Pater familias : crestfallen!

When she was born, everyone told him she looked so like him. In business circles, they say that lucky indeed it is to have a daughter who looks like the father. Some proof, they say, that Goddess Laxmi would always him favour. A good omen!

 Lucky he felt to have a girl so beautiful. Like almond, her eyes. Like cashew, her pearl white complexion. Smart she grew up to be. Very lucky he felt to be the father of such a "papa ki pari." 

When n how did the tide of luck turn torrid? Does he at all know this stranger? Where has disappeared the sweet angel, his solace every evening after busy hectic days? Did not he indulge her every whim n each fancy?

How now to live forever this infamy? The father of a cheat, and he used to think she was just a chit of a girl! A cold blooded murder most meticulously planned n executed! Why n how did the business acumen in the very veins fail in the only worthy deal? 

Questions galore, answers nil. Life is now like a ledger book, debits writ large all over, and empty, like liabilities that sky high soar.

A family friend, now the bitterest foe. Luckier he is. At least, he can grieve his son, lost forever. Bereaved is the father of a      dead-ly daughter whom he once thought he could shield from every danger. Now only horrid headlines every where hover.

Pratima@ His son! The 'other' man of a love triangle. Often advised not to get himself so tangled. Why dream fancies that make life a nightmare? Courts, lawyers, n gait tests. And in this jungle is lost a son, the family's best bet!

Quote of the day: 

Murder most foul

 To be                                                                            honest straightforward decent                                   is a crime. 

 No section in any rule book                                     enlists it.                                                                   Leads it yet for sure                                                   to a death sentence! 

The Forever Good Bye                                                Sudden                                                                   Never said! 

The aching soul of a mother                                     which potion can it heal?

The placenta of pain                                                   can never enliven                                                        a life lost! 

Pratima@ Sordid as the Sia saga is, difficult it is to gauge the mother's pain! She lost a son, nay, a lifetime!

Quote of the day:                                                          "The loneliest time after a tragedy is the week or month when everyone goes home, and your new normal begins. The silence feels deafening when the crowds disappear, and you are left with a gaping hole in your heart." Yes, agreed, Pam K. McCarty! 

Word of the day:                                                          A sob for her dead son 

A Day@M/s DFC!

 Oh, what do you think? I am referring to the ubiquitous KFC?!? No, not at all! For one thing, I am a pure veg. I do not even eat eggs. What is the necessity? Much much more tastier and kinder veg options are available. As they exist, n abundantly, why kill a life just to satiate your taste buds, right? Downright cruel n absolutely unnecessary. 

What then is the DFC? Okay, let me explain. No, it is not some giant TNC, that is, a trans-national or multi-national conglomerate. Rather, it is an acronym I have created to state the relevance of July 1. 

July 1 is a unique day. It is a day dedicated to doctors, while it celebrates farmers ( a fact very few know and/ or acknowledge) and, moreover, it is a day which glorifies the contribution of the Chartered Accountants to individuals and/or to society.  Hence the acronym D for doctors, F for farmers, C for Chartered Accountants. 

A doctor keeps the best account of our health, while a C.A. takes care of our financial health. Hence the need to wish a Very Happy Day to both these clans.  And, oh, yes, the day commemorates Dr. Bhidhan Chandra Roy, the first FRCS from India who later contributed solidly to the Freedom movement.

Which is fair enough. As for farmers who, unfortunately, cares for them? They are like parents. Forever caring, giving, never expecting anything in return! Except a life time of hardship, tolerance, and hope!

And equally important they are for, nay, central to, life. If farmers do not grow crops and/or grow crops sufficient only for their individual family's needs, neither health nor wealth would be possible, right? Hope, next year, on July 1, every one would celebrate the DFC day! 

Pratima@July 1 is also a harsh reminder that half the year is already over! Time to get up n going, in brief! 

Quote of the day:                                                           "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice," stated Meister Eckhart. Touché!

Word of the day: gratitude                                         Gratitude involves 1) Appreciation: Recognizing the value and significance of someone's actions 2) Thankfulness: A conscious feeling of being pleased or relieved by a benefit received and 3) Gratefulness: The state of being warm and responsive to kindness.

So says Kabir!

 In the Indian subcontinent, the mediaeval Bhakti tradition is a great mo(ve)ment of devotion. Undoubtedly, it questions all sorts  of rigid hierarchies. Instead, there is a glorification of a unique spiritual connect with the godhead. 

Kabir is one of the best examples of such a rich awareness. His verses in the local dialect are a unique combo of mysticism and a simple philosophy enabling daily lived lives. Hence on the occasion of his birth anniversary celebrated each year on June 29, let us discuss one such "doha" . 

First a loose translation of the 'doha'. "Asleep, the nights went by/Indulged, the days did away fly//Like a diamond, life, truly precious/Rendered I it thus worthless.//

Why discuss this 'doha'? For one thing, it states a forever truth. Most all waste this unique precious gift called life in laziness or in all sorts of excesses, beginning with food, and ending in everything ad infinitum. In the process, this unique gift, life, is lost. 

The 'doha' is in other words an intense appeal to value life,  so uniquely compared with a valued diamond, and not to lose it in useless silly pursuits. One of the best examples hence it is of Kabir's simple, wise n sweet doha's!

Pratima@ Didactic the 'doha' undoubtedly is. Yet it is rendered poetic due to the simple  comparison, with a precious dimand, which is easily understood. Thus it stands strong against all hedonistic 'carpe diem' philosophies.

Quote of the day:                                                            "So be careful to live your life, wisely, not foolishly," asserts Ephesians, 5:15.

Word of the day: hedonistic                                     Hedonistic is a lifestyle of sleep, eat, drink, dance, be merry; in brief, devoted to the pursuit of empty pleasures. 

Being the Pinnacle

 In Marathi Bhakti tradition, there is this lovely "abhang" (a type of hymn) by Sant Bahinabai. This devotional composition is an extended metaphor. It compares the Marathi Bhakti tradition to the construction of a temple. Sant Dnyaneshwar, my favourite most saint who is an all-in-one presence, a great thinker, a spiritual guru, a devoted disciple, a superb poet, and so on and on, is the plinth of this edifice, while Sant Tukaram is the temple dome, the pinnacle. 

In contemporary times, the namesake, Tukaram Mundhe, seems to be the pinnacle of the administrative structure. He is an IAS officer. His, however, is not the "eat (be corrupt) and let eat (allow others to be corrupt as well)" policy. 

Naturally, a very p(r)icky officer, because he is highly conscientious and ethical, he has often been transferred. He is currently serving as the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maharashtra, based in Mumbai. Appointed in May 2026, this marks the silver jubilee transfer of his twenty-one-year long civil service career!

Why so many rendez-vous with so many varied profiles ? Well, he loves his job, is a stickler for rules, and his strict administrative approach consists of  anti-corruption drives. No wonder he is so much a thorn in so many sides that often he faces life threats. 

Such pinnacles, however, are very much the need of the hour, committed lecturers, devoted doctors, politicians who are thinkers/statesmen, and so on and on, if the socio-cultural fabric is not to be to vitiated by the Siya adulter(y)-ated way!

Pratima@ Papa was one such hyper committed, conscientious officer. He, too, faced so many transfers that my parents had these big boxes to pack their minimal goodies, and move on to the next town of transfer. I am very, very, very proud of being the daughter of such a pinnacle of an officer, and of a pinnacle of a couple who later sacrificed their togetherness so that our  education does not suffer, given Papa's transfers! 

Quote of the week:                                                         "Be a yardstick of quality," says Steve Jobs. "Excellence is an attitude," asserts Ralph Marston.  

Word of the day: pinnacle of excellence.                   This phrase represents the absolute highest point of achievement, quality, or success in a given field. It is often referred to as the summit of perfection, the gold standard, or the finest example of mastery.

Magical Melody

 R. D. Burman! Most of us would associate him with rhythm. In fact, he was called the "rhythm king." No wonder, when the Bhappi Lahiri's who could improvise better on the Western rhythm started to dominate the Bollywood music, R. D. was hugely rejected by the film industry. 

He was at the nadir of his career, nay life itself. Nobody would sign him. If he was signed at all, the songs would not click. His health was deteriorating. Monetary losses stared him in the face. He was all alone, in addition. 

Significantly, during such difficult days, R.D. 're-turned' to melody. Yes, I am referring to his swansong, "1942: A Love Story." All the songs composed by R.D. for this movie are melodious. Magical, however, is "Rim Zim, Rum Zum," right?

The very poem, yes, the song is a poem, is most musically written by Javed Akhtar. There is lovely alliteration, assonance, consonance which are enhanced by the rhyme-n-repetition. Absolute onomatopoeia echoes in literally every line of this soft, gentle song. 

Noticable it is that the accompanying instruments in this song are rarely the percussion types, which otherwise dominate R.D's oeuvre. Instead, here the melody is as soft as the drizzle, as the gentle feel of deep love reflected in this poem through highly lyrical images.

No wonder, come monsoon, on the loop are  "lagi aaj sawan ki phir yeh zadi" , "rim zim kare sawan", AND "rim zim, rim zim, rum zum, rum zum" which captures the ever reviving magic of the monsoon and the tender melody of a blooming love forever blossoming. 

Pratima@ R. D. kabhi marte nahin because the magical melody of such songs shows his soft power! Hence this tribute to him on his birth anniversary.

Quote of the day:                                                           "Melody is the soul of music." So said Mozart. 

Word of the day: Onomatopoeia                                Onomatopoeia is the process of creating or using words that phonetically imitate, resemble, or suggest the sounds they describe. These words bring the lyric to life by engaging the listener's/reader’s senses, making the song/poem more vivid and dynamic.

The Regal Win

 Siya, alias Sonam Junior, hated hubby-to-be because of his stutter/stammer, it seems. That news item made me think of two remarkable wins over this physical impediment. Both the efforts in my opinion are the best, indeed regal, examples of the human will to overcome seemingly impossible hurdles. 

Meet Demosthenes. Misfortune dogged his footsteps since childhood. He was orphaned at seven when his father passed away. His so-called guardians so squandered away his inherited wealth that he grew up to be abjectly impoverished.

As if that misfortune was not enough, he suffered from both, a weak voice and an articulation issue, a stammer. Either did not deter him as he had an iron will. He practised with pebbles in his mouth. He would recite verses while running uphill. At the seashore, he would speak over the lashing winds and crushing waves.

Thus he became the most impressive speaker of his times.'The Philippics' is his passionate series that warned Athens against the marauding territorial ambitions of Alexander and his father. In fact, his first public win was the prosecution speech against his wastrel guardians. He became the best logographer, that is,  the speech writer of his times.

Now meet George VI. His childhood could prove that being a prince is a misfortune. His father was both, emotionally distant and disagreeably disciplinarian. His nanny was a horrid harridan who pinched him hard so that she would not have to present him often in the royal presence as his royal father did not like the cry-baby.

Much worse, he was naturally left-handed, which was then considered diabolical. He was brutally forced to make his right hand in to his dominant hand. The hardship was both, neurological and psychological.

Emotionally thus impoverished, these childhood traumas led to a marked stutter. Destiny delivered him a huge surprise. His elder brother abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. Now, as the King, during the World War II, he had to give impressive speeches!

How did he manage a fight against an impossible fate? Lionel Logue was a speech therapist who taught him breathing techniques, vocal warm-up's, and thus built his confidence so much that the royal speeches during World War II were the solace of his subjects. 

In brief, if/when there is a will, there sure is a way!

Pratima@ Go.Pu. Deshpande, a brilliant thinker, analyst, educationist and author had a pronounced stammer. Yet one never noted the long pauses, the stutter, et al, so brilliant was his content.

Quote of the day:                                                           "The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it," asserted Molière.

Word of the day: grit                                                  Grit generally refers to firmness of mind, indomitable courage, and the passionate perseverance required to achieve long-term goals despite obstacles.