Little girl in the veranda

Holding her dad’s finger, she walked in awe, ogling at the bright colours and shapes. Her tiny feet adorned with anklets, resonated joy. Her laughter soothing like sound of chimes. With pure innocence she shouts aloud babaaa, and points at a beautiful necklace, displayed at a jewelry store.

Definitely, girls have an eye for bling. And her baba, who was dressed in a solid white shirt and khakhi trousers, glanced up on her daughter’s choice, her love at first sight. Baba, smiling at her, with a though of her wedding day in the back of his mind, nodded and coochie cooed her that the day is still far away…

Soon I drowned into a pool of nostalgia and was drifted back in time, to my childhood days. I was her age, circling around the verandah at the glimpse of my father. Maa tells me this incidence often that when papa used to come back from his distant braches as he was posted outside our hometown then, Mathura; I use to shy away, giggle and run around the verandqa with ultimate joy. He used to smile and laugh at the sight. All his fatigue of travelling long distance was forgotten. He would call out for me with his arms wide open, and after a little jog around I used to run towards him, excited for his warm embrace. Happiest moments of our lives! Though I can’t recall the details but can still sense his lovely embrace that assured me that I was safe.

How strange it is, over two decades down the lane, the same girl now runs towards another man, her soul mate. The change being that the father himself hands over his daughter to her man. Her anklets reverberate joy, now in her new house. But her hero still remains her papa, and it is a fact that every girl somewhere sees a reflection of her father in his husband.

Empty your trash and travel along the winds of change…

If you ever happen to be sad, perturbed or feel less loved, close your eyes, rewind your life and play it slowly. Recollect every single person you have come across, see and sense all of it again. The constellation of your memories will take you down the lanes of nostalgia, where you can relive and witness all the moments gone by, from a distance. When you look at them afresh after so long; you will experience a childlike innocence- full of inquisitiveness. Once you watch the sequence of events unravel you will be awestruck at the revelations on the other side, which have silently lain unnoticed and went amiss in the heat of the moment. You would, now be able to see the complete picture and see through it, which would join the loose ends of the thread that have till now created unrest in you.

Some of these moments will bring you a curvaceous smile, some just a smirk, other might make you blush as well. However, you might as well encounter moments that you have feared, that have left you scarred and have had deep and dark impacts on you. Don’t run away then, face them, fight them and sail through them with a hope to see a bright light awaiting you at the end of this dark tunnel. You might as well come across people who gave you all that misery, look into their eyes and tell them with utmost truth that you have forgiven them and they are liberated from your hatred and grudge that you bear in your heart. Say it as many times as you can and say it till you feel at peace. Empty your trash, free yourself of all your grudges and let go.

Soon the tranquility of spectacular sceneries, precious and joyous moments, smiling faces of your loved ones and all the fun memories will come rushing to you, in an embrace. It is then you would move on in life and be a free soul, light as a leaf ready to travel along the winds of change…