Dearest Momy,
Every birthday of yours, rather every single
day is special to me. I have been motor-mouthing ever since you brought me into this world and you know pretty well what you mean to
me. I would be falling short of words to suffice on my elucidation of what an incredibly strong role you have been playing as my best friend,
my confidante and my driving force. I believe, all this makes it up for an
amazing mother and you have panned out this mother-daughter chemistry all the
more beautifully with your unconventional and stupendously liberal outlook. I
am not sure how I am going to do justice to this, but I surely wish to make an
effort and put it in a few candid lines so as what has been so extraordinary about my
journey with you on earth. Beyond that, in my connection with you from the womb
itself, you have ensured that nobody dulls my sparkle. You have been on guard round-the-clock,
yet let me stake on thin ice with all my ambitions, obstinacy, whims and
instabilities for last thirty one years. On this very special day of yours, I want to
enlighten you with your ever inseparable aura in my life, my visions and my sole being. :)
You started off with enabling me to appreciate every job well done. May it be our
helper assisting you in chopping the onions, or your chef mastering your signature Chinese dish at the roof top
restaurant. You have always shown me a way to say thanks and applaud every
person from every class, creed and social strata on accomplishing a
task delegated to them. More power to each one of them!
You taught me religion. You introduced me to ONE God, ONE
belief, ONE faith. The universal Mother, the supreme of all, and how I am to
submit myself at her lotus feet - simply wait and allow the best to come through. *Voila*
You taught me the value of time. And avoid procrastination.
I remember how you knocked me down at times - 'If you don't finish the next
Chemistry chapter now, which you absolutely abhor for obvious reasons, I am
going to drag you out of the bed with the alarm ticking at 5:30 am sharp
and you know i can do it!' *Grrrr*
You taught me logic. I till date couldn't decipher what is
it with a stroke of pearl white nail paint on my little fingers once in a
while? Why, I mean why you had to be so harsh on me at times yet keep every bit
of your beauty aids on display? It was possibly your steadfastness fused with
your unflinching principles that prepared me for taking it all on the chin. That tough look
was enough to put the fear of God inside me and you went like - 'Because I said
so, that's why!' *Sigh*
You taught me about anticipation. 'Just wait till we get
home'. And that very idea that you'll remain upset with me for breaking the
rules did all the magic. Yes, I wondered and wished you were slightly more
considerate and gave me the leverage to play with dirt and mess it up right
after you bathed me, but I, kind of looked forward to you yelling out loud - 'Will you look
at that dirt on the back of your neck? Go and wash it off!' *Chuckle* :D
You taught me OSMOSIS. You actually zipped my lip and made
me gulp down my most hated boiled fish and vegetable stew when you said - 'Shut
your mouth and eat your supper!' This came with a lot of charging up of my
stamina as you didn't let me move from the dining table until I choked down
that tumbler full of horrible buttermilk -'You'll sit there until all those layers of
cream is gone!' *Pheww*
You taught me about humor when you declared - 'When that
leech sucks blood from you tiny toes beating around the lawn, don't come
running to me.' I knew instantly, my toy knife wasn't the sharpest weapon to
attack those biting louses. *Demonic Grin* :D
You taught me ESP and ensured that I cover my ears and head
from the chills and shivers of Darjeeling winters with my chronic tonsillitis,
while my throat got sore and I could hardly utter a word. The best remedy to
this was when you commanded - 'Put your sweaters on. Don't you think I know
when you are cold?' *Wink Wink*
And the epic happened when I broke up for the first time and
ran to your fold and you comforted me with your words of wisdom - 'When you get
to my age, you'll understand.' But
understand WHAT Mumma? The anatomy of my hormonal changes? My desires and
disappointments? Those rebellious riots of argument in the house? You were
right. Even though I'm yet to become a mother, I can still realize the obscurity around a
mother's apprehensions, concerns and protectiveness. Now that the thirties have finally caught up, I am also familiar how
the mother of a girl knows what is best for her. :)
I always loved it when you reminded me of my roots - 'You are
strong. Not meant to give in to life's challenges thrown at your pretty face
and petite shoulders. You are more than that.'
It was a great compliment for me every time you preached me
a lesson of genetics. 'You're just like your father'. I am fully aware of your
deliberate pun intended that I am as forthright, as assertive and as
freethinking as my dad, which comes with its own set of pluses and minuses.
Now that I have a household of my own, responsible for
managing, monitoring and manipulating every inch of it, having seen you run the
show so competently gives me an ace up my sleeve and the confidence that I can
do it too! I know I often made you go mad with my shoes in the hallway and my clothes
scattered on the floor, but now, you most definitely miss my makeup and hair
serums and all the accessories that used to be laid out lavishly on the
dresser. Do you miss all my jazzy nail colors mixed up for a new and innovative
one stored in each small jar? Do you remember how those dresses and jeans hung
off in a disoriented fashion making the closet a battlefield when I dressed
up? Last but not the least, do you smirk and have a good laugh within yourself
when my lacy pink little underwear which was misplaced by a mischievous teen-aged
maid flashes in your realm of memories? Spirits that smelled fabulous and cool lipstick shades that were
ransacked during the then ongoing sale at L'Oreal - Does all this bring those
golden days and our friendship back into your mind?
Having said all that, you taught me to value the small joys
of life. I enjoyed every moment of those rickshaw rides with you in the month
of April awaiting a precarious Kal Baishakhi jhor, and the last to last year
especially turned little extra thrilling with our inexhaustible zest for
hopping the exhibitions at the Mela ground and the gusty December day coming to a freezing closure. Be it a handbag worth Rs. 600 grabbed from Sarojini Market, or a Rs. 10,000 one picked from DLF Promenade, you always made sure I took good care of
it. That's possibly the reason why all my precious possessions of childhood are
still in such good condition that I can easily auction them off in London for
thousands of dollars! Tee-Hee! :D
To sum up it up - the acme of your awesomeness lies in how you
opened up a vista of relationships, their fundamentals and intricacies to me
with each passing year. You taught me to let go off what doesn't matter
anymore, at the same time you empowered me with the tenacity to hold on to what
meant the most. You just have to see me beaming with pride when I am told these days - 'A
glimpse of your mother's splendid decorative sense can be found in your new
home'.....or simply - 'You so resemble her in your elegance and doting nature'.
*Yippe*:D
To wrap up this birthday tribute, I must not miss out on
what is my favorite! And that's when you voluntarily or involuntarily adjust my
favorite Maroon vintage Brocade saree pallu of yours facing the mirror and
pronounce those truly majestic words - 'One day you'll have kids and I hope
they turn out just like you!' *Gee Whiz* :D
You mean the world to me Mumma! And you light up my life like nobody else does! Thanks for the
gift of life. XOXO :*
Yours,
Mithi.
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