The Lost Valentine

13^th February 2010,

“Hi, no matter you come or not I will wait for you....” :-) - XXXXXXXX86

One message changed my life. I got this sms when I was in my engineering days and that was the time I first stepped into the heaven of city – Pune. This city has always been the city of dreams for me; if it made me cry in heavy rains then it also taught me how to smile with pain. I never thought I would ever come back to this city which took away everything from me : my smile, my friendship line and above all the one unmentioned thing - One Lost Valentine. But things happen when you least expect them and that one old saying always kept me haunted,"what goes around comes around". Right after four years I came back to this city and this time I needed no more adventures, no more new smiles but came back for that one lost Valentine.

It all started with the Book of Surprises. I won't be surprised if it would take me 100 more years to understand that why for any girl surprises become the world's best thing as if there was no better gift than a simple surprise. Interestingly I learned this thing from her who taught me 7 odd Rules of a Girl's Life and in her book, Rule No 007 was highlighted twice which says :

“No gifts, but only surprises...!”

Hellloo....I am not an Einstein who can deduce the theory of surprise relativity from these words nor am I a Shakespeare who would "thy" understand your Caesar words my Julliet. I am just a simple person who try to understand your simple words but I guess this 6 letter "SIMPLE" word does'nt exist in the most complicated dictionary of a Girl's life. I mean why can’t a girl simply say whether she want a surprise or a surprise gift but Noooooo!! They want us to scratch our heads till the time someone sitting next shoots a bullet: "Bro any problem...should I help you out".

But we just smile to that person to send a fake signal that everything is so fine that I can't even tell you!! But the secret mystery still remains unsolved and the frustration level goes up to the next ladder where I found my 3 other friends standing to open up the 100 gates of solution to any problem. F.R.I.E.N.D.S have the solution to any Girl's problem this world has seen and I am fortunate enough to have 3 Master Keys with me. Finally I planned a simply "simple" surprise for her but that thought and that feeling of giving surprise made me a teen again. I wanted to run, fly , create magic and all those things beyond my reach. And everytime I read that one message I felt a different magic with those words.

“Hi, no matter you come or not I will wait for you...” :-) - XXXXXXXX86

Without giving any second thought to my mind and heart I boarded the bus to the city where I found my Valentine. The bus showed me the first sign of Serendipity when the Bus no read MH.12– XX86. The last 2 digits were not new for me and I was in habit to these fortunate incidents right from the first day I met her but the only thing that changed in these years was my simple curve of smile getting more broaden with those 2 digit nummber. All my journey I had read that one message almost 100 times and I wanted to send her one message

“Hi, No matter you wait or not, I will come for you....”:-) 

But this time to my surprise I couldn’t do that. Early morning I went to surprise her,seeing her smiling face after a long time made my morning. She was an elegant beauty who was walking towards me like a princess covered in black shawl. All I remember now was her glowing face, her hair were falling on her face making it half covered and her half open beautiful sparkling eyes. My eyes and my smile were loved watching her.I wanted to tell her that no Olay nor any Ponds could make her more charming than the morning sun light but before I could extend my hand and give her a warm Valentine hug, I bumped my head into the front seat of bus.

I realized that I saw my Valentine only in my dreams and I was still in bus. I checked my cellphone to see the time, I dont remember the exact time but I what I remember was that one new message:

“................................................................” - XXXXXXXX86

It was the same journey from the same city but after 4 years only thing that wasn't same was her one blank message. I got down to my stop and saw the bus going away from me. I saw that bus no again MH.12– XX86. I saw my serendipity going away saying the last few words: 

“If this city gave you everything, it will also take everything .....- A Lost Valentine”

Ghar...Ek Mandir..!!

"Ghar Ek Mandir"...jab bhi is title k baare mein sochta hu, the only thought that comes to my mind is kitna filmy title hai na..just like "Indra..the tiger" ya phir "Surya..the one man army" but looking at other side of the coin humari life such mein badi filmy hi hai. I remember my neighbor actually got a dog named Tuffy the same day they watched Hum Apke Hai Kaun but we Punjabis have grown up watching DDLJ and I remember every time I visit a station I look around to see if some Babuji is saying "Jaa Simran Jaa..." waala dialogue and then I purposely stand on gate to see if I had to help any running Simran. Another one I cannot forget is our Amar-Prem from Andaz Apna Apna : "Do dost ek cup se chai peeyenge...Aise mein dosti badti hai". 

I mean daily we bring these filmy characters from theaters to our life in a unique way..kabhi humari sabse acchi dost Alia Bhat jaise dikhti hai toh kabhi we imagine ourselves in every scene of "3 Idiots" and say "Arey hum bhi toh yahi sab karte the college mein...be it studying late night or crashing a wedding night". I still remember the first dialogue I said to my crush: 

"Pyaar....pyaar dosti hai" but then same movie made my heart speak after my break up: "Hum ek baar jeete hai..aur Pyaar bhi ek hi baar hota hai.". Lekin ab...:-) :-). 

If we press the rewind button on our filmy life we live almost every character but I wish humari Mom bhi K3G waali super magician hoti jise mere ghar aane se pehle tez hawa se hi pata chal jaaye ki I am standing on the gate. But meri aur mom ki filmy kahani abhi tak old Venus and Tips cassettes ki tarah uljhi hue hai. Everyday my morning would begin with her anger on me: Kabhi breakfast ka gussa toh kabhi late uthne par gussa. Kabhi kisi k late night phone call ka toh kabhi woh khud bhi bhool jaati hai kis baat ka gussa. I would never come to know why everyday I fight with her. But one day my dormant volcano of thoughts took the form of words and I yelled at her : 

"Maa please yaar....... Kabhi toh aap mujhe samjho..Kya aap jaante bhi ho mujhe kya accha lagta hai.?

Unlike the movies we haven't got the rewind button in life to actually check that did we deliver the right dialogue. But that one dialogue was enough for her to show me her big silent eyes. And pushing the pause button to this endless fight I decided to visit a temple. "Jab problem aati hai toh sirf Bhagwaan hi dikhte hai....and aisa sirf filmo mein hi nahi hota." Sitting outside on the temple stairs I kept on rewinding my thoughts but every time I play that morning movie I found myself correct and even my half empty brain which has more cheese than the veins supported me so I thought I was right on my half and kept myself busy in observing people. There I saw a small kid with his mom sitting next to me. As he was too young so I could barely understood what he was trying to say but only thing I heard was his sweet innocent murmur. But at the same time his mom understood everything. She made different faces at every filmy angle to make him smile and I was totally enjoying this soundless conversation but wasn't it the irony of life...

"Jab ek baccha theek se bol bhi nahi paata Maa uski har baat samajh jaati hai but the moment we grow up and gain all our senses we feel that Maa humari koi baat samajh hi nai paati....."

Why I always do wrong to my mom? Have I ever given her any happiness for all the things she did to me? My stupid mind still remember writing those 365 letters for a girl to impress her but never wrote a single letter to my mom. I could send bunch of roses and Paani Puri to a girl to make her feel special but I never gave my mom even a simple flower. Did I ever do anything special to her? I looked up in sky and saw a big "NO" shaped cloud all over me. But my mom....what not she did to see my one smile.She made me stand, she brought my smile from tears and even today she would do anything....

"Maa such mein bahut pyari hoti hai aur unhe hum jaise nalayak bacche mil jaate hai..Abhi agar hum aise hai toh bachpan mein kaise the aur kaise sambhalti hongi hum jaise baccho ko woh... "

There were so many things I wanted to tell her. I wanted to hug her badly. While going back home I took her favorite flowers and kept silently near her bed.I thought she was still angry but "Maa kabhi gussa ho sakti hai kya....". She was silently seeing my movements and finally she asked :

"Mandir mein aisa kya jaadu dekh liye mere Filmy Bacche ne...Aur ye flowers kaunsi ladki k liye laye ho..."

I wanted to tell her everything what I feel now but I could not. I just smiled and sat next to her and kept my head in her lap. That was the same feeling of sitting in a temple and without saying anything I slowly held her bangle like a kid with my finger....she understood my silent emotion. She kept her hand on my hand and that was one memory I would cherish forever.

x

Aaloo Paratha aur Maa....

September 201X ,

Indore...the city of food where two kinds of people live. One who get up early in morning only to taste Poha and Jalebi and then there are other kind of people who go for a long jogging just to have a different taste of Poha. Sometimes I wonder if ever we had to direct somebody in Indore we would simply says that "Arey bhiya us pohe waale k paas mein or simply near to some famous food outlet". So this is Indore and everyone here feels proud to be associated with this different world. 

Getting early in morning was not less than climbing the Everest for me but early morning trip to Pool by Dad made my right eye open a bit. I sat there on bed and thought about the two options either to enjoy in pool with Dad or give some rest to my eye which took a deep pain in opening up early morning. Well I happily choose the second option and got back to my two best friends (my bed and pillow). They were looking like an innocent baby and all I could hear was their voice calling me back to them for 15 more minutes. Ye 15 min ki power nap bhi badi kamaal ki hoti hoti..but this power nap was broken by my mom saying "Ab uth bhi jaa..kitna sota hai...tere liye parathe banaye hai". My mom comes form the Punjabi family where her best friends are Paratha and Butter. Finally Mom came and wished me on Birthday by saying "Aaj Aloo Paratha Paneer k saath banaya hai...You would surely love it". My one face could have made different faces by hearing this...for a moment all different whatsapp smileys traveled from my right brain to left...yaar Aloo Paratha wid Panner..finally I was left with the sadest of smily. I thought today Mom would welcome my morning with some Chocolate Pastry or some Pineapple cake  but kaun apne birthday par Aalo paratha wid Paneer :-( :-( Seeing my sad face on breakfast she finally asked : 

"Kya hua? Paratha pasand nahi aaya..?" I wish I could tell her a big Noooooooo atleast not today Maa...but I kept silent.

Then she asked again "Aur butter ya cheese chahiye??"  I wanted to raise my head and show her my two big eyes which were sparkling with cake and chocolate but I used my weapon of silence.

"Huh"..she said in typical Punaabi way, "Pata nahi tum baccho ko kya pasand aata hai. Agar pasta ya pizza khila do toh din bhar thank you Maa..love u Maa bolte rahenge..!!"

Finally I broke my iceberg of silence,"Mummy yaar today is my birthday. At least today I never wanted to have this...Apko kuch Culinary sense hai ya nai?"

She raised her left eyebrow to ask "Kaunsa sense..??"

I immediately realized my sin to say this but all Moms have a God gift to hide their anger inside and convert it to smile. I thought I have won half battle and showed her that Paratha by saying "This round globe belongs to planet of oil and butter..it feels as if oil pipeline bypass our place". But I forget that this smile is most painful for them. She keep silent after this and only I could see some wetness in her eye. I realized I committed another sin by making a woman go in Silent Mode.

After this incident I went to have another power nap but this power nap always play Hide n Seek with me. I never understood the logic that how this 15 min of sleep gets converted into 4 hrs of sleep. But in this course of time my mom was out of home whole day. I checked everywhere for my mom but couldn't find her. I called up Dad to ask about her and he replied "What happened to mom...again you did something??" I was again reminded of those two sins which I did today. I preferred to end up the call. That day I realized one more thing about mom that for whom is she doing all the hard work in life..just to get one praise from her son. What wrong would have happened if for once I would have smiled at her for that Paratha. But No I had to complain her for her hard work. The feeling of guilt in mind was felt more in stomach. I rushed down to kitchen to feed my not so tiny stomach and saw that same Aloo paratha who acted as a villain in my happy day but still I was surrounded with guilt feeling. After having a bite I closed my eyes and felt a tear rolling down my eye...that was pure love given to me my Maa. I badly wanted to see her,hug her and tell her that "You are the most amazing cook Maa, bus itna hi toh woh sunna chahti thi. And what I did to her? I never realized what pain she takes everyday from morning tea to late night dinner...from washing clothes to dusting..she does everything perfect just because she is mom and just this is her identity.Yes she can be mom..mummy...Suveer aunty...Mrs.Suveer...but she can never be Seema again. And still she would smile without complaining, she would work everyday and cook her best dish just to hear one thing,"Mummy apne bahut accha khana banaya." This sweet tareef would end her tiredness for at least one more week. I sometimes feel one scientific research could be done to know the secret of every moms' energy. 

Pondering into some deep pond of thoughts for whole day it was almost 9 at night and I finally heard a door bell. I rushed from my room towards stairs. Escaping almost last 3 stairs I ran towards door to hug my mom. But the moment I opened up my arms there I found my dad standing. He stared at me as if he knew everything. Before he could ask or say anything I decided to have a Bi Escape. I rushed back to my room with double the speed I came. After some time I heard two voices coming from the kitchen. Yes it was my mom and she was back. I wanted to jump there and show her my happiness but I took a deep sigh of relief.My heart beat stepped down from running horse and came to its normal pace.My ears never felt so pleasing to hear that second voice as they were feeling now. I was there lying on sofa and saw my dad coming from kitchen. Another voice came from the kitchen asking me, "Surprise k liye ready ho beta?"

That time no surprise or gift nor any cake would please my eyes than just one look of my mom. I smiled with my eyes and said loudly "Haan Maa...I am ready". Before my empty brain could signal anything I saw my mom coming towards me. My eyes almost popped out seeing her. My mouth was wide open when I saw her wearing that white hat of a chef with an apren. She walked like a princess with one round magical dish and said,"Presenting very delicious Pasta Italiano....Mr.Aman are you ready for it?". Saying this she kept the plate on the table near me. I almost got frozen and went speechless by this act of love. My Punjabi mom trying to speak Italian.My eyes went from that table to mom. Thousands of words were battling in mind that time but I could not say anything. She smiled at me and saying that whole day she went to cooking class just to surprise me. All things kept running in mind which I said earlier that day and made me feel more guilty. I stood there frozen and silent. Never gave a thought that moms who have a heart of gold even they could feel bad. She finally understood my silent emotions and broke the silence in her Punjabi way by showing her bright smile. She folded her arms and kept one arm near chin and asked "Dekha.... ban gayi na teri Mummy bhi smart??"

I finally managed to hug my mom with my wet eyes and resting my head on her shoulder said "Maa....you don't have to do anything to be smart. Nobody could ever beat your cooking. I just love the way you are.And this pasta..it actually looks really good and tasty but Maa.....kya mujhe phir se waisa hi Aloo Paratha mil sakta hai.....??"