"There's a light that never goes out"
Circa 1990
It was cold and lazy outside, but he had been really busy. He had been so for the last couple of months.
So it had to be. After all, it was his sweetest and youngest sister’s wedding! Tonight she would leave for her new ménage, leaving a thousand memories behind. Ah, it would be so heart wrenching for him to see her leave…
But, Prafulla today, just like his name, was happy, really happy. After all, Puspa was getting married to her beloved after the entire wait. As evening approached, he took out his best pair of kurtas and the new gold kurta buttons he’d specifically got designer made for donning on his sister’s wedding. It was his happiest day.
The baraat entered dot on time. Amidst this entire hustle bustle, his mother took him to a corner and hushed in a tensed tone, “Bor-er jonyo buttons gulo koi?” (Where are the buttons to gift to the groom on arrival?)
Alas, they were misplaced and that too at the eleventh hour! Without any moment’s delay, he handed her the buttons from his closet which he had saved for himself for this coveted occasion.
He didn’t wear any kurta that day…
Circa 2008
There was a faint smile on his face as he was opening the gift.
A few words about today…
His family was celebrating his birthday. Technically, he wasn’t born this day. However, this day meant more… Two years back, same day, he came back alive fighting strong with the death demons. Today he’s alive and kicking only due to his strong will. What flows in his veins isn’t blood, but the love of his dearest family.
The gift was in red decorated with a lovely violet ribbon. His daughter stood there eagerly to see the first reaction on his face as he opened her gift. Some time before she returned home today, her mother had gifted him flowers of Rajnigandha (Tuberose). Prafulla loved these flowers since his childhood. He was glad to have a family like his.
The red tiny box was still an enigma… However, he kept grinning; like he almost knew what was in there.
Yes indeed! They were exquisite gold kurta buttons! Like it was God’s own sweet way of saying thanks for your patience! Not that, he never got any buttons made after his sister’s wedding. But it wasn’t the same after that. Those feelings and sentiments were hard to get back.
He faintly recalled talking about it to his daughter once. He was glad she remembered. He smiled at her, acknowledging it. Father and daughter had many such silent conversations till date. They just knew each other so perfectly. He was glad everyone loved him so much.
It was cold and lazy outside, but he had been really busy. He had been so for the last couple of months.
So it had to be. After all, it was his sweetest and youngest sister’s wedding! Tonight she would leave for her new ménage, leaving a thousand memories behind. Ah, it would be so heart wrenching for him to see her leave…
But, Prafulla today, just like his name, was happy, really happy. After all, Puspa was getting married to her beloved after the entire wait. As evening approached, he took out his best pair of kurtas and the new gold kurta buttons he’d specifically got designer made for donning on his sister’s wedding. It was his happiest day.
The baraat entered dot on time. Amidst this entire hustle bustle, his mother took him to a corner and hushed in a tensed tone, “Bor-er jonyo buttons gulo koi?” (Where are the buttons to gift to the groom on arrival?)
Alas, they were misplaced and that too at the eleventh hour! Without any moment’s delay, he handed her the buttons from his closet which he had saved for himself for this coveted occasion.
He didn’t wear any kurta that day…
Circa 2008
There was a faint smile on his face as he was opening the gift.
A few words about today…
His family was celebrating his birthday. Technically, he wasn’t born this day. However, this day meant more… Two years back, same day, he came back alive fighting strong with the death demons. Today he’s alive and kicking only due to his strong will. What flows in his veins isn’t blood, but the love of his dearest family.
The gift was in red decorated with a lovely violet ribbon. His daughter stood there eagerly to see the first reaction on his face as he opened her gift. Some time before she returned home today, her mother had gifted him flowers of Rajnigandha (Tuberose). Prafulla loved these flowers since his childhood. He was glad to have a family like his.
The red tiny box was still an enigma… However, he kept grinning; like he almost knew what was in there.
Yes indeed! They were exquisite gold kurta buttons! Like it was God’s own sweet way of saying thanks for your patience! Not that, he never got any buttons made after his sister’s wedding. But it wasn’t the same after that. Those feelings and sentiments were hard to get back.
He faintly recalled talking about it to his daughter once. He was glad she remembered. He smiled at her, acknowledging it. Father and daughter had many such silent conversations till date. They just knew each other so perfectly. He was glad everyone loved him so much. There was an awkward silence for a moment. Emotions deluge… He went and kissed his wife “Now’s that’s my daughter! Thank you for bearing the pain at her birth, Sweetheart”; and he winked. He was exuberant. He couldn’t stop laughing the entire evening. There was a little tear in the corner of his eyes, but that went unnoticed.
Ships
P. S. The title of the post is from a song, which happens to a friend's favorite. :)
posted by Ships at
11:35 PM
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