OfHeart&Soul

अम्मा  जब अम्मा थीं, सब त्यौहार जगमगाते थे अम्मा के लाड़ दुलार में हम फूले नहीं समाते थे हर अवसर पर अम्मा ढेरों पकवान बनाती थीं घर में जैसे व्यंजनों की दुकान सी लग जाती थी अपने रसोई चौके को अम्मा मंदिर सा सजाती थीं खाने की खुशबू में अम्मा की ममता की महक आती थी सारे गली मोहल्ले में अम्मा की धाक थी चाहे कोई भी कला हो अम्मा सब में पाक थीं अम्मा सम्बल और साहस की मिसाल थीं जो हमें सब ग़मो से दूर रखे अम्मा वो ढाल थीं जब कोई पास नहीं था अम्मा ने बढ़ कर हमें संभाला था दादी का दुलार दे माँ की तरह पाला था जीवन की हर सीख हमने अपनी अम्मा से सीखी थी              अम्मा शहद सी मीठी तो कभी मिर्ची सी तीखी थी अम्मा के व्यक्तित्व की छाप मन के कोने कोने में फैली है अम्मा ने सिखाया बस आगे बढ़ते जाओ चाहे दुनिया कितनी भी मैली है अम्मा को शिव पुराण रामायण दुर्गा चालीसा सब कंठस्त याद थी अम्मा की मधुर बानी जैसे तुलसी और प्रसाद थी अम्मा गणित विज्ञान और भाषा की भी विद्वान थी चाहे कोई भी गुण हो अम्मा सबकी खान थी अम्मा वो बरगद का पेड़ ...

Finally, after months of tip toeing, postponing and perhaps blatantly overlooking the need to do it, I pulled the super-glue out of drawer and fixed the broken peacock. The peacock which had been sitting quietly in a corner of my library graciously, patiently waiting for my attention. It was a gift to me by my dear friend who is as gracious and has been adding as many colors, to my life since childhood.  Just like our friendship, any gift she chooses for me is exclusive and one of its kind. I remember how much care I took to bring it from India to US in single piece a few years back. Carefully wrapped it in layers of clothings and bubble wraps, and it did arrive here safe n sound, looking elegant just like our friendship! Anyone who noticed the peacock never failed to appreciate its beauty and asked where I got it from? It was a keepsake! And then one day when my kids were rather exuberating with energy and pulling pushing each other in a typical boyish fashion one of the...

THE ONSET They say bad time often comes without a heads up! It just sneaks upon you when you are least expecting it. Something similar happened to the world with Corona virus or COVID 19 as the name given to this deadly microbe by the World Health Organization. 'CO' stands for 'Corona', 'VI' for Virus, and 'D' for disease and since it was found in 2019, hence the number 19 attached to it. Certainly the most talked about & the most unprecedented event to hit us in 2020.  Friday March 6 th 2020, I took the day off from work to spend some quality time with my son who was turning 15 that day. My world was as normal as one can imagine. I picked up my son after his school, we drove around the city until he picked a place where he wanted to have a late lunch with me. We ended up at ‘On the Borders’ his favorite Mexican chain. Given that time of the day, there was hardly anyone there. When I say hardly anyone, I mean we were the only two peop...