The Lady Next Door

Back then, in the 60's & 70's and a large part of the 80's believed in early weddings, especially if there was an eligible bride.. young & beautiful & charming. It was an era when every family possible had a minimum of 4-5 children and without exaggeration even more.

It is during this time, that I know of a lady, 18 years of age..young, dynamic,  humble, pretty, & charming...something that was believed was not part of the characteristic features of the girl but rather something that came with that age. She was THE eligible bride. The eldest and definitely the smartest among the siblings. The parents got her married off..One of their responsibilities was over and done with. In those days probably it was the best!

The Lady next door, as I would like to address, was indeed wonderful. Not sure if her life actually began at 18 or ended. But She was a fighter. In a family that was not one bit homely..all alone..she dreamt. She dreamt fearlessly and strived even more to get her dreams in her palms.

She hoped to be supported by the man she loved and cared for..But had no reasons why she expected so much from him so soon.. He was right in his place and she knew it..But she knew she was not wrong either. She started out and found her way to study. Her studies were the main ingredients to her dreams and aspirations. 

Taking care of kids, in-laws, family, extended family..She was just the ideal daughter-in-law from one of Ekta Kapoor's serials. The one who is the best but never respected and loved for who she was and what she did for the family..Probably in such circumstances..its invariably observed that kids are the only ones who understand, love, care, and support un-conditionally.Her's was a similar picture!

Time passed, and so did the years.. She made a fine teacher out of herself. Where she was just out of school.. she graduated and post graduated her-self with her dedication and passion. A fine teacher and mentor. 

Days passed and she was holding her dreams in her hands. She could feel them in her heart and soul. She felt blessed! She thanked the almighty as always for being there with her. She is never short of ideas and motivation. Its amazing and heart warming to see her work. Her passion.."TEACHING"..her love.. for "KIDS" is outstanding. Today, her dreams are in her lap. I have been privileged to know her so closely. She is "THE LADY NEXT DOOR".

Before she could take a sigh of relief and treasure the  happiness...she was encapsulated into a fight with herself.. I knew of the fight of the survival of fittest..but here i was seeing a fight to survive herself and the uncertainty that was accompanying her.

 

It hurts to see that lady in pain and distress today. She has been wonderful. I do not think she ever hurt an ant. But seeing her in pain is painful. Series of collapses, hurts, surgeries, aches, & pains. Reports do not speak as much as the uncertainty that lies within her. The series of hospital visits every second day, blood tests, scans...I hear the pain in her voice and it hurts me every time i hear her say," I do not know when i am going..". There are tears in her eyes.. I can see it. there's a shiver in her voice..i can sense it..but she pretends to be brave and strong..So long she fought her battle for her dreams..and now she fights a battle with uncertainty!

The other day she went for an MRI. I knew she was going but never knew how that scanner worked. I had read many a times..but just the technical aspects of it..Did not know how it feels to be in there. It was sheer co-incidence that while the lady was in that box, i was reading about the feelings of a Cancer patient going through an MRI (Eating Pomegranates by Sarah Gabriel) . I was scared! 

She is back from the hospital, but her fears are visible in her eyes. The questions are a float in her blood and in every breath she takes. She cannot get her mind to think anything beyond what is happening.. the questions are endless and the answers are blurred and many a times un-available! (The number you dialing is currently unavailable. Please leave a text or call again later.... Annoying!!! isn't it??? )

A self made woman is today standing near the tip of the cliff...wondering how is it going to turn out. Will she fall? Will she find a crystal pathway from the cliff to get to land? Will she bounce off it? She is clueless!

While speaking to her, i was wondering..this lady fought against all odds and became a self made woman. She loves and cares un-conditionally, she thinks for and about anyone except herself, as old as she is..she is still chirpy..What then is it that the/her almighty is expecting from her?

I feel an heaviness in my heart. I cannot write anymore. It hurts me when i hear her crying from within and smiling the american smile.. it hurts that a person who was self-less cannot ask or think of becoming selfish even at this moment. I hate to think how things work in the world. Their surely must be something super natural to all of this. When we work in a company( no matter which sector or vertical or anything), there is always a Boss..the one who decides, the one who is the brain child and approves of things.. I wonder who is the brain child for all this..

I once read an article that spoke of the wonders of life..a "Divine Design" [courtesy: The Speaking Tree, 1999]

When i was lil, my mother used to sew a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering.

As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the lil hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it looked messy from where I sat.

She'd smiled at me, look down and gently say, " Son, you go about your playing and when i am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side." I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view.

A few minutes would pass and then i would hear mother's voice say, "Son come sit on my knee". This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked messy.

Then mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

Many time through the years, I have looked up to heaven and said, " Father what are you doing?" 

He has answered, " I am embroidering your life".

I say, " But it looks like such a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"

The father seems to tell me, " My child, you go about your business of doing my business, and one day I will bring you to heaven and put you on my knee and you will see the plan from my side."

I do not know what lies ahead for her. I do not know or can get my mind to understand a thing! But I hope the its going to be worth the wait. And as i always believed and continue to do so.." All's well that ends well"..( Not quiet sure what is it that is good in this saying for her..But i just hope and pray she get's dancing soon..)


Hat's off to the fighter! She for me is my LADY NEXT DOOR!

Kudos!

Love,
Appu