Why pay a Tribute, when every moment "She" is the role in Creation and hence Existence
As usual the day started with the customary "Chai" prepared with lots of love & substance and a fair bit of (irritation) by the one and only "Wife" And suddenly out of the blue my 6 entering 7 year old jeered me saying that even on "Woman's" day I am not providing her any relief from preparing the daily concoction. That's when I decided that I should bring out the real meaning of "SHE" and attempt at putting an end to all the doubts in the minds of all who feel that women are anything beyond "CREATION" and "EXISTENCE".
This goes back to some 40 odd years (I still feel young despite the grey matter and hoping that the Woman in my life will understand that), the first light was thrown on me by an over-caring & over-bearing Woman or "Mid-wife" (and that's what was told by the Woman who protected me during the formative months in her Cozy container). The first food provided again by the Woman with lots of love and occasional tears (who else but "SHE" can provide that pure food sweet, medicinal, life saving, and what not and bearing all the pain and discomfort, only to ensure that someone who is now her life, LIVES). Among the first visitors were two young WOMEN (also sometimes known as sisters) and another who was again an elderly WOMAN with a surname "GRAND" and somewhat similar in emotions to the one who never let me go even for a minute.
I was a different kind born after two "WOMEN" and hence there was a fair bit of special treatment and every bit of that feeling was provided by "WOMEN" (also known as Sisters' friends) and various other relatives all of them belonging to the same specie. The one with the Grand surname was the most expressive and made me feel on top of the world, always, while preparing the best of the dishes and goodies and all in the name of yours truly. The life giver always had one point agenda, her life clearly divided for her lives and none for her. Simply put these categories of human beings can only live for LOVE, rather, most of the times I felt that they can live for LOVE alone. They will do anything for LOVE, even go to the extent of hating someone because they LOVE someone and also kill anyone for LOVE.
The world around me changed and more of these species came into my life for various reasons, my first teacher and thereafter many more, one of the first friends, and the numerous competitors while schooling since they could not do anything better than "Study" hard and create tension in the minds of studious boys always. It was like every other day there was a WOMAN around, small, short, tall, thin, lanky, fat (also), big. But most of the times I felt that they were always there for you when you needed them or even when you did not need them. Love them or hate them, you could never ignore them. At the age of 4, I was left alone in school and I was ready to go the Lost and Found zone when two young WOMEN (friends of my Sister who missed me in the crowd) took all the pains to take me with them a long way from school, deftly avoiding the "Madman" dangerous as he could be at that time. Simply courageous.
If I was ill, it was the WOMAN who would take utmost care, then if hospitalized it was always the WOMAN (Nurse) who was welcoming you and making you feel at home. They were the ones who really appreciated when you performed in your pursuits of Study, games, drama, debates and what not. They never shied away to help you feel at the top of the world. And the numerous infatuations one tends to get into during those formative years, boy, they would make you keep up time, look after your hair (never forgetting to keep the comb in the pocket), make you dare, make you speak "English" most of the times. It was never ending.
Then, when I wanted to play Cricket, the first ball was bowled by a WOMAN. The life giver, ever so sacrificing, saved newspapers, milk covers etc., and sold them to purchase my First Bat. It was like she never wanted me to feel bad that I did not own a Bat. She was the one who accompanied me for my first admission into school, thereafter into middle school, thereafter into high-school, College, Cricket Coaching Camp and finally my First Job taking my papers to the District Magistrate to get them signed off to ensure that her LIFE gets a Government Job without any problem whatsoever. Incidentally, the application form was also filled by another WOMAN (also known as sibling). The first person I met in the Office was from the Establishment department and she too was from the same kind. Always willing to support and that in a Government Office was a luxury. It was like they never stopped from coming to support. Even when you are down, they are the first ones to understand. It is always said "To understand a woman's mind is the most difficult thing". But I felt that it was easiest, they had something which we all call "Heart" and that never stopped ticking.
I tried my hand in some small time businesses, like making and selling pickles of various kinds. The one who helped me in preparing the groovy items was again the Life Giver and believe me the only ones who dared to purchase from a free lancer were "WOMEN" and they were always appreciative, probably the part which they appreciated most was that I needed them to buy from me.
My only IDOL has been a WOMAN of substance also know as Iron Lady of India (Indira Gandhi). I have lived part of my life following Shanta Rangaswamy (as I believed that Women too could play good cricket), 1982 and 1984 was mostly spent following the Wadakanchery express PT Usha. And with History being a great subject to follow and what better way to follow than reading about "Jhansi Rani", "Padmini" "Razia Sultana", "Kittur Chennamma" and many more. Can we ever do an act without WOMEN? The evergreen infatuation started with Hema, Jaya and continued with Juhi, Madhuri and still continues with Priyanka, Kareena, does it ever stop? And can we ever stop debating about "MAYA"," MAMTA", "SUSHMA", "JAYA" and "SONIA"? All forms and all shapes, they will continue to stalk you.
The appreciation of this category of human beings cannot end without remembering the numerous Human Resource personnel (mostly WOMEN), they made me feel significantly empowered and they are the best to handle this function without doubt. The quality technologists, the ever caring Healthcare specialists and I cannot forget the "Dentist" who did not make me feel the pain, although there was another Dentist who unfortunately ended up breaking the Molar in between the extraction. Ever so sorry for the act, I felt that it was a genuine miss. But yes, as men would tend to do, I have not forgiven the lady for that mishap. Then to talk about the Corporate world or the Social activism, How can we have all those real activities without the WOMAN? Do we really understand the depth of their "moment"? Or do they understand it?
I always knew them to be "NIRBHAYA" and that was because they were always strong and will continue to be strong and not because of the unfortunate incident. I do not know "SHECONOMICS" because the Home's ECONOMICS can never be done properly without the SHE in it. And to change the world you need to change the Home. Can we ever think of a strong Indian Economy without being handled by the HOME-MAKER who does it so deftly? What's all this hoo ha about All-Women's Bank, when we have only Banked on them to help us run our Lives? She is every where as Grand Mother, Mother, Sister, Wife, Daughter, Friend. Can we be anything without her? The Great Lord Shiva always felt incomplete without Shakti and hence had to take the Ardha Nari form to prove a point that since the time of Creation there is no need for Gender equality debates, since there can never be anything other than equality.
I don't subscribe to this WOMAN's day, when every moment is WOMAN's whether it is CREATION or EXISTENCE.
This goes back to some 40 odd years (I still feel young despite the grey matter and hoping that the Woman in my life will understand that), the first light was thrown on me by an over-caring & over-bearing Woman or "Mid-wife" (and that's what was told by the Woman who protected me during the formative months in her Cozy container). The first food provided again by the Woman with lots of love and occasional tears (who else but "SHE" can provide that pure food sweet, medicinal, life saving, and what not and bearing all the pain and discomfort, only to ensure that someone who is now her life, LIVES). Among the first visitors were two young WOMEN (also sometimes known as sisters) and another who was again an elderly WOMAN with a surname "GRAND" and somewhat similar in emotions to the one who never let me go even for a minute.
I was a different kind born after two "WOMEN" and hence there was a fair bit of special treatment and every bit of that feeling was provided by "WOMEN" (also known as Sisters' friends) and various other relatives all of them belonging to the same specie. The one with the Grand surname was the most expressive and made me feel on top of the world, always, while preparing the best of the dishes and goodies and all in the name of yours truly. The life giver always had one point agenda, her life clearly divided for her lives and none for her. Simply put these categories of human beings can only live for LOVE, rather, most of the times I felt that they can live for LOVE alone. They will do anything for LOVE, even go to the extent of hating someone because they LOVE someone and also kill anyone for LOVE.
The world around me changed and more of these species came into my life for various reasons, my first teacher and thereafter many more, one of the first friends, and the numerous competitors while schooling since they could not do anything better than "Study" hard and create tension in the minds of studious boys always. It was like every other day there was a WOMAN around, small, short, tall, thin, lanky, fat (also), big. But most of the times I felt that they were always there for you when you needed them or even when you did not need them. Love them or hate them, you could never ignore them. At the age of 4, I was left alone in school and I was ready to go the Lost and Found zone when two young WOMEN (friends of my Sister who missed me in the crowd) took all the pains to take me with them a long way from school, deftly avoiding the "Madman" dangerous as he could be at that time. Simply courageous.
If I was ill, it was the WOMAN who would take utmost care, then if hospitalized it was always the WOMAN (Nurse) who was welcoming you and making you feel at home. They were the ones who really appreciated when you performed in your pursuits of Study, games, drama, debates and what not. They never shied away to help you feel at the top of the world. And the numerous infatuations one tends to get into during those formative years, boy, they would make you keep up time, look after your hair (never forgetting to keep the comb in the pocket), make you dare, make you speak "English" most of the times. It was never ending.
Then, when I wanted to play Cricket, the first ball was bowled by a WOMAN. The life giver, ever so sacrificing, saved newspapers, milk covers etc., and sold them to purchase my First Bat. It was like she never wanted me to feel bad that I did not own a Bat. She was the one who accompanied me for my first admission into school, thereafter into middle school, thereafter into high-school, College, Cricket Coaching Camp and finally my First Job taking my papers to the District Magistrate to get them signed off to ensure that her LIFE gets a Government Job without any problem whatsoever. Incidentally, the application form was also filled by another WOMAN (also known as sibling). The first person I met in the Office was from the Establishment department and she too was from the same kind. Always willing to support and that in a Government Office was a luxury. It was like they never stopped from coming to support. Even when you are down, they are the first ones to understand. It is always said "To understand a woman's mind is the most difficult thing". But I felt that it was easiest, they had something which we all call "Heart" and that never stopped ticking.
I tried my hand in some small time businesses, like making and selling pickles of various kinds. The one who helped me in preparing the groovy items was again the Life Giver and believe me the only ones who dared to purchase from a free lancer were "WOMEN" and they were always appreciative, probably the part which they appreciated most was that I needed them to buy from me.
My only IDOL has been a WOMAN of substance also know as Iron Lady of India (Indira Gandhi). I have lived part of my life following Shanta Rangaswamy (as I believed that Women too could play good cricket), 1982 and 1984 was mostly spent following the Wadakanchery express PT Usha. And with History being a great subject to follow and what better way to follow than reading about "Jhansi Rani", "Padmini" "Razia Sultana", "Kittur Chennamma" and many more. Can we ever do an act without WOMEN? The evergreen infatuation started with Hema, Jaya and continued with Juhi, Madhuri and still continues with Priyanka, Kareena, does it ever stop? And can we ever stop debating about "MAYA"," MAMTA", "SUSHMA", "JAYA" and "SONIA"? All forms and all shapes, they will continue to stalk you.
The appreciation of this category of human beings cannot end without remembering the numerous Human Resource personnel (mostly WOMEN), they made me feel significantly empowered and they are the best to handle this function without doubt. The quality technologists, the ever caring Healthcare specialists and I cannot forget the "Dentist" who did not make me feel the pain, although there was another Dentist who unfortunately ended up breaking the Molar in between the extraction. Ever so sorry for the act, I felt that it was a genuine miss. But yes, as men would tend to do, I have not forgiven the lady for that mishap. Then to talk about the Corporate world or the Social activism, How can we have all those real activities without the WOMAN? Do we really understand the depth of their "moment"? Or do they understand it?
I always knew them to be "NIRBHAYA" and that was because they were always strong and will continue to be strong and not because of the unfortunate incident. I do not know "SHECONOMICS" because the Home's ECONOMICS can never be done properly without the SHE in it. And to change the world you need to change the Home. Can we ever think of a strong Indian Economy without being handled by the HOME-MAKER who does it so deftly? What's all this hoo ha about All-Women's Bank, when we have only Banked on them to help us run our Lives? She is every where as Grand Mother, Mother, Sister, Wife, Daughter, Friend. Can we be anything without her? The Great Lord Shiva always felt incomplete without Shakti and hence had to take the Ardha Nari form to prove a point that since the time of Creation there is no need for Gender equality debates, since there can never be anything other than equality.
I don't subscribe to this WOMAN's day, when every moment is WOMAN's whether it is CREATION or EXISTENCE.
Risqué humour combined with canny wit weaves an honest and candid narrative of RKs thoughts on women.
ReplyDeleteA stream of reflections from his childhood and aware experiences until the present time with the customary start to his day… blend into a clear tribute to all women that RK delivers by visibly expressing his deep sense of respect and love for the women in his life - a lovely piece, topical and insightful to every reader!
Please keep them coming…