Thursday, August 17, 2006

MEIN AUNTY BAN GAYI - I

~This post dates a couple of months back~

We have all had our moments of truth – a crucial, defining moment that throws reality in the form of a baseball right at our face forcing us to swallow it. Well, I didn’t even imagine that my baseball would be thrown at me by a 6-year old darling.

I was returning back to Mumbai after over a week of vacationing at my home-sweet-home in Kerala. (‘Vacationing’ should be read as lying down on the ground in front of television and changing channels with my toes, munching nothing, anything and everything that my mother sets in front of me and if I get time off from my busy schedule I would sleep like a god-forsaken LOG which has gone into a coma for ages!!!). Every time I am about to leave home, my mother would hug me tight. First her lips would turn into a perfect inverted U, then her eyes would swell up with tears (her eyes have the incredible ability of filling up with tears right to the brim without letting it fall off onto her cheeks) and her nose would turn into a ripe tomato, making me wanna kiss it. Every time the very same scene in the very same sequence… I bid goodbye to a wet, ripe tomato poised above an inverted U and drove off with my father to the airport. The vision of my mother standing like that at the gate of my house would remain picture perfect in my mind for quite some time… every time…

My father on the other hand has mastered the art of hiding his emotions, which I have inherited. Since time immemorial women have been considered the epitome of emotions. But I feel emotions play an equal part in men and women alike. Just that we women know how to simply cry and let it out of our system. Men on the other hand just do not know what to do with all the emotions accumulated over their lifetime. They seem to be walking on a tightrope balancing all those feelings on one side and the image of a “strong man” on the other. He would hardly talk to me all the way to the airport.

When I and my father reach the airport, he would put an arm on my shoulder and say,

“Shari, mone” (“Ok. Son.” He always called me ‘Son’)
“Poyitte varu” (The literal translation would be “Go Come”, but it means something to the effect “Take Care”)

The only thing that would give away the true emotions behind these 4 words is the slight quiver in his voice as he said them. Later my mother would tell me that my father was in a foul mood that day like all the other days I left from home. I turn and walk towards the airport exclaiming to myself, “Parents!!!” :)

I was looking forward for my flight that time as it was the first time I would be flying in Kingfisher, the much heard about king of all times. Right at the entrance there was a representative greeting you and taking your luggage. It felt goooood. Come ooooon! Who wudnt like a li’l bit of pampering? When my friends had come to know that I was traveling by Kingfisher, they had given me quizzical looks which said, “Why are YOU traveling by Kingfisher???” As soon as I entered the plane I knew what they meant. The airhostesses were GORGEOUS!!! They were adorned in smart red sailor suites and I could not help but ogle at them. Errr… Mein straight che.. ;)

The seats were plush and luxurious and the designer interiors were highly attractive in luscious red. Kingfisher was indeed the king of the Indian skies especially after experiencing airborne bullock-carts like Air Deccan. But what bowled me over was when I saw Yana Gupta, in her smart mini-skirt, giving the safety instructions in a screen right in front of me. Damn! She was even speaking in an accented Hindi. My eye-balls literally popped out of their sockets and fell off into my very hands. Vijay Mallya seems to be playing the cards R-E-A-lly well - Kochu Kalla, China Thiruda, Little Robber.

I slumped back into the comfort of the seat and closed my eyes. I opened my eyes after just a moment and there she was …. A vision… A vision of big round eyes behind cherubic curls….

To be continued…

~Gosh! Now I know how powerful Ekta Khanna feels. ;)... Errrr.. That was Ekta Kapoor.. Hehe.. ~

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Hey Guys,

Thanks to all of you for the best wishes for the contest. I am taking a break from work and going off to my fav city - Hyderabad. I am hoping to surprise a dear friend. Can’t wait to be there.

Take Care… :)

..Me

66 comments:

its me said...

no wonder your story is among one of the ten shorlisted ones..
the description is the best..:)

and YAYYYYYYYYY you are coming here??? :)

i wont tell anyone...

starscream said...

So parents are the same everywhere !!!

Congrats On the Greatest Novel shortlisting... All the best...

And thanks for the reassuarance somebody reads my blog...

starry said...

I love the way you described your mothers face when you leave. I can almost see her.So true I think all moms feel that way and dad's have to be stoic. congrats again on winning .have a nice trip. will be back to read the rest.

jac said...

Thats not true, I can cry with out shame.

Vedi adikkalle !!

Though I am a man, I could picture many of the things.

COK>MUM>HYD ?
HYD> ?

SeePearrl said...

voww..nice congrats :)

The Ghost said...

ha ha ha ... Betsy normal chhe ??

I love your posts and writing...

SCRIBBLEZ TO WAKEUP said...

Rose, you write so well dear- simple but captivating....i can always visualise you and your parents or any scenario you write about so clearly...And Yana Gupta was really there?? Or was it illution doing its rounds??

Kay Vee said...

hey who's ekta khanna??

nice post here...kept me guessing..wens part 2 coming??

and its "hoon straight chhu" instead of "mein straight che." ill teach u gujarati, gurl, u teach me how to write as well as you!!
;-)

Aditi said...

Have fun in hyderabad...great writing as usual.. i thought your description of your mom was soo cute..

anup.777 said...

have a great trip!!! have fun! :)

... in the meantime, let me just close my eyes and imagine how this story will end .... Yana Gupta n all ... ;)

All Is Whole said...

was OOS due to some problem.....
will start writing soon...
need some time to settle down....

Ekta said...

hey ur right....so relate to the "parents" expression of urs...these are the exact same emotions that my parents display everytime I leave home..well guess somethings never change!

deepsat said...

parents r the same everywhere and they are beautiful that way!!!

waiting to hear the rest of your story!!! and... molle.. hav a nice time in hyde!!

;-))

Inder said...

true. parents... they are all the same.
mallaya's kingfisher does know how to catch fishes ;P

mathew said...

Bindaas post buddy..

Regard your Dad's stiff face at departure..its just that men are designed like that..Its tough for them to show a brave face and hold emotions as well...So u have hit exactly on the nail..

very realistic scenario in the post..

Strictly for my friends said...

Best of luck! Have a good trip and I'm dying to get on Kingfisher myself after hearing that description!

Mind Curry said...

hi..excellent writing style you got! loved reading this..especially since yana gupta figured in it..;) kidding..

I bid goodbye to a wet, ripe tomato poised above an inverted U and drove off with my father to the airport.
awesome!

no name said...

I have just 'glimpsed' through your blog... but I can say-doubtless- yours' is a beautiful, inspiring one.

Hope to be here often.
:)

Anonymous said...

How does the title justify the contents of the post? ;) or is it feeling u experienced on seeing all the stewardess's on Kingfisher ? :o

Jina said...

first time here..and i must say i feel in love at first sight..hehe..keep bloggin..

ani said...

:-) momma!!!!

Karin said...

It's so much fun reading your stories - REALLY GREAT!!
Enjoy your time in Hyderabad ... I hope you succeeded surprising your friend!

Jac - I always respected men who allow themselves to cry HIGHER thant those who play the so-called "strong" guys ... who never succeeded to impress me!

Ranga, The Raja said...

good post rose...

only one thing...

when you hear a sweet sounding RJ, you think (take it for granted) they are beautiful. and same is ur case
:)))))))))))))))))))

@ i love munich...

i dont think men hide their emotions to impress you:)

(sometimes) i am one of them, thats why

N David said...

King fisher rocks.. I have given them a five star rating.. but I still think Jet rules by professionalism. ( They cant fight the kingfisher chicks or yana gupta)

So, how long since your last vacation?

Anshuman said...

I am in the midst of my vacation (it sure feels good to laze around :-D ).
Damn, I am going back from Delhi to Hyderabad in Air Sahara, should have booked in Kingfisher ;-D

Seema said...

Rose..parents are the same in any part of the globe I guess..
Well n kingfisher is an EXPERIENCE,flyin in style the true manner of VIjay Mallya!
Congratulations on tht great appreciation for yr writings...all the best!

jac said...

munich

Grrr...

Rose said...

@ Its me...

Thanks for not telling.. It was fun surprising him.. :)

@ Starscream..

Hey.. You have a gr8 blog..~smiles~

@ Starry eyes..

Thanks.. I had a blast in Hyd.. But it was terrible leaving.. :(

@ Jac..

I knew you were an abnormal man.. ;))) COK??? Yup Hyd.. I was in Hyd for two years during my MBA.. I spend the best dayz of my life there esp bcoz of the people who came into my life.. :)

@ White Forest..

Thaaaaaaaaaaanks!!! :D

@ PIrate..

Welcome to my humble world.. :)

..Me

Rose said...

@ Scribblez..

There was a clipping of Yana Gupta giving the safety instructions that was showing on a screen right in front of you.. Yana in flesh or on screen is as s**y as ever.. ;)))

@ Shitrint..

Hahaha... I knew it was wrong the moment i wrote it.. :D :D :D

@ Aditi..

SHE is cuuuute.. :)

@ Anup..

Had a luvly time.. I re-lived all the beautiful dayz i had spend there.. Wud blog abt them someday.. In the meantime, you keep imagining dreamy boy.. ~wink~

@ Prashant..

Settle down FAAAAAAAAST!!!! ~grin~

@ Ekta..

Parents will remain parents, wnt they? ~smiles~

..Me

Rose said...

@ Deepsat..

Mole had an incredible time at Hyd.. I am still in the hang-over.. I am missing the place and my friendz terribly.. :(((

@ Inder..

Haha.. You have made him a glorified fisherman.. ;))) ~laughs~

@ Mathew..

Ya.. I know its tough.. They shud give in to emotions once in a while.. Its not healthy otherwise..

@ Strictly for Friends..

Its worth every penny.. :)

@ Mind Curry..

~smiles~

I tease my Mom for her nose.. I tell her she has Thakkali Mooke (Tomato nose).. :)

..Me

Rose said...

@ Merry Waether..

Hope you wud drop by to glimpse more and spread ur merry waether.. :)

@ Sanjiv..

Gr8 is the fruit of patience.. ;))

@ Ursjina..

~blushhhhhh~ ;))))

@ Ani..

Ummah.. Phew.. (That was flying kiss.. CATCH IT!!!) ;)

@ I Luv Munich..

Its always gr8 having you here dear.. :) Oh! I surprised him alrite.. For quite some time, he didnt even know what to say.. :)))

@ Ranga..

Grrrrr....... So.. Whom do you try to impress when you cry.. ?? (That must be a scary sight) ;))

..Me

Rose said...

@ KD..

Jet was my fav airlines untill Kingfisher flew in.. I feel Kingfisher is the King of the Indian skies..
I did take a vacation for a week 3 months ago.. :)

@ Ashuman...

Enjoy!!! Both ur vacation and the flight.. ;)))

@ Seema...

"PARENTS!!!" ~exasperated~ rite??? ;))))

@ Jac..
Stop scaring my visitors away you THEMMADI !!!! ;)))

@ Shakhi..

Well be carefull when you get up from ur seat.. ~wink wink~

:D

..Me

Neer said...

hmmm....! and the pen definitely is much powerful... you have a way...!

thanks dear for coming by...

:) have fun in Hyd!! :)

Mosilager said...

Congratulations on the world's greatest novel nomination, and thanks for visiting.

The closest I've come to a Kingfisher ride is just seeing their calendar online so will work on that the next time I'm in India.

jac said...

Athu kalla punnialene vilikkam keitto ?

Keshi said...

**My father on the other hand has mastered the art of hiding his emotions, which I have inherited.

Well Im too emotional...taken after my mum. I guess that's not too good cos I even cry when I see a stray animal on TV lol!

Keshi.

The Lil fairy & her angel friends said...

Amazing description!
loved teh tomato effect:-D

mathew said...

hey let know the progress of the novel thing..

Rose said...

@ Neers..

You have a special way too.. :)))

@ Mosilager..

Im sure the Kingfisher Calendar crumbled ur defences and left to armed to do nothing!! Hehe.. ;))

@ Jac..

Still waiting for him .. ;)))) You dnt spk malayalam very well do u? :)

@ Keshi..

Oh I can even cry after a Tom & Jerry.. LOL.. :D

@ Unaiza NAsim..

Luvly name you have.. Almost as luvly as my tomato.. ;)

@ Mathai..

I almost forgot abt it.. ~grin~..

Well.. 6 more candidates have been shortlisted after me.. Right now they are letting readers comment abt the stories on the forum.. After wich the voting wud begin.. My chances are minute as my write-up is a complete short-story and does not fit into the premise of a novel.. But it was worth the ride.. :)

Btw.. Thanks for asking.. ~smiles~

..Me

PNA said...

you in hyderabad wow that is gr8 .....

Inder said...

hmmm... i think i can guess the plot of 'mein aunty ban gayi - II' :P :P :P

Rose said...

@ Ash...

Hey.... Nice having you here.. You from Hyd?? I had fallen in love with that place 3 years ago.. :)

@ Inder..

Hushhhhhh!!!! ~grin~ Didnt mean it to be any kind of suspense or anyhting.. But since most of the readers havnt paid attention to it, let it be our li'l secret for the time being.. ~wink~ Truce?

@ Vibhor..

Ur li'l fairy is very lucky to have you.. ~smiles~

:)

..Me

Anonymous said...

hmmmm, Another good one from Rose!, I wonder what made you like that deadly Invictus poem to have your Blog' puchline...."Black as the pit from pole to pole , I thank whatever Gods may be for my unconquerable soul...I'm the master of my fate, I'm the captain of my soul"
-Blessed blogging!

Kishley (Dolly Sapra) said...

aww.. ur father is soo sweet.. :) eve my papa sometimes behaves like that.. cants top smiling then :)

Pranay said...

Simple yet wonderful writing as usual.
great work..but don't like this to be continued idea..........well on second thoughts do kinda like it.

Gulam Hasan said...

Oh u were in hyd....next time u r here gimme a buzz if you need anythin :)

KK said...

Nice post...you really brought the emotions of your parents very well in words...First time here...

Keshi said...

lol join the club!

Keshi.

Raghav said...

very catchy.. keeps one hooked till the end !

ketki said...

hey thats gr8! hearty congrats!!!!!!!!

Self Writeous said...

It is Thursday, August 24 and all of us are waiting with bated breath for Episode 2 of MABG...

jac said...

Why do you ask ?

Chattambi Kalyanee!!!

~*. D E E P A .* ~ said...

hey !

what contest ? what am i missing here ???

Gosh ! Yana was actually a stewardess ? i cant believe it

~*. D E E P A .* ~ said...

read ur prev post .. and got the ref ..

Congrats dearie !

Rose said...

@ Pavan..

Oh, I luv every word of that poem..

"Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."

- William Ernest Henley

:)

..Me

Rose said...

@ Kishley..

Papas are PAPAs after all.. ;)))

@ Pranay..

~grin~

@ Hasan..

Wokie.. :)

@ KK..

Honored to have you.. :)

@ KEshi..

:D

..Me

Rose said...

@ Raghav..

Thanks for "hooking on".. ;)

@ Sin..

Now you have given me a Reason to Smile.. :))) Yes, Im back from my trip.. Had a luuuuvly time.. Im still in its hang-over.. im missing my friends soooo much.. :((( .. And of crs, you can put my poem on 'Reason to Smile'.. DO u always ask??? ;))

@ Ketki..

Thanks!!!

@ Handful of Hell..

Eh.. Ya but will have to wait a li'l longer.. Sorry.. tied up wid work.. :((

@ Jac..

Just asking..

@ Deepa..

No No.. Yana Gupta is the brand ambassador for Kingfisher.. As a part of promotion a clipping of her giving the safety instructions in the stewardess' clothes was aired..

:)

..Me

Krishna said...

Hey...swa your comment in my blog..Thanks...excellent one.:)

AJ ! Serendipity !!! said...

parents !!! sigh :)
kingfisher no ... jet airways is the best. No use just oogling at strangers ;) , the service and ambience counts ;)
nyways hope u had a gud flight

Anonymous said...

I see that you have a favorite posts section... I think with the new blogger you'll be able to "tag" your posts and search at will :)...

Thanks for dropping by. I see that you have a flav for writing.

see you around!

Rose said...

@ Krishna..

Welcome to my world.. :)

@ Ajay..

Well, I still think Kingfisher is the best, even better than Jet.. esp in terms of service and ambience.. Besides a differentiating factor for Kingfisher is the entertainment system they have onboard.. It is undoubtedly the first domestic airline in India dat has adopted international standards in technology.. Then agn, its just my perception.. :)

Hmm.. So.. U havent ever ogled at strangers??? ;)))) LOL

@ Iris..

Hey.. Nice to hv u here.. Im not very savvy in IT ;).. Will check it out though..

:)

..Me

ARK said...

unfair... keeping us waiting for the sequel!

reading of how men hide their emotions, what comes to mind is a seminar held in our insitute some time back on the theme "Boys don't care, they just Die", this was held especially after a number of suicidies by the boys in our college who chose to run away from it all in a jiffy.

SUNMAY said...

sequel ... soon !

Invincible said...

Hey, congrats on the 'world's greatest novel' nomination n selection.
Wish you good luck. I just read the story. It's beautifully written.

Catching up on blogs ..

Self Writeous said...

Oops, I saw the comment underneath and presumed you were some Swa...But now that I look back at it, i thnk it was a typo. Must have been Saw...Sorry

Krishna said...
Hey...swa your comment in my blog..Thanks...excellent one.:)

August 25, 2006 5:04 AM

ashu khatri said...

any gal wnt cool friend?