1995:
This was the year I turned nine and my parents threw me a
fairy tale themed birthday party. To say I wasn't pleased would be an
understatement. After all, fairy tales were for little girls and I was starting
high school the next week. So while Maa
supervised the kitchen staff and Baba
put up fairy lights around the garden, I decided to do what any infuriated nine
year old would do, I decided to run away!
But even before anyone had realized I had run away, I was on
my way home, with a scrapped knee and a muddy blue dress. Long story short, Subho, the neighbor’s son was playing a
solitary game of Robin Hood and I, an unwitting victim, tripped and fell into a
big old puddle while the heroic outlaw gave chase.
Needless to say, it turned out to be my Best Birthday Ever!
Thank you Maa for
being an excellent party planner.
Thank you for always knowing
what is best for me long before I ever do. Thank you for being an EXPERT in all
things me.
2005:
I was nineteen when I suffered my first heart break. Rahul was my first serious relationship.
We literally bumped into each other
on our first day in college and in true movie tradition we fell for each
other. It was the “can’t-eat, can’t-sleep, reach-for-the-stars, over-the-fence,
World Series kind of love” that the Olsen twins talk about in It Takes Two. We
talked unceasingly, of our hopes, our dreams, of our weddings, of our kids. We
agreed we were forever and everyone around us agreed with us.
But fate had other plans, Rahul and I broke up on the last day of our fifth semester. It wasn’t
as if I did not see it coming, but that did not make it less painful.
After a gloomy train ride home, I arrived home late in the afternoon
to find Maa was at the gate waiting
for me. She did not comment on my bloodshot eyes or blotchy face. She just
welcomed me with the warmest hug and said, “So glad that you are home. Baba and I missed you so much.” Maa did not make a fuss or pester me to open up to her. She gave me space to mourn my first heart break, to indulge my
sadness so that the healing could begin.
Thank you Maa for
being my unwavering rock.
Thank you for always
being there for me no questions asked. Thank you for being an EXPERT in all
things me.
2015:
I just recovered from a nasty long spell of jaundice. Maa had flown across the country to nurse me
back to health. I am due back in office next week. “I don’t want to go to work,”
I whine. I lost weight while I was sick, which is awesome but I have also
gained dark circles, a gaunt face and worst of all, my lovely locks have
streaks of gray. “No one else can know I have gray hair. No one but you Maa, coz you are an excellent secret keeper,” I say.
“This will keep your secret too,” Maa says, as she places a packet of Godrej Expert Rich Crème in my
hands. “No ammonia. Long Lasting color” I read off the packet. “Come on Maa, you don’t actually believe it is as good as it claims! Do you?” I laugh. Maa smiles
her dimpled smile and says, “You don’t actually believe I still have naturally
black hair! Do you?”
Thank you Maa for
being the best problem solver and trusted secret keeper.
Thank you for having a
solution for all my many problems. Thank you for being an EXPERT in all things me.
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#MyFirstExpert
This post is my entry for a contest organised by Indiblogger and Godrej Expert.
Photo Credit: Baba (edited by Yours Truly)