I have been working 8 to 8 since the time I started work and many a times on Sunday also till I went for my surgery in mid November. Since then I go late to work and come home early.I have to go through my physio therapies and exercises. I am doing yoga and pranayam and walk. All this takes up lot of my morning despite getting up at 6 AM. After almost four months of taking this routine I have though not seen the physical advantages but am blessed with the mental peace that most of us, running after targets and goals, miss.
I now have breakfast and dinner with my family. Of all these routine, the best part of the day is my breakfast with my grand mom. Its impossible to describe her. Her compassion and care towards others is to be felt then written about. I am not a competent enough writer to pen about her. Such a marvelous lady she is. Blessed are all who have come in contact with her. Our breakfast talk veers around old days. I try to dig out from her memories of the golden days. The cows we had, the time when I was born, Her children ( my father and aunt), my grandfather, anything and everything which I can learn and know before the curse of old age cleans the memory. That 40 minutes to an hour breakfast is the best time of my day. It takes me off from the hustle bustle and fast life the new generation lives. Over hundred channels bought to them by the sat TV channels have just left them changing stations on the remote more then watching them. Individual TV sets have cropped up to cope up with individual tastes. I still recollect not just our family but the whole neighborhood used to assemble at our home every Sunday to watch the Sunday movie on our black and white Televista TV set. It was so much fun and bonhomie. I pity Sameep, Divyansh and other kids of this generation as they watch TV sitting all alone. When we travel in our car the kids continuously flicker with the many FM channels not letting you listen a complete song. We still remember Amin Sahani's Binaca Geetmala coming at 8 PM on Radio Ceylon every Wednesday. The excitement that rubbed every Indian when they got their 20 year back booked Bajaj Scooter, their first HMT watch - it's all gone. My 11 year old son already has purchased 6-7 watches. We were the only family in the neighborhood who had a refrigerator. So we had neighbors coming many times in a day to take ice or keep their milk in our refrigerator. In fact my grand mom bought a second refrigerator to service them. That’s what I meant compassion and care I wrote above. This way we were meeting our neighbors everyday.I don’t recollect meeting my neighbor these days for weeks. We were the only ones in those days who had an ambassador car. When my aunt used to come from her home to us the honk blown some miles back could be heard and we knew she is reaching. With 5 million plus vehicles in our city – u can imagine the pollution we live in. A Bata shoe was a pride possession to be worn only on special occasions – now Sameep must have bought 20 Nikes and Addidas in the last 2 years. All things ‘phoren’ is the new trend now. But the good old swadeshi things gave more peace and joy which unfortunately and sadly I could not give to my children. As Mukesh sang “ Jiyenge magar mushkura na sakenge, ki ab jindagi me mohabbat nahin hai (I will live but not smile any more, For love has gone…..). Don’t miss each moment that you can wrap up with elders in your family.. they will not be there for ever.
