Beautiful, white, pristine.
How lovely, thought Alladin when she cast a longing glance at him. Could she be mine?
And then he noticed the tail, but it was too late, she was already turning black.
Alladin captured by Tarique
Fairytail
Author: Swati Sani
Lovers
The 25th Courtship!
In the good old days, the art of wooing was simple and straightforward. The man bonked the woman over the head and dragged her over to his cave to fornicate happily ever after. No running circles around the bush to get what he wanted….. Obviously the success rate was directly dependent on the size of the man’s club and the strength with which he wielded it.
As human kind progressed, the club gave way to the mighty sword and the mightier pen. Complex courtship rituals evolved with men rushing in to make bigger fools of themselves in order to woo the fair damsel. Wars were fought, great monuments built, kingdom signed away in this male madness. Off course not everyone was successful and unrequited love found expressions in great literature and works of art.
I seriously rue for the loss of the earliest version of courtship. This chivalry thing is a bit too obtuse and time consuming for my liking. The feint followed by flanking attack is for others – I prefer a direct frontal assault, an invitation to dinner and breakfast kind. There is infinite variety to the basic theme of courting, each one more interesting than other. My last courtship needs to be recounted for its sheer audacity and chutzpah. .
We all were defence officers undergoing a course. Defence officers are a disciplined, hot blooded lot given to passions easily. And yes – some defence officers are women! A couple of weeks into the course and I asked her out to a movie – she accepted. At that stage and age, there are no feints . Her consent to the movie was an implicit consent and both of us knew it. The moot question was – how to break the ice? The thrill was two fold – as defence officers, we could get court martialled and as a married individual, we could get prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code. Funny how the sinful and the taboo is the most enjoyable…..Forbidden fruits are most delicious.
After the movie – dinner. As we sipped our Shiraz and nibbled on the hors d oeuvre, I made the move. Clutching my head, I exclaimed “Oh God – its happening again”. She inquired what and walked right into the kill zone. Innocently explained that I had a medical condition which needs immediate oral ingestion of complex proteins. “The last time I was afflicted I had to spend 3 days in bed at a friend’s place” I added. “ I am sure there must be some medicine you can take?” she inquired. I informed her that this protein was not available off the shelf since it was more organic in nature. “So how do get this protein?” she sounded bewildered. “It’s of human origin” I exclaimed triumphantly.
I could not have the luxury of being bedridden for 3 days. Next day I had to get up early to sneak out of her room and be in time for the morning case study.
Reminiscences
My cheeks caressed by a winter filtered sunbeam,
Half asleep, of her I always have a pleasant dream.
About her presence, her smell and a splendid time,
Eating pani puri flavoured with tamarind and lime.
Sparkling eyes, clear complexion, throaty laughter,
And thick black tousled hair in the morning after.
O Time! Take us back to those happy, carefree days,
For after tasting Bliss, I don’t want to change my ways.
My Cat
Right from childhood, I have been a connoisseur of cats – both the two legged and four legged variety. Forty years down the line including twenty years of marriage, my fascination still persists albeit only for the four legged variety.
We have one in the house – a spoilt tomcat whose only interest in life is sleeping, eating and chasing insects. And yes – he allows you to scratch his ears when he wants them scratched or when he feels you have been good enough to deserve the privilege.
Last night, we discovered that a rat has chosen our house as his abode. Obviously the rat found it to his liking since he was merrily prancing around. Spunky – our cat- sniffed the rat’s trail curiously, raised an eye st us reprimanding us for keeping a sloppy house and promptly went back to sleep. Obviously, chasing rats is not one of his passions in life. He is a cuddly furry cat who relishes his Whiskas and sleep.
And I love him insanely and unconditionally. He jumps on me when I am fast asleep, he breaks crystal, he spoils the leather sofa, he sits in front of the screen when i am typing the most important email – I don’t grudge him anything. He has my permission to do anything if it pleases him and makes him happy.
After his reprimand regarding the rat in my house, I started thinking as to why I love him so much. For all practical purposes, he serves no specific purpose in my life. I definitely don’t love my wife unconditionally or insanely, even the love for my kids is bound by certain expectation and desire for keeping my genes immortal. Honestly speaking, I am incapable of loving any human being unconditionally. But this brat cat can do whatever he wants and I will still love him. Why?
The surprising answer is that I have no expectation from my relationship with the cat. I love him for what he is and nothing more. There are no ego issues, no element of control involved in our relationship. His reprimanding eyes do not strike at the core of my existence nor does my shooing him away makes him feel unwanted. Do I do him a favour by feeding and sheltering him? I never think of it that way and in any case, he provides me immense joy by his very existence, by his being around me. It is not a dominate-subjugate relationship, its and independent, free and co existing relationship.
My lament is – why can’t I have a relationship like that with another human being?
दूजी पाती
December 1990.
During the ISABS workshop on the first day, participants were asked to introduce themselves. This was my introduction. It still is.
पंथी एकाकी जीवन की
मैं यूँ पथ पर चलते चलते
ढूडूँ खुद को हर ओर छोर
हर नहर ड़गर आँगन अंबर
पतझड के एक झंकोरे से
पाती हूँ मैं, उड़ उड़ जाती
फिर गिर पड़ कर भी
हूँ उठ जाती, औ हौले से
आँचल के छोटे कोने से
कोर नयन की सहलाती
और ठहर सहर के कोने पर
लिखती दूजी पाती, स्वाति
-स्वाति सानी ‘रेशम’
अक्सर
From the diary of 1986
सर्दियों के घने कुहाँसे में अक्सर
धुंदला सा एक चेहरा उभरता है
उस चेहरे को एक बार फिर
करीब से देखने को जी करता है
और इसी कोशिश में अक्सर
खिड़कियों के काँच जख्म दे जातें हैं
रूह सहम सी जाती है
और वह धुंदलाता चेहरा
परछाईं बन अंधकार में
फिर गुम हो जाता है
साये
From the pages of my very old diary. I wrote this one 23 years back, in 1988.
उजड़े मकानों के साये में,
उसी राह के मोड़ पर
वह अचानक टकराना
नज़रें मिलाना
परिचय की कौंध का पल को उभरना
और लुप्त हो जाना
अनपहचाने चेहरों का लिबास ओढ़े
आहिस्ता से गुज़र जाना
फिर किसी विध्वंसक ज्वालामुखी का फ़ूटना
मन के किसी कोने में, उस गर्म उबलते लावे में
अतीत का पिधलना, उबलना और पथरा जाना
चाँद का आइना
| कल शब बड़ी देर तक निकला रहा चाँद चाँदनी गिरती ओस को पिरोती रही रात घिरती रही कल शब तुम्हारी अलसाई बाहों में आने को मचलता रहा चाँद बेदम ठंड़ी साँसो को गर्म करता रहा चाँद कल शब बहुत उदास था चाँद सितारे थे तुम्हारी आगोश में राह तकता रहा चाँद -स्वाति सानी ‘रेशम’ |
کل شب بڑی دیر تک نکلا رہا چاند
چاندنی گرتی اوس کو پروتی رہی رات گھرتی رہی کل شب تمہاری السائی باہوں مین آنے کو مچلتا رہا چاند بے دم ٹھنڈی سانسوں کو گرم کرتا رہا چاند کل شب بہت اداس تھا چاند ستارے تھے تمہاری آغوش میں راہ تکتا رہا چاند ؔسواتی ثانی ریشم – |
Turri : A Milk and dry fruit drink.
After I got married, during the month of Ramadan, we made this extremely delicious milk dish to be had at Sehri (before beginning the fast), made from milk and dry fruits. Here’s how it is made. I do not know if this drink is known by any other name in other parts of world, it is called “Turri” in India.
You will need
Dryfruits:
- Cashewnuts 4-5
- Almonds 4
- Walnut -1 broken into small peices
- Dry dates (छुहारा) – 6-7
- Poppy seeds (खसखस) 1/2 tsp
- Pistachios 4-5
- Dried figs (अंजीर) 2-3
- Musk melon seeds -1/2 tsp
Milk 1/2 liter
Ghee 2tbsp
Sugar -to taste
Cardmom 2
Cinnamon 1/2 inch stick
Soak all the dryfruits in water for 5-6 hours.
Remove dryfruits from water and make a fine paste by adding some milk. (the paste has to be extremely fine).
Heat ghee in a pan, add whole cardamoms and cinnamon stick, and fry it for a few seconds.
Add the dry fruit paste to the pan, followed by milk and let it boil and simmer for 10 mins or till the dryfruits paste cooks.
Add sugar, some cardamom powder and consume hot.
Tips:
You can add/remove dry fruits as per your liking, but remember not to use Rasins (किशमिश) in this preperation
This extremely nutritious drink can be stored in refrigerator for 2 days. Heat in microwave before serving it though.
References:
http://www.anothersubcontinent.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php?t7893.html