Khatte Mithe Pal Jeevan ke, nostalgia, experiences, family, humour

The word black signifies lack of any colour, but ironically it has the grace that cannot be matched by any colour. There are so many shades of black that you can have many black dresses and still not have enough of them. Here is the list of 5 black things I desire: 1.      A DSLR Camera:            T he first black thing I desire is a DSLR camera. My fascination for SLR camera dates back to my childhood, when I was impressed with the mesmerizing pictures clicked by my uncle with his SLR camera (that was not the age of digital camera). Photography was considered a very expensive hobby in those days, but it    was a passion for my uncle and despite his modest salary, he spent a lot on this hobby. In those days I yearned to have an SLR camera. When I grew up and got a job, this dream somehow took a backseat on my priority list and I settled for a digital compact camera. But now, I strongly feel that I should have a DSLR ...

When I was a school girl, my father got an offer for deputation in Assam, which he accepted. During the discussions in the family, somebody said,” Why do you need to go to Pardes (foreign land)?” (Probably the word was used as our family belonged to M.P.) I strongly objected to the word “ pardes ” saying, “Why are you using the word Pardes ? Assam is our own country!” During his stay in Assam, my father told this incidence to an IAS officer, with whom he was sharing the Government guest house. Upon hearing this, the officer said, “when you go home next time, convey my “ Namaskar ” to your daughter.” When my father conveyed his message to me, I could not understand why a “ Namaskar” was needed for a simple statement. Today, when I see our countrymen fighting and spreading hatred in the name of regionalism, it pains a lot. Now I understand, the feeling behind the “ Namaskar ” conveyed to a schoolgirl by the gentleman.