My family consists of my mother and brother. And my family consists of Vijay, Ranjana, Sheena and Pranav. And to think of it, I was not so keen to stay with them when I come to Amsterdam.
I stay with an Indian family comprising of Vijay and Ranjana and their 19 year old son, Pranav and 9 year old daughter, Sheena. Staying with Indian so far away from India has its own sense of advantage. But after so many days, they feel like family. I am probably more closer to them than my own brother.
I don’t have any relations with them. I call them by their names and typical of Indians where we tend to call people by Uncle, Aunty or a relation which we seem appropriate, I have not tried to call by any these names.
So what are they to me? Friends? Yes we are friends. But they go beyond friends, they become family. But do I need to give any name to this relation? I don’t think so! Let it be the things the way they are. Why do we have to give every relation a name?
I can’t help but remember the song from “Khamoshi”
hum ne dekhi hai, un aankhon kee mahakatee khushaboo
haath se chhuke ise, rishto kaa iljaam naa do
sirf ehasaas hain ye, ruh se mahasoos karo
pyar ko pyar hee rahane do, koi naam naa do
Why do we have to define relationship? I just will call them family. Yes, Sheena calls me Pundu uncle but she tends to call everybody who is elder to her as Uncle and Aunty even the characters in the cartoons. But that is nice too. I like to pamper her and she likes to trouble me the way she wants and I like that.
Vijay is always smiling. A friendly person and one who makes you feel comfortable in his company. The way he demands I help him in cooking or anything is something I like. He has taken that right and I like it.
Ranjana is warm and friendly. We can talk and we can talk a lot. I still remember the happiness on her face when Pranav and I gave her present on Mother’s day. She sings great and she is quite independent and has a mind of her own, which I always admire in a lady.
Pranav is just a teenager and is quite cool. I can pull his leg and most of the time he does not mind. He is more confident and sure about himself than I was at my age. That is why I admire him and that is why I envy him.
For the last 4-5 days I have spent 16-17 hours in the office and did not see any of them for the last 2 days. Today while coming to the office, Vijay came down to see if I was awake. I wake up at 12:00 noon on Sunday.
I went to meet Ranjana after that. She was so happy to see me that she gave me the “Jadu ki jhapki”. I was surprised that they actually missed me. I missed them too. And it feels so good to be missed by someone.
I am amazed by the complexity and simplicity of human relations. How people you are not related to you become so close to you. How simple and small things become the most important things in your life? How some people become so important to you that you dread when you will finally separate from them?
So Vijay and Ranjana made my day today. It makes the 16-17 hours I spent in office bearable.
Its nice to come back to a home rather than a house.
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hey punds,
i want the mp3 of the song you mention here from Khamoshi (1969).
do u have it ?
This is a nice one.
” Why do we have to give every relation a name?”
Isn’t something similar what Dimple Kapadia tells Akshaye Khanna in Dil Chahta Hai when she is in hospital? Very good point. Of course that was a love relationship but it can be applied to any kind of relationship actually. We seem to need a name and a justification for everything…
Monica
Monica
I know you have told me this a lot of times but I still have my doubts. Are you sure you are not Indian? How come you remember the movie, the actors and the quotes?
We tend to give each relationship a name. Thats ‘fits’ in the social structure. But some relationship are better not explained.
Punds
Well, Punds, it is one of my favourite films and I have seen it about three or four times so far -not bad considering that the first time I saw it was about a couple of years ago-. That sentence stuck on my memory just because I agreed with it so much! And I cried every single time I saw that scene! So I guess my memory is not all that!
Monica
Cool punds..am reading this blog for the first time..!!! I can actually visualise all of you..!!!
Thanks Monica and Pradnya
Punds
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