PS: Hold On To Me

“I am content; that is a blessing greater than riches; and he to whom that is given need ask no more.”

― Henry Fielding

Hello again!

I am Aliya, and as I sit sipping my coffee, reminiscing about time that has gone by, I realise that that there is nothing I would like to rewrite.

The sea breeze, the rustling of the palm leaves, the crows cawing away....this symphony is something I could never tire of.

We have been empty nesters for a while, and when Neel decided to take early retirement, we headed straight to Goa and pushed the reset button.

Something I read in a book long time back describes our life now ...LIVING LIFE IN ONES AND TWOS, INSTEAD OF HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS...

And let me tell you, we just didn’t wake up one day and decide to simplify our lives!

As with all humans, we were jolted into evaluating where we stood and what we wanted from life.

My life is what stories are made of... smiles, joys, roses and the occasional tears, sadness and thorns to go with the roses, yearnings and fulfilment, and add to them, the monotony of routine and the exhilaration of transcendental experiences .

We now look at Neel’s accident as a blessing in disguise. Forgotten are the moments that sucked our lives out of us and left us shaken-up. We are holding on to our bond as a family, our commitment towards each other and our resolve to be grateful and sanguine.

While Neel is getting lunch ready, let me give you an update.

Neel’s newly discovered epicurean passion for flavours, has not only surprised everyone, it is managing to assuage his soul of self-judgement. Where once his life ran like clockwork, with perfectionism and corporate accolades driving him, one of the things he now finds contentment in, is seeing the fruit of his labour on a plate and having his loved ones appreciating it.

Let’s see how long this passion lasts, but for now, I am enjoying the aroma of his culinary achievements wafting around and the ever present quietude in our home.

Niamat got married a year ago and is back in Mumbai. How she met her husband Ajai, is a story for another time. Let’s just say that crime, though a real menace, can sometimes spiral things into unfathomable scenarios. Ajai and Niamat’s tryst in the courtroom took a whole different turn when they met outside.

Savi and Raj, along with their two boys, are playing the balancing act at the moment. The boys are a handful, but I see Savi revelling in their love. They keep her on her toes with football matches, school etc. She is a hands on mother and her bond with the boys reminds me of my bond with her and Niamat. She works from home, Raj and the kids being the centre of her world. She is happy. It’s in the mundane that little moments of joy shine like rays of sunshine.

As the wheels of time turn, life keeps going on in a never-ending cycle of trying to stay within societal expectations, but still reaching out for the stars, balancing relationships and the never-ending dilemma of whether to hold on or let go, achievements and laurels that make us proud and trials that test our resilience.

It’s like life is always in a loop; the record keeps playing the same tune over and over again.

Where I stood years ago, is where my daughters stands today.

My girls will write their own stories, with shades which will be similar to mine, because in the end, every daughter turns into her own mother.

I hope I have set a decent example for them.

They have seen me strive; seen me achieve; seen me fall down; and see me rise again.

We are women- strong women; Resilience is our middle name!