[One]
"This incompleteness is all we have"
During the last work trip to Munich, I picked up my usual museum prints, among them, a painting from Alte Pinakothek that reminded me of the girls back home. It was titled "Italia und Germania", painted by German romantic artist Friedrich Overbeck in the 19th century Nazarene style. It is an allegorical painting showing two women inclining towards each other, hands intertwined and faces almost touching, symbolizing a warm and close friendship between the two countries and cultures.
The lady on the left, with dark hair and a laurel wreath, represents Germany. The one on right, with blond hair and a floral wreath, represents Italy. The backdrops, also different in accordance, blend beautifully in a pale blue sky and a range of grey-blue mountains.
When framed in dark brown wood and put up on the stairway wall, the painting reminded Heeya of a friend she loved and lost. Adolescent losses can be deep. She started sketching it one evening in August when she was missing her friend. In a couple hours, she created a pencil drawing of what she thought would give her peace and a vicarious feel of being with her friend. It didn't work, like it never does. She cried for a bit and put the canvas away.
The mid-sized canvas was lying around her room for a few days before I asked her if she would like to complete it maybe. She said she will, later. Months passed, another day she started painting the sketch. Dark crimson, sage green, rich gold, the pensive sketch started looking vibrant. Then she stopped. Few days later, I gently nudged. Finally, in the last week of December, I told her it might be a good idea to finish that painting before the year ended. The incompleteness of the thing and the shadow it cast on her mind were disturbing me. For her, I wanted a closure and then, belief in some other new beginning.
Heeya never finished that painting. One day she hid it inside the closet. I took it out and never asked her to work on it again. We put it up above her desk.
For her to be able to look at, and live, and never be afraid of incompletenesses.
[Two]
Rhea likes open car windows. She likes the wind on her face. This is usually forbidden due to her proneness to allergy triggered by dust and pollution but she either insists and argues or simply goes quiet and does a silent window roll down on her side when no one is looking.
On one such occasion when I noticed her doing this and demanded she immediately rolls up the window also because the air conditioner was on, she said, calmly -
"Ma. Looking out of an open car window to the world outside is like looking at and feeling life.
If I look ahead, I see all the places I will be going to. If I look behind, I see all the places and people I have left behind. And I can always choose which way to look when. It changes the way the wind blows. So satisfying."
[Three]
"Ma. The word child is singular, and children is plural. For plurals, apostrophe is usually after s, like girls', or boys', you know what I mean, so when I write something belonging to a bunch of children, in a sentence ..."
"Children's. Apostrophe before s, Rhea."
"Thank you Ma ! I am glad we understand each other!"
[Four]
Heeya had two favourite lullabies. Years back, I had to sing them many times over till she fell asleep.
She has her Boards exam starting tomorrow, was off to bed early tonight but as I check in on her after an hour, I find her awake and restless.
Sitting beside her on the bed, I switch off the nightlight and stroke her hair for a bit.
"Ma - what are you doing. I will sleep on my own."
I start low humming.
"Ma. Please. I can sleep on my own. Just go !"
"I will. After I sing a song. Two songs."
"What! Ma - seriously. I am sixteen. I don't need songs to sleep! I want to sleep on my own. Please go."
Regardless, I start with 'ghum jaay oi chnad'. In no rush. And then 'mere ghar aayi ek nanhi pari'. Repeating the refrains, prolonging the outros. All of six or seven minutes maybe. Heeya was in deep sleep.
'Maine puchha use ke kaun hai tu, Usne bola ke main hoon tera pyar, Main tere dil me thi hamesha se, Ghar me aayi hoon aaj pehli baar'
'When I ask her who she is, She says she is my love, Forever in my heart, Now also in my home.'
......
