Only Memories

 

"No, I think she is right", the first rebellious words I spoke.

It was against her mother's view of a daughter in laws karma and her elder sisters 

advise of a dutiful wife and daughter while her husband and father watched.

I had mulled for over an hour before the words came out.

I thought it was only for me to defend her against the emotional barrage.

 

Well, I don't think she needed the help of a 12 yr old girl. Besides she had taught me to

speak what one felt. And not to commit to what your heart said "no" to.

And yes, I talk non stop like her.

 

Mom used to get over from her school and reach home much later than us and I remember, I used to drag myself home. Whenever, she was there I was probably the first one out of school. She decorated the house on my birthday and my brothers too.

She wanted to name me Surbhi.

I still remember that she once made dhokla because we had never prepared anything like it ever, she had kept out in the sun for the dough to rise and I don’t know if many people know of “ bread ka poha”, she had prepared from a “sarita” recipe.

She modeled twice or thrice for Grahshobha and sarita.

 

She learnt cycling with us and had dragged herself and our brand new cycle into the sukha naala. She had taught me tables in summer holidays and went with us to Kashmir. And I remember when we went to Agra she did not drink water (agra water is khaara, then and am not sure if he had mineral water then) for the entire stay of 2 days and had a jug full the day we came back home. 

 

Was always on our side in an argument, otherwise it is very easy for a child to be asked to keep quiet.

She bought T Series cassettes when it used to 18 rupees old and used to love,

“ Hawa hawaaayi” and knew the lyrics by heart, that’s how today I know of the company and a singer Kavita Krishnamurthy. We used to listen to the main ullu ka pattha hu (forbidden lyrics) song when her dad was not at home.

 

I had one poori in a family function because she told me to eat only one.

And then cooked me dinner when I came back.

I learnt my 2 ka table hungry because she told me I could not have breakfast till

I learnt it. I did not eat the bhindi ki saabzi and parantha that her mother offered even 

on the condition that she won't come to know.

She was probably the only person I was scared of disappointing.

 

 

My earliest tangible memory of my childhood me and her mother walking towards the Iron Gate going to give my mausi her lunch box at her school.

From being taught by her to seeing her being taught ....

 

So many memories and now there will be no more to build.