ME-MYSELF 2

Hi,

A very good morning to one & all!

This is my twelfth episode.

I started with an intro on THIS IS LIFE, and went on to LIFE & LIVING, naturally, then, I talked about RELATIONSHIPS, moved on to detailing about relationships especially DOST & DOSTI   (what it means to us)

And then the doctor in me surfaces and as I’m passionate about health and wellness, discussed the pertinent essentials of life ,ROTI KAPDA AUR MAKKAN.

Fir meine  socha ki  apne  bare me kuch likhoon!!!!

So out came the episode: Me & MYSELF-1st

But then soon after that I was back to the huge n humongous topic _RELATIONSHIPS !!

This was followed by the topic:   FRIENDSHIP, and what it means to us,:

Yes, after that, touched upon the  vital topic of EMOTIONS and along with that the last I wrote on is : ESSENCE  OF LIfE!!

I wrote a few weeks back that I would, after some time write  about the AUTHOR: thats ME, naturally,

So now’s the time, after having written  another 5 episodes, on various topics pertaining to “THIS IS LIFE”  , I’m  now gonna delve on ME & MY SELF the 2nd episode.

While in the first one, I touched on my family, a small intro of my school/college and a few friends who left lasting impressions on me.

And while  I quoted a few incidents that helped me shape my personality, and few attributes of what I am today.

Today I wish to talk exclusively about my parents:

My father was an Army officer:

COL CHETAN ANAND. He was born in 1918 in Multan, Pakistan (then popularly  known as West Punjab) .

He was as we learnt, a very smart & intelligent  child who always stood first in class, always wanted to serve the nation.

The first boy in the city of Multan who did double MA,  (Economics & English), thereafter; He joined the Army  , and served in WORLD WAR 2 and visited BURMA/ SAIGON during those times.

He retired from service as a COLONEL, from JABALPORE as Chief instructor and Deputy Commandant AOC school Jabalpur.

As a full colonel he was adorned with a red tape in his cap, and red tabs under his epaulettes.

Since all three of us were still in school, he needed to still work, so, he planned to re join in a ‘Re-employed status”,

As a re-employed officer those days, you would have had to take a rank lower than your current which I was very upset about. as also naturally the red tabs would go.

I IMPLORED HIM NOT TO!!!!.

I had just given my Matriculation examination,(1970). When  one day when I returned from school, I found that the staff car had gone, he had come home in his own car, there were no  red tabs where they should have been.

My depression n  dejection knew no bounds. I was so upset that I did not eat food and cried for a few days till he consoled me that we were ,yet young, and he needed to earn so we could grow and settle down!

Yes friends, that was yet another awakening for me.

Could not understand why were we so small, why did he have to work in a capacity that reduce his money, status n dignity.

It was an eye opener. I made a mental check that my children should not face this delimma!!!

Now I look back, they did NOT!!

We were well timed  for our marriage, kids, their growing up and our retirements.

Regarding my father:

An ordinary looking gentleman, always very smartly turned out, very jovial, full of witty answers, very popular in army functions!

There was never a party that went to its finish without my father putting across his item of a few jokes.

Besides this , he was a very straight forward, righteous, highly principled man, who never knew malice , or craftiness. Did his job very punctiliously, and spoke up for people if they were ever wronged, stood up for the needy, and was known for his very fair dealings and assessments of the reports that had to be meted out to his juniors.

I idolized over him.

He was my friend , philosopher and guide. He taught me how to be a good orator, the art of pronunciation, dialogue delivery, the pause n staccato, modulations of voice in debates and speeches.

He was posted once in NEFA  (North-East- Western -Province)  and when I was given a topic , I used to write the speech and send to him by Registered post. He would correct, amend, and return back to me by registered post. My Principal would be very anxious because I had not shown him the script and time was coming close for the competition OR Scheduled date, but many a time the post would come barely 36 hours away, just at the nick of time & I would just cram it up and deliver!!!!

It used to be the best speech, I always got the first prize for it. The Principal knew that, and they used to be anxious, worried , till the script arrived . And overwhelmed/ overawed when I would deliver!!!

Such was our (father n my) compatibility, trust, & confidence, that we would emerge victorious!!

This happened many a times and the school management knew about it. They would be worried, and later on would joke about how my lectures/ scripts needed to come from across thousands of kilomteres!!!

I thus owe my diction, my voice modulation, oratory expertise to my father. But at this point of time I also need to mention my NANAJI, he was my first friend, coach and guide into the class of PROPER PRONUNCIATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE,

I need to tell you this:

We were in Dehu road (close to Pune). Summer holidays we were all packed off to Nanajis home  in ROHTAK (HARYANA) every year.

Here, while all the cousins would get together, my NANAJI knowing my penchant  for studies and how keen I always was in studies n learning more n more newer things got hold of me every time.

He was a near blind man being very highly myopic , he also had other ophthalmic complications as well.

 He was a Barrister but, since retired, he could not read the news paper, but when I was around I had a tough task to read the whole newspaper. Solid 24-26 pages  of THE TIMES OF INDIA!!!.

I had to read out aloud right from page one , first column , first line right upto the last page, last column ; mind you_ the last line!!!!.

It might appear preposterous to all who read this, yes, dear all, I hated it then but all that I learnt from him while I used to read out aloud, (nearly 6-8 hours every day a little girl of six / seven/ eight

I’m very proud to say, my pronunciation, my diction, my command over smooth reading without a pause/ flutter/ , my command over abbreviations . What they meant and what all was happening all around the world…..i was a very wisened kid all thanks to my NANAJI.

There is so much one can talk about your own parents

My MOTHER

mt VIMLA ANAND

Born in 1925, eldest child of Dewan Ram Chand (Bar-at -law) and Shrimati Saraswati Devi, at Multan.)

She was a graduate, partition divide had created upheavals in every ones lives!!!

My mother married in 1951 to a young smart intelligent Fauji major.

She was an all out home maker, reared all three of us kids with  strict discipline, and we used to be more petrified of her than our father, but she had a heart of GOLD. All children would say that about their moms.

She encouraged me to learn instrumental music  (Harmonium/ Tabla), and later on when we moved to Jabalpur  she put me into Piano classes & Bharatnatyam.

I write all this ,coz she wanted me to do all those things which she wanted and some how couldn’t do.

She used to remain preety  sick  (never really understood what was wrong, ) but in the bargain you will be amused to learn that I learnt basic home cooking in class 6/7 itself.

So as I grew older, along with my studies , and badminton , I used to cook  dinner practically ¾ times a week when she could not.

I did not enjoy cooking, my friends used to laugh : Oh, she can’t go for an evening walk, its time for her to prepare dinner!!!”…they would usually scoff.

I learnt that working for home, in the home, for the family was part of my job and started taking interest in the various ways to prepare good dishes,  (did wonder though ,why my male siblings were not asked to join in and help in the kitchen chores)

My Brothers: Two

Anoop, almost two years my senior and Praveen , almost 4 years younger to me.

We were a well knit family, do not remember any major scuffles with them.

I used to be wrapped up too much into my books, and my commitments to my home to get into escapades with my siblings.

Well friends, I’m sure I can go on & on & on.

Had a normal childhood, except that I was into cooking much earlier that my friends , and for that I owe it to my mother who inducted me into the art of time management as also how to mix n match other activities 24x 7.

Since I have already initiated into my NANAJI’S influence on me, id like to touch upon my NANIJI but very very briefly.

Will it suffice all of you, if I say a paragraph / two will not be adequate if I want to write about her. If my male IDOL was my father, my female IDOL was my NANIJI.

Some day soon, I will definitely write about her

I think I’m just going to now slowly come to a summarizing of my immed. family:

Some words getting out in a tumble

Woh parivaar , jahan mein paida hui-

Woh kutumbh jahan mein badi hui-

Woh log jo kahtey hain mere

Mummy & Daddy they-

Woh ladkey jo mere bhai they_

Kahan chaley gaye …pata nahi

Aaj mein us kagar pe khadi hoon- jahan ek din who kahadey they……

Aaj mein woh mahsoos kartee hoon jo shayad woh  kartey they-…….

Pata nahi, un sab ne kya seekha, kya paya

Pata nahi, woh apne bacchon se khush bhi they ya nahi-…..

Aaj yaad karti hoon un sab ko, yadeyin dhundhli hoti ja rahee hain,

Kabhi- kabhi un yaadon ko  bator kar,  pakad kar,  jakad kar- sandook mein band karney ka mann karta hai.

Kahan ho aap sab?

Jab mera man kabhi vichlit hota hai-

Jab mujhe bhi kabhi akelapan mahsoos hota hai-

Mummy-daddy

Aap kahan ho?

Aap kahan ho???

Do bhai, do stambh they woh mere–

Ek chedtaa thaa, to doosra protect karne ko daudtaa tha;

Ek mera paratha cheen ke khata tha, to doosra apna aadha parantha mujh ko de deta tha;

Yaadeyin waakaii mein dhundhalee ho gayeen hai!!!

Meri dastan yun he chalti rahegi

Bas

I do miss my family a lot!!!!!

Well

Well

Well.

I need to gear myself up.

So friends the doc in me shall talk to you soon……

Bye -bye…

See you very soon…..