaked back home before her mother / father came home, amidst her ‘daadi’ calling her names and abusing her about how characterless a girl she was to have gone around loitering…then she kept lamenting ‘Bhagvan jaane kya’…
Milee was on cloud nine, she kept humming through the evening, empowered with knowledge, somethings did not affect her anymore she thought. She clutched in her hand tightly what looked like a paper and waited for her mother to come back…she would at any cost get her mother into this game…a vicious game to teach her father and daadi a lesson…and for the ‘Miracle’ to happen for them…
Her mother came back tired and worn out from work, ‘Milee’ was extra nice to her today, while her mother in law was the usual devilish self…as dusk came in, it was time for the other tormentor to join in…as ‘Milee’s’ father walked in, drunk and abusive…his mother started her long list of complains on how he should hold his wife and daughter in control, as he was the ‘Man’ of the house…
As this went on, ‘Milee’ sneaked out of the house without the knowledge of anybody, she was gone for about half hour, when she came back, she could hear a lull, she went in search of her mother, she lay in the dark cornor of the kitchen, she could not find her Father / Mother in law in the house…she did not bother about them, she walked up to her mother, who lay there coyly…she picked up a glass of water quenched her thirst and triumphantly turned to her mother and said this is the last day of your troubles…it is all going to be over very soon…I have made the ‘Miracle’ happen…she did not get any response from her mother…so she started explaining how she had met a representative from the NGO, who had told her that domestic violence was punishable and when such an event occurs all they had to do was call the NGO and they would ensure that the people involved in the henious act are put behind the bars, then she tried hard conceal her smile as she informed her mother that she had called the NGO and they were on the way to handover ‘Papa’ and ‘Daadi’ to the ’polis’ …she got no response from her mother…
This surprised her, she atleast expected her mother to reprimand her for such an act, after all she was imbibed with the ‘Pati-parmeshwar’ values…she called out for her mother, when she did not respond, she knew there was a problem, it had happened earlier too, when her mother would faint, revive after some water was sprinkled, sometime she had to be given medication to bring her back to conscious…’Milee’ walked up to the dark cornor to sprinkle some water, when she felt the ground wet around her mother, she lit a candle and brought it in…the gory sight that the saw, made her drop the candle on the floor, her mother lay in a pool of blood…She sat there paralysed for a minute or two, then ran out to get her neighbors who could help her get her mother to the hospital, she ran out screaming like she had lost everything in her life…she stepped onto the road, when a van stopped a few yards away from her home, as she saw Ms. Shalini Sood get out of the van, she started running as fast as her leg could carry her…she almost got herself jabbed by the wood which stuck out of someone’s house, nothing seemed to stop her flight, she went up to Ms. Shalini Sood and pulled her along explaining to her that she was the one who had called her to save herself & her mother from domestic violence, but then something drastic had happened when she had come out of her home to call the NGO…her mother was beaten very badly and was bleeding profusely from the head…the team ran hurriedly to ‘Milee’s’ home, it was more like a oversized mouse hole, for it did not have enough for all the team members to breathe when they were all in the house which stinked of dung…
They walked up to ‘Milee’s mother who lay as lifeless as she was left previously, Shalini motioned to the doctor from the team to check on her, ‘Milee’ was ululating uncontrollably…she feared that there was a problem at hand, at some level she held herself responsible for what had happened…
The doctor confirmed to Shalini that Milee’s mother had died…all hell broke loose on Milee, she started walking vigorously from one end to another, crying like a hurt lioness, all the while she kept lamenting on how she could have saved her mother, after about an hour, she sat next to her mother and kept looking at her blankly…then she lay next to her in the pool of blood which had clot by now, some of it was abosorbed by the muddy ground…the psychologist from Shalini’s team refrained anybody to try and calm her, they let her vent out her frustration, anger, self-pity and atleast another 1000 emotions all at the same time…
She was pulled out from her dear mother’s side by the Police which had arrived now at the behest of Shalini…Shalini held ‘Milee’ close to her and tried to console the little girl and calm her down, when she continued to desist, she was put to sleep…
Next day she woke up, neat in bright white clothes from a cosy bed, she did not recognise the place, for a moment she panicked that may be she was trafficked, but then she saw her mother’s old photo in a frame (the mother whom she had lost now), the photo was of her mother way before her marriage, she seemed so happy…
She held the photo close to her heart and closed her eyes, she could feel close to her mother, then she felt a warm touch on her shoulder, she opened her eyes in great anticipation and cried out ‘Maa’ but it was Shalini-di who held out breakfast lovingly…
Days went by, finally ‘Milee’ did come to terms with her Mother’s death, she also went to the police station, where she confirmed the identity of her Murderer Father and Daadi who were sentenced to life imprisonment, she did feel a sense of pride that she brought justice to her mother who suffered so much in her life…but missed the fact that her mother could not breathe the air of freedom, taste the nectar of life without troubles…
‘Milee’ had found a purpose in life, she knew that there were numerous ‘Milee’ around the world waiting to be rescued, waiting for that one Miracle to happen in their lives…she only hoped that the ‘Miracle’ was not delayed like in her life…
Five years later -
‘Milee’ is now married and lives with her family - Husband & 2 children, happily, she is giving her children the childhood she never had…she is working with Shalini and her team rigorously to help downtrodden women step out of thier horrendous life and get a feel of how life could be a ‘Miracle’…
This story is a tribute to the numerous women who have fought against their Destiny and made ‘Miracles’ happen…
