Apna Manohar is back....

I was waiting at the airport to pick up Manohar and saw him coming out from the South Terminal at the Atlanta Airport. He has such an expressive face and eyes, that you can see from miles the trauma and struggles that he is going through.

Me: Daant main dard hai?

Manohar gave no resonse. He was looking tired and hurt.

Me: Batwaa Chori ho gaya flight main?

Me: News thi, kisi Desi ne chalti flight se UDI maarne ki koshish ki….tum to nahi ….

Manohar: Sahid Bhai aap har cheez ka mazak kiyoon udate hain?

Me: Gaur se dekho meri jaan – Har cheez apna mazak uda rahi hai….nahi?

Manohar: Ab kiya aap kavita karnege?
Me: Baap log ke lafde main apne se kavita nahi hoti – Haan tumhari mashook ke bare main kcuh arz karoon?

He was a disheartened man. Somewhere in between the state of broken, and broken- again. I had convinced him to go back and repair relations with his father. I thought this is the time he needs some un-conditional love, which can only come from parents. Sesnitive folks can tolerate any catastrophe except the one that involves emotions. I thought this time it is going to work out between them, and he will return to pack up his stuff for good - Appeartnly his Dad had other plans.

I fail to understand why people in India are not expressive? What is wrong in expresing your feelings for the one you love? A friend of mine was experiencing some natural strains in a married life. I suggested – requested - pleaded – forced – blackmailed him to take flowers to his wife of 10 years, express your feelings for her and enjoy what Jeff calls “ magical moments”.

Abhi tak nahi le gaye ab kiya le jaoon? was the response.

I tried his wife too, with the same results! (FYI, I tried his wife too = I asked her to take flowers to her hubby. God, You Perverts!)

What’s going on folks? Granted love can never be at the mercy of words to be experienced, but we are living in a fast paced, goal oriented, stressed out world, agar thoda bol doge to kiya pagaar kam ho jayegi?

We do not realize by doing this we are setting an example for our kids, nieces and nephews to follow for the rest of their lives. I never saw my parents, brothers, friends express their love the way in needs to be expressed. Human beings are wired to receive messages using all four senses i.e. eyes, ears, nose and touch. Are we letting these four sensor do the talking?

A Caucasian friend of mine who is married a Mallu from Kerala professes his love for his wife of 7 years whenever she calls, and she calls at least 15 times a day. Do the math. Assuming he says those three words to her 20 times a day, the total comes down to 7280 times a year. (Assuming that they stay married for 40 years the grand total comes to 219,000 times.) I doubt if any Keralites married to any other Jebroni from India hears those three words 7000 times in her life time?

Coming back to apna Manohar, I did not know what to do with him? Apna yaar hai kuch to karna hi tha. The problme is my cowardice or ”Buz-Dili” has not allowed me to find some adda, where I could take a broken hearted friend for repair. You know the kind you see in films for “ gham galat karne ke liye”, and there are plenty of those in this country. Instead, I offered him a Bookstore, Mandir, Masjid and Church as an alternative to hang around for a while till he feels good.

Finally, We settled for a Gurudwara kiyon ke wahan langar hota hai, aur kuch na kcuh khaane ko mil hi jataa hai.!!!