Kucch rishton kay naam nahin hotay hain.
Bimli (not to be confused with "Vimli", as some girls in my batch referred to Vimal, as an endearment), the "ell" is more like the second Oriya "la" that had an "r" in there somewhere, was my paternal grandmother's younger sister. So not really a relation that can be well identified.
Nor was she anyone who I was close to or wanted to be. Just when enough time had passed that one would have forgotten about her, she would reappear (especially when my grandma was at BAM) and would directly go to our backyard and usually would take up a task generally assigned to "servants". Couldn't just call her Bimli, and hence a Nani had to be suffixed. She did not "exist" for my older brothers, only my mom would offer her the customary tea.
What was her "high"? Ah, that hour or so she would chit chat with my grandmother. Two widows. Wonder what they must be talking about, I would think. Now, with passing years, its not that much of a wonder to me any more.
To make matters worse then, she took a liking for me, and would ask my mom to bring me to her house sometimes ("aama ghara aaday asunu"?). "Oh like I had nothing better to do" I thought. Her liking was almost a fascination, and would ask me questions like "Pakhala bhaata dalay khaibu?".
And it so happened that one day my mother did take me to her house (I think it was Haathibandha Sahi) and Bimli Nani insisted that I have lunch before we left. Oh God! Couldn't wiggle out of that. I was served "pakhala bhaata" in a "pinchhaa" (bronze bowl), saaga, ambula khatta, various curries and bhajjas (fries). Being a Conventia, I really did not like pakhala, and certainly did not want to be associated with it. Further worsening the situation, she would interject with questions like, "bodi te chhanidebi", "maachha khaibu", "mu kanta chhadei debi" etc. etc. ad nauseum.
Needless to say, I have survived that ordeal. Whether she loved me, is open to debate, she certainly did not hate me. She must have been bemused with her older sister's Conventia grandson.
In the inundation of nostalgia, what with this blog, I do not know from where she popped up in my head, but brought back some unhappy memories.
Oh! Unhappy because of my then non-reciprocation, cause reflecting back on Bimli Nani, all she had shown me was kind gestures.
Boy, would I love to go to her house and have "pakhala" on a sultry afternoon. There's a small problem - she is no more.
11 comments:
Wow! Nostalgia gives birth to another compassionate writer. I read somewhere that no matter how high you fly or how far you travel ultimately your roots pull you back.
I particularly liked the understated emotions.
Hilu
You have to wallow in the ' inscrutable love' shown by the oldies. Rather than us, its they who feel the sense of security , mingling with us,when they cannot identify themselves with any particular ' interactive ' group. I would not say ostracised but not 'desired'by others.
Pokhalo has many nutritive qualities about it. And the best is acts as a' coolant' , not to be had when you are at office, it would make you tipsy.
And the other added complements accompanying Pokhalo will any day be my -5 star menu, rather than visiting a La Meridien or a Marriott.
May her soul rest in peace !
Hey Omkar,
truly a heart rending narration, it so happens that some lapses-follies and vanities of an immature mind set us on a regret mode, if only we had the reverse button we cud set right some juvenile misgivings--"love them well whom you may lose ere long..." thus go the lines from Faulkner--and so TRUE too!!!
Hilu,
Your Kahani on Bimli Nani is indeed Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki!
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.In retrospect we all feel that we could have done things better for our elders and loved ones.
At SVC both Teachers and my Classmates used to miss me a lot!
Regularly irregular!
Oh Yes absence does make the heart grow fonder!
Thx Arun.
Naresh,
Tried Sushi yet? I had Pakhala Bhaata and Sushi, at a couple's house once - you guessed it, an Oriya guy married to a Japanese girl.
Arre Sarita Ji,
Aap hiatus se jaag gayeen, mera post ka paisa usool ;-)
Fai, Enar,
Concur.
Sushi , I believe is a combo of fish and rice clumps. Hilu , I am a pure grass eater.
Just to contort the ' saying '..of ' Sher ' the new buzz is Hathi mar jayega lekin 'maach ' or meat nahin khayega.
Hi Hilu......
What a lovely tribute to a dish which I feel deserves a mention in the international menu! Why don't you start a restaurant there and popularise it? Guess what? I have given full credit to it in my book. Apart from a mention of it elsewhere, this is the line describing a hot afternoon of our pleasant hoemtown:
'The rest of Berhampur was like an oven, sheltering the 'Baked Alaska'- that sizzling dish of people with their cooling customary lunch of the yeast rich pakhaal bhaath'.
P.S Baked Alaska is a dessert that has cold ice cream within a hot cake and is served straight from the oven. I've tried out this dish many times...:-}
Mazaa aa gaya yeh padhke...Okay, and you don't have to guess what we are having for lunch for the past two three days. It's 44 degrees out here :-{
And oh...in all that Pakhaal bhaath excitement I forgot to mention about your Bimli Nani...She comes across as a character that really needs to be immortalized. They are slowly going extinct....:-{
I love the 'Bimli Nanis' of this world!
An almost extinct species now....
Post a Comment