ETAWAH THE GREAT PLAYFIELD

                                                   ETAWAH THE GREAT PLAYFIELD

Etawah, the sleepy little magnificent town of my mother and my grandparents, played a great role not only in Saroj's life but in my life too, leaving the deepest impact on our hearts and mind! My early childhood was like that of a princess with an attendant at my service making me eat and make merry on the swing in the huge corridors of my grandparent's house, gave me a heavenly shower from the cool water of the well in the backyard during scorching summers, brought fresh cow milk from the cows at the backyard for me and my puddings, burnt the beautiful looking earthen hot coal heater during the freezing wintery nights, became a horse for me on whose back I would ride for fun and told me unending King and Queen stories all at the command of my grand mother as I was the apple of her eye. My grandmother was the nightingale of the posh suburb where we lived, participating in all the festivities all over, singing beautiful poetry, bhajans, wedding songs, birth songs and what not. No function was held without her and my mum inherited the same, trickling down to my genes too as much later no social gathering was complete without my mum or me being there! She was like the Navratna (one of the nine precious courtesans of  Mighty King Akbar) full of treasure of wisdom. Would like to recite three of them as an example, which would greatly interest the readers I am sure

Citing the qualities of a wise person she would recite

Shravan, Nasika, Nayan, Mukh Sabke Ekhi Thor

Par Rehen Sehen Chitwan Chalan, Chaturan Ki kachu Aur

Ears, Nose, Eyes, mouth, everyone has on the same place BUT 

The way they are used makes you an Idiot or a Wise Person!

 

Another one was related to strong character of a human being. It goes like this

Champa tome teen gun roop,rang aur baas

par avgun aiso kaunso jo brhamar na awat paas

Oh Champa the lovely flower, you are pretty, colourful and smell good

Still no bumblebeecomes to you why?

Champa replies: Beshak mome teen gun, roop rang aur baas

Par thor Thor Ke Meet Ko Kaun Bulawe Paas

YesI know I am beautiful, colourful and I smell good

But remember I have a character and am no way interested in someone who goes and smells EVERY FLOWER!

 

My grandmother and mother were great poetesses of Urdu language too with the whole family speaking chaste, Urdu with correct accent. In a great mood they would recite

Beirada nazar unse takra gayee, zindagi mein achanak bahar aa gayee

Rukh se parda hata chand sharma gaya, zulf bikhri to kali ghata cha gayee

Unintentionally my eyes meet the eyes of the beloved and my life suddenly blossoms

The veil is lifted from the face and the moon feels pale, the tresses fall helter skelter bringing black clouds on horizon!

 

These are some of the jewels that I heard from two great women in my life. Flowing with the passage of time, in between taking my father to different Sanatoriums like Bhuwali, in the Northern Hills, my mother kept helplessly watched the nasty incurable disease eat up into the already frail frame of my father. She prayed for joy and bliss and she did get one in the form of the birth of my younger sister on 2nd August 1960, eight years after my birth. Purnima as she was named, being fair and lovely like Radha Rani and Nilima as I was named being dark and chiselled faced like divine lord Krishna and Rama. IN the form of Day and Night, White and Black, Gold & Bronze, my mum felt joyful and fulfilled with her two princesses.