Thursday, October 16, 2008

Random sentimality - Part I

I just read a mushy-mushy post. Almost gurgling- cooing- calling it whatever you want - over times of love and lust. I am quite tempted to pretty much do the same, but then on a second thoughts, Ill just write about some people. People...

Kabbu - the name sounds like a character from a childrens books with rosy cheeks and chubby elbows, a grin spread across the face, large yellow sun shining right above his head, some tall flowers with pink and red petals around him. Well, that is a description much unlike the real-him. The most important man in my life, my soulmate, the centre of my world, work and play, I wouldn't be able to live without him... blah, blah, blah. Well the relationship is far from this. It isn't even close to my Howard Roark with his ravishing girl friend (I forget her name) fantasy. But it's good and is here to stay, or that is what I claim to believe, because of its nature. No head over heels behaviour, no rushing into each other's arms, no hour-long phone coversations, no escapades for privacy... Kabbu and me are more like living together because we like each other's company. We don't get bored of each other. We enjoy 'travelling' to the same places, eating the same sort of food, metting similar kinds of people - i guess that is about it. The list sort of ends there. he likes watching cricket (like almost every other Indian guy), I don't like watching sports; he doesn't like the taste of beer, I trip over the mere thought of it; he drinks water from every flowing tap, I ensure I carry water with me; he'd rather take pictures of the sunset and the depth of the valleys, I must have a human in my frame (or else what the fuck are you looking at?) . But still Kabbu and me are compatible. We dislike each others friends - prior to when we met, that is and mock each others habits; but Kabbu still surprises me by waiting outside my gym, brings me chocolates (those that he got at birthday parties), buys me expesive gifts (when i demand them) and forces himself to eat cheese and maccronni ('coz that is the yummiest meal ever created) Mmmmm...

Ajee. My grandmother. She is one lady who no one in the family can get along with, except ofcourse for me. She has a wild imagination, which runs way ahead of time and imaginatin itself. Once I wanted get the duplicate of my house keys made. Of course, my anxious grandmother sent me all the way to the other end of the town (or at least thats what it felt like after I had changed two buses and taken a taxi for minimum fare) to get the duplicate made. her explanation:"You never know who is copying the key, he might make an extra copy and decide to enter the house when we are not there!" That is the most bizarre explanation I have hear - A raom man, makes copy of the key (which he apparently knows to be your entrance key), knows where you live, knows when you'll leave your home and decides to make th most of the opportunity. of course this is true of all key makers living withing a radius of 6 -7 kms from your house. Jesus Christ! It not just key makers, but garbage cleaners, pest control men, a new milkman, fruit vendors and the list goes on. Even at 90, her skills of interpretation are admirable. You must not say anything to her without prior thought. "Where is that watch I gave you to repair?" she one day asked my servant. "You never gave me any watch" - Servant. Later my servant for my grandma's 'FYI' made a passing statement "Now-a-days, watches are so cheap, why would you waste time repairing one, just buy a new one." (Servant exits) Ajee (in a whisper): "No wonder, he doesn't remember having taken the watch. Must have thrown it away. Since watches come so cheap, he thought I'd be better of buying a new one. Guess he thinks I have enough money to buy another one!" So this way, we flip rom one trail of imagination to another. For the rest of the family, they have gotten sick of her mood swings and false accusations. I treat it as entertainment. I learn as to how many perceptions one person can have about one particular thing in one day, but at different times of it!
Ajee almost mothered me - well she did mother me. So I have this compassion towards her, it is love to some extent, but more unilateral. At her age, Im guessing it is difficult to love as powerfully and devotedly. There are contradictions in feelings and everything is measured in how much s/he has done for you v/s how much you have done for him/her. She can get very difficult to be around, but that's ok. At least she gives me a subject to think about, to write about?