Badalthe Rishthey

The past year left us sulking in the lockdown. And as for we NRI's, it has been a double nightmare, not being able to travel to India, especially for us from the Middle East who take frequent trips to India. We sing in chorus now  ___ "Pal pal dil ke paas, tum rehte ho". I had bloated philosophically while my friends reminded me to write my satire or humour as I did some time back, before COVID-19.

The lockdown has although stopped me from traveling to India and wail but given me brighter opportunities to claw upon and crib. We have bid goodbye to the "bayi" and (cleaner) boy, and have conferred upon ourselves awards, running "Swach ghar abhiyaan". Men are only grumbling as they run dishwashers. But my grievances in the pandemic are severe. I have lost all my property rights now. My 7-year-old has seized my coveted study. The table is decorated with flying worksheets. "My" laptop is loaded with zoom links that say "Ms. Aofie English class", "Ms. Reynolds Music class". The lovely mornings that I romanced with my thoughts and scribbled random in my blog or my archives, are now "Woh bhooli daasthan". Now, I print and upload his homework.  Looking at the brighter side, I have learned basic Arabic from his classes and also enjoyed Ms. Reynold's music lessons. All I share with this room now is the -- "Kabhi khushi kabhi gham" relationship.  

I can not travel often to these two rooms from where the voices of different teachers resonate. Another room has turned into a branch of Birla Public Indian School, Class 12. My older one's. Well-dressed teachers in suits and sarees teach Psychology and Economics. I dare not enter the room. I fear a Zoom bomb dropped on me "Yes, you, answer this question". My school time and exam time dreams still haunt me. Sometimes, when the head of the family turns my only bedroom into his workplace, is when I feel doomed. The living room couch is ouch, in denial upon my entry.  The kitchen hates me after my new arguable relationship status with the men in red Tee who come on their bikes delivering food at any time of the day or night. 

But, the solo traveler inside me stubbornly doesn't give up. And, I take additional trips to the garbage chute rooms in our apartment to dispose of trash and claim good hygiene maintained in my house. Who knew, the trash chute room is now the new kitty (which I dread). Ladies from neighbouring flats join me in discussing woes. We care to leave the place when men walk in to do away with trash and throw astonished looks at us. With this fear, I then take a long journey to the Lulu Supermarket. Romancing with the vegetables, pulses, soaps, and shampoos on offers. Walking past the cold dairy section, I fantasize about my Georgia visit which just got cancelled during the first lockdown. 

New life. New routines. But in 2021, today, for the first time I am upfront here-- "looks like I am fine here in Doha. Not traveling to India sooner". Many more are connecting to it too. NO! Not because of the mutating virus but because of the mutating hatred in India. Let those waves calm down and perish. The same me, that cribbed every year, for not staying a little more in India in spite of generously contributing to the Air India Express 3-4 tickets a year, for the first time in 15 years, is not the same this year. 

So much hatred in people. The media is misbehaving like a spoilt brat. Why is the attitude towards the true COVID warriors so insensitive in India? We have memes portraying the doctors and police as heroes, "true warriors, we love you". But the same social media floods with videos with hate and abuse to police. A friend who is a doctor writes about people being negligent with their health, people taking beds in panic and not in an emergency, people scaring others unnecessarily. He pleads in public to support the doctors. Another friend says his old father who is a doctor is tired of educating people to get the PCR test done, but when things deteriorate these are the folks that blame the doctors, blame the government. And then forward cartoons with flying peacocks and disrespectful and insensitive images of authoritative Government officials.  If we chuckle at them, we are at fault. Yes, we are. One day the virus will leave. The one in the air. But our minds that are conditioned with poison have no vaccine made by health care! When Albert Einstein said "The difference between stupidity and genius is that the latter has limits"; he was hell right. 

I am another ordinary person. Not the "Aam Admi" though! If you know what I mean. I contribute to the economy. I exercise a vote. I care for the "real people in need". I do my bit. So I have the right to crib. Crib about why! 

The Virus has turned the lover boy Dev from the movie Dhadkan, "Mein tumhe bhool javu yeh ho nahi saktha, aur tum mujhe bhool javo, yeh mein hone nahi doonga".

That is because we have conceptualized the "Hum saath saath hain" far too seriously. We are ordered by our government and health care officials to follow "isolation" but we have only glorified - "Pass woh aane lage zara zara". Little by little, we have loosened our fears. And ventured out enough in public. We do not wear masks and blame 2020 and 2021 that give us bad times. 

Yes, no doubts, we will not remain masked forever. But for now, we must! There is no escape from the COVID unless we heap up sanitizers and glue our worthy selves indoors. 

When priorities have dwindled and flawed, we are responsible. Change is certain. And I am simply praying for the change. Sooner the better.

This Badalthey Rishtey is so surreal!

And what can I say?. We are like this only.💓

It Is Okay If You Are Greedy

An idea conceived is half achieved  -Selfquote

Sushma's Page turned 2 this month. 

The commonest feeling of revoking the past, scratching the memory lane turns most up-heaving sensational phenomena when the subject includes "childhood". Here is my baby, "My Blog" . She turned two on the 3rd of October. She- Yes, she follows the stereotype as her owner.

A fetus conceived is a child born in minds of the mother -Self Quote.

She has  evolved over infancy. Crawling, giggling, stumbling, to the stage of  walking steady and ready to run today. Conceived in month of September-2010, she first smiled on successfully publishing the post "Cycle and the Chicken". 1st and nostalgic post that is so very personal.

The marathon continues till today over the stages where many a humour, satire, serious, poetic posts have been successfully completed and the blog has stood up, and today, all set to run. Sushma's Page is now greedy for more posts.....more readers. It is okay to be greedy.

Here is celebrating the 2nd Birth Day with one story.

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The woodcutter who was the bread winner of family cut trees, sold wood for a few penny. One day  he slipped off and his axe tossed straight into the river nearby. Squatted, hands on forehead, as he shed silent sobs and sweaty tears, A fairy emerged out of the waters. The zero figure "Kareena Kapoor" as she was, singing "halkat jawani". Get away you...shooed her the woodcutter. She stopped dancing and offered to help him. He wasn't the types who even narrowed his eyes on her. She them cleared he throat..."err ehem...well I do know to dive too like Katrina Kaif in Zindagi na Milegi Dobara"...I could  perhaps find your axe". Surely he was not the second hand jawani-Amul Macho Man who could guide her swimming, was he?  So she dived in and brought out a golden axe. Ohh ghosh... Ssshhh he cried" This must be belonging to some minister of Indian Kangress he exclaimed. "I am just an ordinary person, aam aadmi, an mango person and I own an iron axe, please get me that". She then brought out a silver axe. A sad woodcutter had to nod a no. May be it belonged to another  minister perhaps law minister-India. Fairy smiled, brought a bronze axe. Were they the Medals of the Indian Players who got them at the Olympics? Out came the Fairy with the iron axe to utmost relieving pleasure of woodcutter. The Mango Men are happy with their meager belongings. Greed is not their cup of tea. It is for the stronger. The strength emerges from monetary and social powers?



Moral of this story: Never be greedy, if you want to be its okay, just join Politics.

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Original story: The wood cutter who was the breadwinner of family once lost his axe into the river. The river fairy who presented him a golden or silver axe was not something he would lay his greedy hands on. He humbly preferred his iron axe and as the fairy got it for him she was too happy over the woodcutters honesty and presented him all the axe. The wood cutter family then lived happily ever after.

Origin, source and ref:

And this story that my dad told me naming the woodcutter as "maada" genetically passed on to my daughter as her bed time story that I could narrate. For past 9 years I have been cooking up several thousands of remix of this one story like Ekta Kapoor's serials that carry same script different colours.

Finally today's remix version had something to do with beautiful India's "so called dirty politics" Initially she laughed, in  between she perhaps thought I was telling her "beta Gabbar ayega sojayo" and she dozed off forgetting to laugh till the end of it.



Ref:-

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3888347.ece

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/salman-khurshid-trust-scam-gen-vk-singh-extends-support-to-kejriwal/1/225089.html

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-05/india/34278821_1_robert-vadra-priyanka-gandhi-prashant-bhushan



Some contents in this article are based on facts from media and mean a pure satire and no offense to any personnel, party, religion or so.

Johnny Walker v/s Ekta Kapoor

Just as wild as the summer air is my musing over the gender wars. Ohh the women!....Ohh these men!! and the rants that make our life much easier. Not any will escape who hasn't used these terms. None! To be sober, John Gray has put it practically as Men from Mars and Women from Venus. Now what difference does that make if I said the "Johny Walkers" versus the K's?  While the men are happy with a JW on their table, the women love to plonk on the couch watching the world famous saas-bahu serials. 

Now that I have stereotyped the gender, the feminists and the rest are firing at me probably. 

Apparently, I do not have disclaimer for my posts but if I did, I would say, this is a general case and does not stereotype "All men or All women". The sole purpose of the read is to make you laugh since laughter is the best medicine, and these days apples cost a heaven to be consumed everyday. And no animals were harmed in the making of this post. If that sounded quite appropriate.

Tighten your seat belts for the take off, of the  reading, and do so  during the safe landing of the entire reading. This ain't Air India, & please trust me, this will take you to the right destination. Promise you that.

For ages the men have been traditionally vanishing from wedding and birthday parties in the odd hours for a "quick drink". Keep walking Johnny Walker. A woman could not blame the JW anymore. Jai Ho Ekta Kapoor. She did it. She is the soul who showed glowing path to the women  in providing equal opportunity in the society with her K-serials. The K-Serials.

What a lovely pairing. The JW and the K.



Tulsi alias Smrithi Irani the heroine of K-Serials made a life time achievement by her enchanting spell over the Indian Bahu's who made every effort to keep in pace with the JW's. She has grown to the extent that few country women have started reciting holy chants and fall at her feet as they see her. And I am not speaking out of my hat. This was the case when Niteesh Bhardwaj was casted Shri Ram by Ramanand Sagar in Ramayana and the country folks fell at this feet with divine respect.



Aah. That is not my business, yes. But the benefit of doubt was my concern for Ekta Kapoor. She is so much wanted. (a tear in the left eye). The Bahus really lacked leadership abilities and not one did dare to publish a book on " 10 effective leadership qualities for Bahu's". From how you deliver a tight slap to simply "anyone!", to  how you carry yourself with extra heavy jewellery and the colourful heavy garments that you wear. And oh! much much more.

And please behold. Big applaud, now comes the proclamation:- JW says "Drinking makes me think" and every K has the right to say "Ekta Kapoor makes me act". One nice "tight slap" to the male dominated society that has made an historical impact from the capital of country to the southern part in almost every alternative soaps of the mini screen. 

Now that we did care to stir the turbulent thoughts in the mind. Settling down grazing the holy to holy shi*. The age old cross gender war has slammed so much of material for study.

By default the women ought to be crowned for their technical abilities on pinpointing minutest details on how their counterpart are caught talking over their  blue tooth almost all the time. The equally able men who may not recognize the new salwar kurtha of their better half, still manage to catch them with the cell phones in the washroom or while frying in the kitchen.

Excuse me, I want to be diplomatic when I say that the JW's who had every opportunity to tease out the women in trousers for trying their hands on jobs  that were supposed to be labelled "only for men", have a range of regular beauty care products out in the market. Easy maintenance of the handsome crowning glory. Equally strong. 

Let me be nice.



Men, the noble husbands who were once the"head of the family" have learnt to support their better half today by making their own tea, work from home, yet leave no clue to the mystery as to how they can not trust the budget estimation or route map plans made by their wives, her driving skills and so on. An extreme challenge to the K- woman. One waits to blow the devilish trumpet over the inability of the other over accomplishing something.



The wives fully utilizing their K strengths can make the most squeamish face at their hubby darlings on how a big white towel 1 foot long and 1/2 foot wide is not visible to him in his own wardrobe until the "munne kee maa" finds it for him. 

Who scores here, team JW or the team K?




Surely there is much stuff for feminist rants of various degrees and also the stereotype wars that are keeping the social media buzz on so that the "job creations" banner is never under utilized in Bhaarath.

The magical cast of the JW evolved over a longer phase than the K- factor for saas-bahu leadership qualities. Yet the match is perfect over the tight impact of K maatha.

Jai K- Maatha di. 




Cheers,

Sushma

New Release- 3 Idiots of Karnataka

It was a day of yet another embarrassment  compelling you to hide your identity. Being from proper Karnataka, as we indulged in talks about India and its happenings the flashing news came like a shock. The very mention of "in your Karnataka" by people does not sink into us this year. BJP ministers scandal of  being absorbed in the pron photographs on their mobiles. Voluntary resignations that followed still did not seem to show any sings of regrets on the holy faces of these leader.

While we argue about any generation being drawn towards the pron-gate, we do not want to wake up to the fact about things being done in right time. At least this is what we educate the younger generation. Good children don't in fact watch pron! The heights of hypocrisy is about the ministers who have mindlessly dissolved their images by watching such images in the middle of a debate in the assembly. What more you want? The topic also happens to be hot. Pakistan Flag being hoisted in a District of Karnataka. Who cares. More hot  were the pictures.The assembly interests have been overtaken by more interesting pictures on their mobiles. Could someone tell them about things done in right place at right times.

The past year has seen Karnataka in limelight over multiple scandals and this issue in early 2012 added a layer of cream topping over it.



There's no disbelief on how former minister and many more have dumped their treasury comfortable for generations of theirs to be fed for nothing. So how is this justified with no work and only play for these ministers. Heights of hypocrisy.

NOTE: Full picture credit to Satish Acharya the popular Cartoonist [from Karnataka!]

http://cartoonistsatish.blogspot.com/2012/02/porn-ok-love-day-not-ok.html

The irony is the same region of Karnataka saw assaults and protests against Valentine's Day in the past year. And this happened in my own Mangalore region. Celebrating Western culture in unethical costumes and mannerisms were the accusations by religious groups that caught flares.

They were none other than our own BJP team.

So where do we draw lines for the "cultural" and "ethical" drivers?

Hypocrisy of highest order. 

So these  three idiots expect some cheers and applauds for discarding any self discipline, self awareness in them and posing authentic leaders? Indulging in study over some case was their sober reasoning. And what more can you expect than a white lie that these leaders for an absurd reasoning over one shameless act. 

 Or , was it only an act but a serious offense. Children are lashed,beat, in schools for home work not done. Corporal punishments as caning are chosen for children of tender ages. So what about these obnoxious 3 idiots? And the matter will be stretched like gum for a while till the heat dies and then hushed down by legal coaxing. Would there be a better ending anyway?

The whole issue has to be provoking enough for the younger generation. As for the dirty word called "politicians" the whole meaning calls for a new sine qua non.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-08/india/31036752_1_karnataka-ministers-karnataka-assembly-yeddyurappa

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowpics/11822332.cms

http://nirmukta.com/2009/02/26/protesting-the-valentines-day-attacks-in-mangalore/

Girl Child's Agony

"May you be the mother of a son"- is a common blessing for a married woman in India. Is this a step motherly attitude towards daughters? A girl child in India leads a neglected multi-cursed multi –abused life? She is toned to accept a second class status in the traditional male dominated socio-economic set up. AtharvaVeda aptly sums up this fact with the verse "Grant me a son and a girl elsewhere"-I remember reading this somewhere. No, when I write this it is definitely not a generic offensive statement but surely a factual reality still pertaining in human world especially in India. Today's educated class longing for a girl child after birth of a son is no new. Vice-Versa also applies. The interest is positive. Successful women aren't unnoticed. The concern of mine here only is a girl child's manifold problems with religious preaching, social environment, and economic compulsions in many parts of rural as well as urban areas which are still "uncivilized".

A childhood of girl generally constitutes to too many rituals, law and rules, in fact to a mass of cultural directory which eventually form her core identity as a adult. An entry to school is a highlighted milestone. University education is like a heroic deed ending with a certificate that adds weight age to the unending list of "skills" during her "bride seeing ceremony". And by chance if she excels in school then there is tremendous speculation of her ability to be accepted by a equally well matched or "well-to-do" groom.

She is like a liability? She will be raised with all the "values" and beliefs she needs to be imbibed with to keep her in laws happy in future.

The preference to the male is because he is the flame of the family passing on the torch to the next generation. Whereas she is a guest in the paternal home till she is tied to a "husband" material. Liability ends.



Not just India but in many parts of the world she is brought up by assigning negative values as her own entity. The socialism of a girl is still explained by the theme: unwanted, neglected, underdeveloped and exploited.

This is still a concern in the parts of society which will be termed uncivilized. For this to turn into civilized requires the education to realize and accepted equal to a male child.

All that is required is thinking and belief.

Cheers,

Sush

I dedicate this post to the G-Day of round 10 of ABC Wednesday meme. 

Please click here for details and more shots.