The MASK

The mask fell down and it was scary to see the image which was lying at her feet....
What a disaster it was ....

She rushed in a frenzy leaving that mask behind.. a reflection in the mirror of the hotel lobby .. for a flash second , took her by surprise... The person who flashed back at her was not someone she had known in her recent years .. it was a stranger but why still it seemed familiar to her.
What a beautiful , lively figure it was ...
She stepped back to check again at the image in the mirror .. was it someone she knew.. she tried recalling.. "for sure it isn't  my reflex.." she contemplated.

Thousands thoughts crossed her mind in a flash of a second... "Am I dead and in someone else's body.. should I believe in re incarnation.."
And what followed was another starking realization.....
It was someone she knew many years back.. She tried recalling .. 10.  --- 15 ----- or may be 20 years back.

The same old familiar live stature which seemed so distant now ... But then why was it reflecting back at her as if her own image....

Yes , she had now realized that it was the MASK which fell had covered her all these years..

The moment she let that go off she was the same old  HERSELF...
She looked back at the fallen mask still lying at the  reception lobby waiting to be dumped in garbage.
........................................
How often we misinterpret the mask to be ourselves. Whereas the real self is hidden behind the MASK.

Memories.... and the beautiful lessons.......

"Memories are like drops of perfume.....
             No matter how much you preserve them.... 
                      They will fade away anyway......."


As I stepped into the balcony adjoining my room, I was greeted with a soft gentle breeze coming from the night sky.... The pleasant weather drifted my thoughts to ...

That little girl who in a gush of excitement of learning to ride bicycle fell down on the pebbles lying on the concrete road. As soon as she noticed her bruised knees she started wailing...
 "Get up.. we don't have time to cry .. Practice will make you better at it....." her dad shouted out loud
"how come dad appeared from no where:)", she thought, she smiled and hugged him. All her pain vanished in an instant.

<<<Blink>>>>

Now in front of me was a teenager on her swing.. Singing merrily and enjoying the spring and greenery around the city park, when all of a sudden "Dhuuuuuuuuuppppp"... the swing got dismantled.. Down she was crying profusely ... Dad came rushing towards her.. She knew he would appear whenever she would be in trouble... But she was not ready for what came next..
Dad , instead of picking her up, started laughing and told her... "I am proud that you fell. The one who knows what it means to fall , would always appreciate the effort it takes in rising back up ... and would enjoy the rising much more than others."
Little did she know that this was going to be one of the greatest lessons for the rest of her life...



<<<Blink>>>

And there was a marriage pandal.. This time dad was crying. She was silent and bold enough to face her new world .... " Dad I know its tough ... but with you by my side all these years I will be able to make it.."    Dad smiled with teary eyes and said," No matter where you are.I will always be there whenever you would need me." That  reassurance was enough for her to walk away peacefully...


<<<Blink>>>
"Mumma, how much more time you would be standing out in the balcony.. come na I need a glass of water.".... ...I gave my 8 year old a stern look when he retorted back....."mmmmm...actually I need a hug mumma... I am feeling scared...."
Now was my turn to be on the other side of the table ... Here I was hugging my 8 year old and telling him... "Monsters feel scared darling ... that's why they are monsters:):)"


P.S. :--Its is rightly said,"People change, priorities change, but those who are special will always reserve that special place....."

Indeed memories are like drops of perfume.. but unlike them, memories when retort back come out as fresh as they had always been:)

His and Hers

She struggled to finish the chores so that she could attend her kids'school annual function . She had barely reached when the announcement was made for class 2 kids to perform a folk dance. It was a "Just in time "moment  as she watched her daughter entering the stage with other kids of her class. She was looking very pretty in flashing red Salwar Kameez and bright golden Dupatta. They were to perform Bhangra. She waved to her wandering eyes which were desperately trying to catch hold of her parents.The greeting smile in response was priceless the moment their eyes met with each other.
 Finally , she a took a deep breath, filled with air of relaxation and started looking for a seat. "Yes, I was able to make it well in time." She thought  to herself. As soon as she got the seat, she took out the program details attached with the card and checked on if kindergarten class has already performed. Her son was in KG and would be performing as well . Much to her happiness it was the second next performance after this one.  She entered her world of thoughts again " How difficult it has been for her to manage home, office and kids all alone. No, she has been married for all these years but has been a single parent throughout. She is a career woman but her career has always been the one with lot of compromises , sometimes by compensating late night outs to catch up with the lag of office work, sometimes with the extended hours of work before sleep in order to finish kids homework , and sometimes even taking unplanned leaves if kiddos are unwell... Life has been so centred around kids and office that she is barely left with any time for herself . Right from preparing  their tiffins and getting them ready for school till the homework and arranging the dresses and meals of their choices. Not to mention the unexpected demands to create charts , cards and other art and craft items on various school occasions.

Her chain of thoughts was broken with the loud applause of parents around. the kids were performing really well. What she saw on stage was really mesmerizing, kids were performing with absolute excellence,  well in sync with each other, matching steps perfectly and the rhythmic claps from parents was making it an absolute treat to watch. All around there were happy parents, cheering happily , waving to their kids and feeling proud of themselves. Amidst all this, some 2-3 rows in front of her she suddenly spotted a familiar face. Her heart skipped a beat and then she tried to double check if it was him. To her surprise , yes... it was Him , her best friend from school and then her colleague for 10 years , after which he had moved on in his career for better opportunities. How beautiful were those times , the hangouts, the naughty fights, the sweet caring moments, everything was absolute bliss. In all these years how drastically her life has changed , she has completely forgotten herself in her responsibilities and chores. not to mention the grey hairline which adds to the experience. One look at him and he too has a slight tinge of grey. But he still has the same captivating smile which could take away millions of hearts, the energy and enthusiasm while cheering for his kiddo was the same as he would cheer for her when she used to win awards for her speech contests.How come he is here. He must have had an important client meeting. A sudden shiver in her wanted to hug him instantly , at the same moment , she wanted to tell him instantly that   how much he has been missed and she still loved him the same way. She wanted to relive the same old moments which had been lost somewhere. All this while she has given all the blame to his career and his aspirations. But she knew that she too had been at fault , she had no time for him .
She got up and started approaching towards him. He too noticed her and extended his hand towards her , gestured her to sit besides him with a broad smile and a calm , assuring composure. With this they both waited for the next performance of their son. After all he has proved that he is a good father too:):) besides being a great professional.