Stress No, Joy Full
On Seeing A Click of Parents
Pitrapaksh
“Love your parents and treat them with
loving care. For you will only know their value when you see their empty
chair.”
Yesterday,
I had been to my brother’s place, after four-five years and could not locate
his house in his colony at the first instance, it was only after a tinkle to
him we reached the location. My younger brother, my replica at first sight for
many, even within those few hours of my stay two three persons were unable to
find out who is who and some clearly told “yes” by appearance we are brothers.
I
was accompanied by my son and daughter-in-law, while they were busy with their
Chacha and Chachi to take their guidance and help for the endeavours to
establish their brand of jute handicrafts and repair of some left overs of the
previous years, these were more a technical discussions, so I was more a listener
than anything else, I had nothing to do, just looking at walls and trying to
find out what had changed after my previous visit some four-five years back. My
usual time pass - their grandchildren were not there as they had gone
outstation to their mother’s parents for a short visit. It took some time
before the tea with Namkeens was offered to us. As soon tea came, I started
sipping, was perhaps first to finish as I like extremes may it be hot tea or a
cold coffee: hot should be really hot and cold should make you shiver. While I
was munching salty snacks with lot of asafoetida, I came across a photograph of
my father perhaps a bigger version of some passport size – the most formal
pose, photo prepared for his pension papers, it gave me no joy.
Then
I saw on the wall just on my left side at about seven feet height a black and
white, glass framed picture of my father and mother, a click which I had not
seen earlier although I have one of their photographs with me also. It gave me
lot of joy that it had not been garlanded in a usual manner which normally
indicates the departed souls, this without garland gave us a feeling that they
are still with us to guide and direct the right way. So many people were
sitting around; many were strangers, but I kept gazing at the frame; I had not
seen such a beautiful face of my mother earlier with a shawl wrapped up to her neck that enhanced
the contours of her face made them prominent, her hair style real Punjabi oldie
without any colour, in fact she never
used any colour, so was her adherence not to use any cosmetics: in life of
about sixty six years when we lived together I never saw her using any cosmetic
except Mehndi and bangles on occasions like “Karva Chauth” and marriage
anniversaries and birthdays were not known in those days truth is many did not
know the exact date of their birth. Her Mehndi used to be simple, she would
place a mount of Mehndi on her palm and close the fist in the next morning that
would give beautiful dark red pattern. In this click she was wearing her
ear-wear, golden “Balian”- a circular piped ring with a diameter of more than
an inch that was her usual ear wear and her golden nose pin. She did wear
necklace but that is not visible in this click, I still remember she had one
necklace and a pendant on which Lord Krishna’s image was inscribed. Her face had so much of grace and glow, and it
was bubbling out in this click. I must thank the man who produced such an excellent
photograph of my mother. It was a feast to see her.
Tried
my best to gaze constantly the face of my father: his full beard and
moustaches, broad face sharp features, wearing a turban same Patiala style
sober and sharp, he used to wear light yellow colour turban. The click shows
him in a shirt and coat; his usual wear in winters. He never wore trousers, he
was a Pyjama man with leather shoes. He normally wore white clothes shirt and
Pyjama in Indian style. In this click he was without coloured beard which he left many years back although he coloured his
beard for many years. His face had the grace of truth and contentment. A person
of modest means yet he was always happy and within those he performed marriages
of five of us in his life time and two of us were married after he had left for
his heavenly abode. He was a personality well known in the markets of city of
Bathinda although at humble position, this was perhaps because of his habit of
greeting everybody.
In
this click both of them are with real photographer’s smile, calm, quiet and
peaceful. My father was a content person and all his sons and daughter have
been gifted by him this trait, all of us although passed through the different
stages of the career and time but has always remained content with whatever
came to our lot and always tried to advance in life but have never been unhappy
with what Lord showered on us.
When
I asked my brother for a copy of the click, he simply said that he got this
done from a photographer after merging two different clicks. Then we wanted to
take a photo from that frame but could not because of glass reflection. Then we
removed the glass also but even then it could not be taken because the photo
paper was glossy.
Ultimately,
I said perhaps they are not willing to go with us at present, we will request
them some other day. However, whatever it was we took a snap and stored in our
cell.
“No
matter how far we come, our parents are always in us.”
– Brad Meltzer
“One
of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings
in the world is to have parents to call mom and dad.”
– Jim DeMint
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