My Assam!!

Born and brought up in Assam I always took certain things for granted. Things like lush greenery, rain drenched morning, cold winter morning, dew drops, rainbows, hail storms, chasing butterflies, big houses, garden, the list is endless. I never thought that in some parts of the world these things are a rarity, these things are luxury.

While growing up, I went to many towns of Assam as my Baba had a transferrable job. So, I was born in Silchar, then to Diphu, to Tejpur, Guwahati, again Diphu and then Silchar. At that time my Mom refused to do more of city hopping as she was concerned about our studies and we settled down at Silchar.

So, although I spent most of my childhood years in Silchar, I also have memories of all the other towns. Then after class 10th, I went to Haflong and stayed with my Kaku for 2 years. It was wonderful 2 years that I spent there. I made some friends for life there and have some great memories.

Mumbai happened to me after marriage and for the last 11 years I am in Mumbai. After Silchar, if I call any other city home, it is Mumbai. I have adapted myself to the city and have been blessed with some wonderful friends here. So, I have a great social circle here and am really happy.

That is not what I want to tell you all. What I want to say is that even though I call Mumbai home, there is a constant urge to go back to Silchar once in a while. Whenever I go there, I come all rejuvenated to take on life. Yes, that is a place that my soul resides. Now, I have started showing symptoms of an unknown disease. I have started owning everything that North East India has! For example, it used to be Kaziranga National park untill it became 'My Kaziranga', Brahmaputra and Barak used to be rivers common to all, but all of a sudden they have become 'my Barak' and 'my Brahmaputra'. Similarly, it is 'my Guwahati', 'my Silchar', 'my Shillong' and the list goes on. Everything and every part of North East has become MINE, I don't know from when..... so I ask people....have you seen 'My Shillong'? You will forget any other hill Station..... do you have Assam Silk from 'my Assam'.

Not only that, I keep on telling Ishan - "during my childhood I used to run after butterflies and play outdoors all day with dada". Well, now I know in my heart that in Mumbai where sighting a butterfly is only a big thing how can he possibly chase one? I also know that even if he wants to play all day out I will not allow him. Still I go on and on. Now I have come to the colclusion that this is a disease. I cannot expect my son to grow up in Mumbai exactly how I grew up in 'my Assam'! Still I want him to do things that I did. Per me he is missing the fun, which is probably not correct. He does not know those fun things that we used to do, so probably for him playing a video game and cricket is more fun than langdi, kabaddi, land & water or gilli danda. But the thought that he will be detached from the things that I hold so dear to me, makes me worry.

I want 'My Assam' to be 'Our Assam' with Ishan in it. He loves Silchar dearly....we all love the place where our grandparents stay, don't we? Despite that, I fear that his love for Silchar or Assam or North East will not be as intense as mine.

Alas, this disease is eating me up!!!! By the way have you visited 'My North East' ever? It is heaven on earth, you are always welcome there.

Faces that we have, masks that we wear and games that we play

Faces that we have, masks that we wear and games that we play...... aaah it is difficult to recognise people nowadays. The people I see around me everyday, are not real people, they are all playing a role, a part in a game. People I know today, are the ones I don't recognise tomorrow. It made me wonder - WHY?? WHY are we not real people, why do we have to play a part to survive?

Then I realised that the answer lies in my question itself. TO SURVIVE. Right!! Darwin said - Survival of the fittest. Darwin would have changed his theory had he been born in today's world. Today we do all possible things to survive. We lie, we pull down others, we wear a mask, we back stab, we smile at someone and plan to ruin his/ her life. Where are we heading to? What are we gaining from all this? The negativity is engulfing everyone. We are fake, we were not born fake but we have turned ourselves into that. We are teaching our kids to be fake. I heard a mother telling her son - "do not smile at strangers, all are kidnappers here!!" I was aghast! Yes, I know we need to make a child understand about his/ her surroundings. But do we need to tell him that anyone and everyone he meets everyday are kidnappers? This is one of the reason why we do not see smiling kids nowadays. We see kids who are calculating every step, measuring everything. We have stalled their childhood and made them adult. What values can they give back to the society? What can they teach their kids?

I love to smile at people, talk to strangers, make friends..... and I always meet people who try to judge me. Why? Why not you lead your own life and let me lead mine?

I refuse to play a role and wear a mask and so I am not liked by people. But whatever people say, do, or however they behave, I am not going to change to please them. I am not born to please others, I am here to enjoy my life...please myself and leave the world as a happy soul. Please try to come and ruin it and you will be so super disappointed!! I promise that!