Sometimes and I literally mean that ‘some’ time when you get time off to sit peacefully without feeling guilty that I am just sitting doing no work for a while. For some people it may be a sin, as it is the sheer wastage of precious time when you can do something fruitful like exercising or looking at share market or watching news to keep yourself updated with the entire world in all the matters, right from wars to who eloped with whom. I feel, everyone should be able to relax for a few moments, doing absolutely nothing but absorbing that peace and its rhythm which keeps us going. At such times, I contemplate and try to find out only one answer, “Who/what am I?
Don’t worry, it has got nothing to do with the philosophy of life or something like that. Now you will wonder why such questions? Is it identity crisis or deep philosophical introspection? No, it is only because when I am seriously trying to communicate or inquire something to anyone in the house, it just seems to fall on deaf ears, as if I am like a television which on mute, playing something but no one can hear. I am like that sound which AI has recognised to put under the noise cancellation feature. I am sure the inventor is either a male or a teenager. My voice is filtered through a non-visible device and it does not reach their ears somehow.
If I am lucky enough to get the reply, either it is one word or totally irrelevant to the query, that too in most irritated tone. When it is your turn to reply to something, are you allowed to use such tone? No way, you must be humble and patient even if the most irritating questions or requests are thrown at you (Your hormonal imbalance, mood swings, menopause are not applicable to any situation.) The moment some question is shot at you, you are supposed to respond like Google, with the fastest processor of the super computer; reply within nano seconds and if you fail to do so then be prepared for the acute heart pain due to deep penetrating bullets that will be fired at you; “ You know nothing!” “What do you know then?”, “Whatever I ask, you never know.” You will be torn apart and if by any chance you happen to be in the teaching profession then your qualification is at stake, “Who made you the teacher?”
At times it so frustrating that I feel like going Seeta Mata way, “Hey dharati maa, please take me in your refuse,” here I have happily forgotten that I stay on a higher floor and in case really dharati maa decides to grant me wish, my floor will cave in and I will land up only on the floor below me.
So, what is so frustrating? Good question! When I am running around doing eight odd jobs at a time, as if I am Ashtabhuja, no one seems to bother, but the moment I have completed my chores and I relax in a chair or try to watch my favourite movie or call my friend for some regular gossip, everyone suddenly seems to notice me. “Ohh, you are just sitting here, can you make a cup of coffee?” or “What you keep on watching those useless movies all the time, do some exercise instead (here I am severely offended and I give that nasty look, which of course is ignored) and if not anything, “Can you make something nice to munch;” ‘something nice’ in Bold, Italic and Underline. This is one dish even Google has failed to search for me.
I am the much sought after individual in the house especially during my visit to the bathroom. I become a router sending 5G signal, everyone suddenly starts catching the network and comes sniffing me. Everything seems to be of grave importance
during those 10 minutes. The first and the most important question with a loud thud on the door, “What are you doing?” Hmmmm…. Kaun banega Crorepati question, ‘what is the purpose of having that room in the house?’ (obviously in my mind), followed by an array of questions “where is my water bottle” (out of ten other bottles she will want only the specific one which is missing) or “what should I wear for the birthday party” (which is the next day event.) By now you must have imagined that these are from the kids (could be of any age ranging from 5 to 20+) in the house. There is one more grown-up kid in the house, who comes up with genuine questions which need to be dealt with super urgent priority, like ‘what time is AGM of the society’ (which is four days away, on the week end) or’ how and what time should we go to a particular function,’ which is scheduled after ten days, where did I keep the socks which were bought last month and which are required to be worn next morning. I mean, these questions are so important you see, they cannot really wait.
Now with changing times there must be something new as well, so these days a new trend is set in and that is calling on mobile from one room to the other (thanks to service providers-incoming outgoing free). Here, one thing is that to answer this call I must run to the other room where the mobile is kept, since I do not have a good habit of carrying it everywhere in the house including the kitchen. After answering the call, comes the question, “where are you?” I ask the purpose of the call and I am ordered (request word does not exist in the modern-day dictionary) to deliver water bottle? Again, I must go, get it, and deliver the parcel, but the client is not much happy with the service as either the water is not cold or it is not the favourite water bottle; I must bear with the disappointment and coax them into having it. Since I have already entered the room, I can turn on the fan or turn off the light or keep the phone for charging, all these small errands you see, not much. Only then I can come back and continue my work again.
During my visit to the grocery store, (the moment they get to know, a big list is handed over to me) but before even I open the door of the car, comes the ruling, “come back quickly.” How can I? I mean I must discuss very important matters with that kiranawala like what is his opinion on India China face-off, global warming, new US president’s policy, I need to check if he can provide any solution to any of the issues, along with supplying grocery, right? How can I come back quickly?
You see we are like those employees of an organisation, who, nobody seems to notice or recognise when they are putting in hard work and giving their sweat and blood to the company, the moment they ask for leave, suddenly they become important as everyone is worried that who will do so much of work in their absence? (Which was somehow unnoticeable till then.)
You are terribly missed when you go for outing with your friends, there will be all sorts of emergencies at home. Nobody will seem to find anything, you will be missed by everyone, all the permissions become important for kids, food appears to be not so interesting so needs to be ordered from Swiggy, nothing is in place in the house.(Thanks to this mobile that you are easily accessible.)
Isn’t it funny, but that is the human nature. Till you have something with you, you just don’t seem to care about it or notice it but, the moment it is out of sight, even for a while, you miss it the most. But there is fun in this hide and seek of life. So do
not take it to your heart, you are loved by all of them, just that expression is missing most of the times since we are easily available. Go ahead, make yourself unavailable for some time, let them miss you and come calling,
Tu kahan, yeh bata………