Ceremony of Innocence

Do have a look at the video I have uploaded this morning. Like any typical family function, there is literally a malestorm of sounds, a flurry of activities. The total chaos of movements hither-n-tither, the absolute cacophony of shouts and scoldings has at its still center a fragile old lady of about seventy years. Quietly waiting it out, modesty personified she is when she accepts the appreciation her brothers bestow on her. She holds her siblings' letter of appreciation as if it is the greatest degree from the premiere most university in the whole world. That is Aai for you. 

A lovely combo of dignity and innocence she was. Like Papa. There hardly was any malicious or nasty bone in either of them. In fact, the touching faith they had in others was at times almost naive. If you are straightforward, so is the world was a kind of child like purity that they both believed in. When we were kids, Aai used to teach us how to recite the stotras. Her favourite one was the Maruti stotra dedicated to Lord Hanuman. She would insist that the last couplet need not at all be be recited. Her simple faith was that evil never comes to you if you avoid referring to it.

That is the ceremony of innocence that was the life of my parents. Straightforward, simple, clean. Value-enriched conscientiuos existence full of grace! They had to weather many a storm, face very many difficulties imposed on them even by the so-called near-n-dear ones. Never did either of them bitterly grumble nor gossip viciously against such frenemies.

Such was the total faith they would have in you that sullying it would be a sacrilege. Just like a child holding your hand with the utmost assurance that no harm would come to him as long as you are there, both of them almost naively believed that if you are clean and conscientious, the world mirrors your attitude, Returning to Pune for a break from my studies hence used to be a fountain of joy and exhilaration for me because awaiting me would be three kids and their equally guileless grandparents. A universe far far away form the manipulations galore in the real time world.  

I adore this inheritance of small wonders and grand but simple joys, heart felt emotions and hearty laughters (do have a look at the snaps I would be uploading), the incarnate ceremony of innocence that they cherished and lived. Hence this celebration of their conscientious and clean wor(l)ds. Let me sign it off with a take  on a popular Bollywood ditty.

" yeh jag hai katon ka

tum fulwari the

tum kitne acche the

tum kitne pyare the" .

Pratima @ ceremony of innocence