Beautiful people - Part I

It was one of my normal day of wondering and thinking (over-thinking, yes I have that ability); when I started to think to myself of what was my purpose of writing? What is it that drives me to pen down my feelings? That is when I realized that the impelling cause behind is the urge to touch lives with my writing. Yes. I discovered my purpose. Somebody once told me that I have the eccentric ability to move people with my writing. So here I am with my series of ‘Beautiful people’. This series is a dedication to ‘MY’ people. Some may not be a part of my life today, but be assured to be featured on this column if you’ve left your mark on me, even in the smallest way. (Trust me, it is not easy touching my life. I am a very stubborn and stone-hearted person). I am going to write this in parts and grouping of the numerous people that touch my life in ways more than one. Humans of India style, here is a ‘Humans of Sanskriti’s life’

I choose to start my series with the most important person in my life. Why do I choose to begin with her? I could have started with the lady who bought me into this world and made me capable enough to word this article. But the person I am talking about first is an angel in disguise my mother gifted to me at the time of my birth and then on every second of my life has been a beautifully encrypted fairy tale because of the presence of this fairy!

The relation we share is astonishing for many and unbelievable for the rest. We see siblings who pull each-others hair and are at war at most times. But people have often been blown away by the extreme love that I share with her. Yes, we’ve fought, so much so that it has ended in brutal tears. But what followed the tears was tears for each other to be hurt. I am so sure you are confused as hell by now. I am also sure if I keep addressing her as only ‘her’ by the end of my article you won’t know whether this was about my best friend, my love, my mother, my teacher, my mentor, my support system, my counselor, my wish-granting ginnie or a magician! Yes, that’s her! Cannot have a more fitting summary to her. Are you already falling for her? Oh you can’t! She’s all mine. (Wicked smile)

Getting back to reality, starting off writing my ABC to starting off writing blogs; she has been the constant backbone to all my antiques. The beautiful people series can in no way be for anybody but my sister. From being a 7 year old kid turning into my ‘chotti mummy’ and taking care of me to being this grown up corporate Indian married woman, she has done it all. She has the charisma to charm you with her smile. Make you fall in love with her wit. Make you fall off the chair with her intelligence and make you feel loved with her comforting presence. But that is for the world to see and realize, what is it that makes her a part of my ‘humans of sanskriti’? If I had to put it in simple words, I do not know what a life would feel without her! I was born with a human size teddy bear to play with (oh she really was! This cute looking pony tails hanging fair chubby girl).

We can hunt down a person who hurts the other person. I will never need a body guard, because she is my forever wali gundi protecting me with her words and arms. Life just feels so complete knowing that there is this person who is going to be right behind you irrespective of how life treats you. Do you even need anything else? I am not going to state the obvious here. From making me feel special on every birthday to celebrating my success more than me, to giving me the expert advice to listening to me crib, cry and complain.  From helping me envision my dreams to helping me live those dreams. We’ve fought, we’ve broken down, picked up each other and loved each other unconditionally. Is there anything that she has not done for me? The answer would most definitely be no.

I know the things that can make and break her. We have supported each other to grow into these individuals that we are today. The relation I share with her is something that cannot be put to words. People have walked in and out of my life, she defines the word ‘constant’ for me. The thought of her getting married scared me initially, why lie? I cried to myself for days thinking I am going to lose her, but life has been kind. I realized that being a physical distance away from me does not take her ‘away’. As a child, you never really know the importance of people in your life, you tend to believe in the good, but that’s growing up right?

My muse in photography, the ink in my pen, the sugar in my coffee and the magic in my life! You define ‘SANSKRITI BHATIA’ to be who she is. I don’t say it every day, I don’t make you feel loved the way you deserve, I do not talk to you on long calls like you want, I do not treat you the way I should be, but life has given me no greater gift than the gift of having someone to call, “DIIIIII”

Here I am sitting glaring into my laptop screen, with tears in my eyes and at loss of words. The length of my paras keep growing as I do not know if my words do justice to the beauty of the word ‘DIDI’ in my life. If my readers would ever be able to understand what I am trying to say. So I’d end here with just a pondering thought, there are a million souls in this world, a few hundred come into your life and a handful touch your heart. Never let those people go. Life is too short to hold on to grudges and mistakes. Make the most of the gift of people. More often than not what stays with us is only regret to have let go of something that was worth saving a lifetime.

A dedication to the lady who defines beauty with brains. You are my lifeline dii. Cheers to your spirit of  LIFE. Love you :) Your beauty through my words and lens. 

Being Indian

We have grown up in an environment where before teaching ABC, we are taught of what people will think of how the ABC is taught and people judge you for the way you say your ABC. The will of the ‘society’ over powers our will to live. This atmosphere cannot be separated from us, can it? So all we do is adjust to its whims and fancies. It becomes so much a part of our DNA that we don’t realize that we are mere puppets at the hands of our ‘society’

So what makes you live? What is the driving force that separates the enthusiastic US from the rest? In my opinion, it’s the smile on the face of our people.

Weird? Thinking what’s the connection? I have gone mad? Think of it my readers. Ever smiled seeing your parents smile? Ever see your mother frown over petty issues? Doesn’t that smile on the kind lady who offers you a seat giving up hers make your day? We all come home to delicious smelling food, irrespective of our mother’s mood. It is the magic of that smile. The smile that lives for other people. The smile that encourages you to never give up. The smile that hides a million tears behind it.

Every day while travelling to office, I see a hundred smiles. Behind those hundred smiles lie a thousand worries. A thousand mistakes. A thousand compromises. And ONE will. The spirit of never giving up. The spirit of seeing someone else smiling. The joy of being the reason for someone to smile. This gift of JOY can come in different packages. A welcoming home-coming smile from your mother. A re-assuring smile from a friend when you are worried. A smile from your sister, saying I love you more than anyone else.

With so much happening in life, the fast paced nature, the every changing tide; all I can sit back and think is this! What is the true meaning of life? It is the glowing face of my mother, my teacher, my friend and my sister or a random lady in the train; who without complains, without frowns and without a fuss just move on to keep me smiling. Like the insect eating us all up from inside, but giving up Is not an option is it? That is the true meaning behind these everyday goof-ups and smiles that cover up for those.

What’s so Indian about it? God gave the same set of aesthetics to the counter-part countries. But the heart of the smile, comes to an Indian. Somewhere we all have given up on a dream to fulfil our parent’s dreams, haven’t we? Or some of us have even found our dreams in theirs. We’ve gone out of our way to support their dreams. To see a ‘smile’ on their face. It is not something extra ordinary that we did. I have friends who have done it. They are doing it with as most passion as their own passion. They are amazingly successful. Too much of a 'local bite'. 

Moving on, we’ve all grown up in that culture of ‘love’ to do that. Finding life in the life of another person. Taking up a profession for the sake of service. Trying your bit to make our society a better place. It is the virtue of life. The best a man can give to his fellow-beings is the gift of LOVE and support.

Why do we hold ourselves back from doing what we were born to do? Why do we restrict ourselves in the name of ‘societal burden’ and ‘paise ki daud’? All you got to do is, pause a minute, look around, hold a hand and walk along. Take the people along.

Am I too idealist or too optimistic? I could be either! I still consider myself a step ahead of someone not making an effort. An effort to make our country a better place to live in.  I chose to see what does not meet the eye. What people often forget to mention, is what I chose to identify. What people often consider irrelevant is what I chose to believe. The inner voice. It echoes louder than your words.  The lost friend or love shouting out that he/she still cares for you. The silent parents smiling that they are proud of you. The distant sister, reiterating that you mean the world to her. The complete strangers reverberating that they care. It is all out there in the open for you. Close your eyes and feel the magic in the winds, they sing a song for you. Dance to the tunes they sing and life will be a musical!

Cheers to the spirit of life and magic of a smile.

This one is a dedication to all those beautiful strangers and friends who made me realize that there lies a beauty in the unsaid things. Giving, lies not in the need of expectations but the ecstasy of just giving.  Making your parents proud is not a fact but an emotion. Thank you for giving me this vision that every single person is just like you and me. All we need to do is give them the opportunity to make a difference.