The Nostalgia Shop

I was walking down the cobbled streets and lanes. These streets were the same as I had always seen in pictures in travel books, or even in films. Small coffee tables sheltered with pretty umbrellas, a little sunny and a little shady weather. I was walking, looking, and absorbing the novelty around. It's not every day you get to do what you dream of doing. As I walked on and on, I passed by stores & stores selling things of all sorts; from antiques to art, from fashion to food.  At such times window shopping is the best one can do especially since it costs nothing and gives pleasure! I continued walking down the streets, skipping and hopping (not quite like in the films) but close!

‘The Nostalgia Shop’ said the plaque atop the store. I stopped. The name intrigued me. The shop had a very old and mysterious look. I tried to look into the shop and peer in to get an idea but alas! I could not trail apart. The name had aroused my interest and just like that, I walked in. The clinking sound of the bell on the door announced my arrival. I looked around, expecting somebody to attend to me especially since I was bursting with questions regarding the peculiarity of the shop name. However, no-one came. I waited. As I waited, I looked around. From where I stood I was unable to get an entire glimpse of the shop but could see a lot of objects that gave me an idea as to what the shop was all about!

The shop had a rustic appeal. It looked like all the old things look. The shop was furnished though not modernly but it accommodated and displayed all the items that it offered or at least I thought it did! There were open racks and lined shelves filled with colorful and attractive things. As I approached the first rack, I went through its contents. The rack had just 2 shelves.    

These shelves had some showpieces displayed on them. On moving closer to the shelf, I saw what it was. It was a ceramic tea –set. It was white in color and had little blue flowers on it. Oh! It brought back so many memories. I was transported to my childhood, playing with a similar tea set and serving fake tea to my friends and sometimes my parents. They enjoyed it as much as I did. It was one of my many prized possessions. An unexpected encounter with this set caught me by surprise.
Taking my eyes off that set with great effort I looked at the other items on the shelf. 

Just beside the tea set, there was a small telephone. The one I had as a kid was red in color. This one was white. However, the resemblance was uncanny. It was an old-style phone that could be found in almost each and every household. This telephone was used to call up my grandma or some of my friends.  I picked up the receiver of the phone wanting to call someone like I did when I was a kid, but adulthood got in the way!

Replacing the phone, I moved to the interior of the shop. I felt like a child in a candy store, looking around and spotting some pieces from here and there that were exclusively me! Or so I thought…
There was a pair of big huge goggles that were a fashion statement of the '90s. I remember having a picture of mine wearing the ones that were my mom's. It was a quintessential picture that almost all kids my age have. There was a line, on the shelf below, of boxes of colors. I smiled as I opened one of them. They smelled exactly the same as they did the last time I used them.

Moving on from the colors, my attention was drawn to the glass jars on the adjoining shelf. These jars were filled with colorful candies, chocolates, erasers of funny shapes, and some other stuff. It took an immense level of self-control to not open and empty those jars in my bag!

I turned around to the other side of the store. This part of the shop had various display cabinets. Through its glass display, I could see its contents. There were toys and books, cassettes and VCD's, video players, tape-recorders, cameras…and many more wonderful things. Going around the shop one would get an idea of what this shop was all about. A staircase caught my attention. There was a hidden loft to this store that I hadn’t notice up until now.

I walked up the stairs that led me to a whole new section of the shop. The ceiling was a little low so I had to stoop and walk around. This part held smaller desks that were filled with some more marvelous things, although they did not necessarily resemble me or my life. I found a small glass box in a velvet pouch. There was a note on top of it. It said 

“Dear Tooth-Fairy, My Mom says that you’ll come for visit and take this tooth back with you to your kingdom. She also says that I’ll get a gift from you in exchange. I don’t want any gifts. Please take it and keep it safe with you. Please bring it back to me when I’m old like my grandma and have no teeth to eat my favorite things. You must have her teeth with you too. If you could bring hers back she would be able to enjoy her favorite roasted peanuts. Thank you! Bye!"

The innocence of the note touched my heart. I did sincerely hope that the deal worked out!

Moving on to the other desks, there were letters, from people whose names I had never heard of. In the era of text messages and emails, handwritten messages and letters felt so personal. There were ink stains on the yellowed papers with a typical smell. These letters were living proof of an era where letters were the only way of communication. I did not open these letters to read. I just stared at the bundles of correspondence that were stored in this shop.

On another desk, there was a sparkling snow globe. It had a ribbon tied to it, with a small note that said, "To my dear Katie, I hope this X' mas brings in the same snow back home. – XOXO Frank” 

Then there was a stack of hand-made cards. Messages from the heart filled the cards and reminded me of those times when making a greeting on any occasion was my one point agenda!

Then there were small vintage mirrors, old boxes with pieces of broken jewelry, some old watches, old frames which were adored by photographs of smiling faces of strangers. There were numerous things, small and big, familiar and unknown, that were marked with memories. As I reached the end of the room, I stopped to look back and take it all in…what I felt at that moment can't be described in words. 

Those things may not belong to me, but they belonged to someone and were itched with their memories and thoughts. Though they were complete strangers it felt so good to experience something so personal.

Walking down the stairs, I was stunned and nostalgic, emotional, and euphoric all at the same time. I was too overwhelmed to talk, so as I reached the end, I sat down on the last step. Thinking about everything that I had witnessed in the shop I noticed that there was another peculiarity of this shop. There were no price tags on any of the items. Were these not for sale? What sort of shop is this that does not sell? I had questions but no answers. Unable to move, I continued sitting and staring at everything. Suddenly I caught movement behind the counter. Getting up, I saw someone at the counter. An old couple. They looked up as I approached them.
 
"Found anything that you like, my dear?" the old lady asked.
 
"Almost everything!" I said.
 
"How is it that all those things are related to me? What exactly is this place?" I asked.

"You've read the name.  It’s called the Nostalgia Shop. Everyone who visits finds something belonging to them. That’s the idea. Anyone who comes here will certainly find a piece of their soul in here." explained the lady.
 
"But how?” I asked curiously.

"A good trader never reveals the trade secrets!" the old man replied with a twinkle in his eyes.
 
"Just go in, look around and buy what you feel is missing from your life right now.” the old man replied.

"How do I decide what to buy? All these things are precious. On top of it, how much do I pay? There's no price tag on any of these items" I said.

"You seem to have entered the shop in a hurry. You missed out on reading about the payments. Go out and read. If you still want to buy we'll be here." the man said. I looked at the couple. They were smiling mysteriously.
 
In a dilemma, I stepped outside and looked closely. There was a small board near the door of the shop that said, ‘For every piece of Nostalgia we charge the worth, not the cost. What would you trade for a piece of Nostalgia? What would you trade for a piece of Nostalgia?’

I thought about it. What was the worth of all these? My happiness and my laughter? The love that I got and the memories that I've? Yes, the memories were precious but what was its worth?

Thankfulness! My heart replied. I smiled. The idea of choosing and buying just one of so many escaped. I couldn't possibly select. I decided that its worth wasn’t money and walked out, without feeling the need to go back in again. That's the thing about nostalgia, it hits you like a wave and leaves you wondering about all that was. But the thing to remember almost every time is that a moment that passes gets placed in the past. Nostalgia brings in a lot of things but never gives anything. That is when I got the idea of the shop. It never meant to sell. If it can be bought, it needs to be valued. But none of our geniuses have invented a "nostalgia-meter." This moment of epiphany answered all my questions.  I was happy and skipping and hopping again! It was a good day, a day well spent! 

120 Days of Summer

As we enter May, it would be completely wrong to say that summer has just started. On the contrary, summer is now on its glistening high! Summer has begun in its characteristic way as always. At the start of February, summer starts to tiptoe around. Its presence is hinted with the increasing length of days, the soft and mild breezes that float around, the beautiful and bright blossoms, and most of all the rise in the temperatures.

The added highlight of this season is vacations! The academic years near an end and the plans of holidays start to take shape. The hobby classes, visits to native places, and most of all lying around and relaxing! There is hardly any other season that allows this! The very last papers of the academic year are equivalent to going on war and emerging victorious. The legit sense of freedom and un-accountability that summer brings in is that what makes it special!

Every season, I feel brings in its unique color palette. Maybe that's why all the bright colors are seen around in summer. The entire atmosphere is bright and full of light. The same thing is reflected in the flowers and fruits of this season. They are all in shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and a touch of white. The majestic "Gulmohar" next to my building is the prettiest this time around. The orangish flowers of the "Gulmohar" accompanied by its cool shade are my favorite.

In India, there are added "summer jobs" that are seen happening exclusively in summer. The prominent amongst them consists of the pickle making. Along with that, there are a lot of home-made specialties that are preserved throughout the year,  that require to be prepared in summer. Perhaps that is why the terrace of houses is seen bustling with ladies busy in preparations and with kids, ready to eat some of it! Another common addition to the Indian household is that of the earthen clay pot used to store drinking water.

Unlike the rest of the seasons, summer in India does not bring an excessive amount of festivities. It is simpler that way. However here summer in itself is a festival.  A lot of people have hated summers for it sucks out life, in their opinion. But I want to ask, have you ever seen the water in the summer? Glimmering in the heat and light and yet maintaining its coolness, flaunting an inviting shade of blue? The beauty of water in summer is that it makes you want to take a swim and not sit on the shore. Also, how can we forget the"summer fruits?"  It is the season to welcome and relish the king of fruits; Mangoes! With mangoes, all breakfast, lunch, and dinner problems are sorted!

Of all the things that summer offers the best part is the "vacations!" Most of our vacations are spent with visits from our out of town cousins and relatives. My mother often recounts her summer vacations spent on family farms with her cousins. The tree climbing, learning to swim from the elder cousins, and just eating and roaming and laughing and fooling around are some of the things that she has mentioned in detail every-time. Vacation, in general, are similar more or less everywhere. In my generation, it was gathering on the roof-top at night and listening to faraway tales from the grandparents and elders, and the rest of the day spent playing and lazing around & eating ice-creams.

In many ways, summer has always brought us so many moods of being relaxed which we require to face the rest of the year. Be it staying up late at night just having fun with cousins and enjoying the brotherhood or waking up late in the morning, be it watching T.V all afternoons or playing on the grounds with no worries of anything, this season has given us so many things all these years. Even now as a generation outgrows the "summer vacations" concept, the new generation looks forward to it like we did. That's the thing about summer. It's the most underappreciated of all seasons, in my opinion. It is perhaps the heat and water problems that are always at the forefront these days. Regardless, the beauty of summer has made it my favorite season of all time. And why not? For it is the only time of the year that we enjoy without reason!

An Ode to Womanhood

Do not live someone else's life and some one else's idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you. - Viola Davis 

8^th March is arriving and the entire world is preparing to celebrate "Womanhood."  The day when everyone sings the greatness of women. As a woman, frankly, I don't feel special especially on this day. I mean it is as ordinary as any other for me! I’m sure a lot of women might join me on this. Though it's been said over and over again that “just one day, doesn’t make a difference. Women are special everyday…”, I still say it.

Lately, I've started realizing a few things. These things are a lot related to my perspective of being a woman. As a woman, certain things are hammered on and drilled down in our feminine system. This is a universal fact. Regardless of the country, religion, caste, creed, color you belong certain things are globally common in all women. The ideologies of being picture-perfect versions of woman are expected everywhere.

Women are more than often perfectionists. Our obsession with details is well-known. Women are expected to be ideal in all the roles that we play. Many times it comes to us very naturally. The care, concern, love, empathy, etc. have been our natural highlights. But to add on it there are some newer modern-day names. One of which is popularly called "Super Woman". Super-Woman is a hybrid version of a woman who manages household responsibilities in addition to her career. A lot of women wear this label on their sleeve. There is no reason that they shouldn't do so.

But what I want to ask them, "Is it really necessary to wear yourself down to the bone?"  Won't be easier to be just a woman? Would our greatness be any less if we just focus on one thing at a time? Is it really necessary to be great? Can't we be ordinary and embrace our shortcomings?

As we're stepping into a new decade, the position of women today is marginally elevated than our predecessors. Yet I keep coming back to this one question. Where did it all start? Who decided that women are the weaker sex? Anything that has the power of creation can it be really weak in any way? Then what happened? Why do we need to be told we are strong?

I remember reading a story about an elephant. A grown-up elephant was secured to a poll by a string by its owner. One might question the owner’s sanity. Trying to secure an elephant by a mere string? But that’s the trick. The elephant stays put. The reason lies in the psyche of the elephant. What the shrewd owner does is that he ties the baby elephant by an iron rope. The baby tries to break it off. But the rope exceeds his power. Eventually, he accepts his destiny and stays without trying to escape, not realizing that as a grown-up his strength is far more than what is imprisoning him. It is all in his head.

This story applies to the entire women kind. The bondages that we hold in our heads are that of perfection, sacrifice, and of course of being a superwoman. It is not always the society expects this. In general, women are known to put the interest of their loved ones before theirs. There are so many leading examples where women with bright prospects stepped back just so their family members could pursue their dreams. We all know them and we all acknowledge their sacrifices for the success of their family members.

Their stepping back was their own choice forced through circumstances. They had to choose their family over their dreams. They did so happily and excelled at the task. But I wonder, do these women miss the possibility of what could have been? Most of the women that we adore fall in this very category. They are known for their sacrifice when they could have been known for their talents.

To add fuel to these self-sacrificing images and ideologies of women, the films, daily soaps, and many advertisements have also time and again proven their mettle. We have, at a point, submitted to the idea of “Adarsh Naari” (Ideal Woman). The amount of work that we put in to become this woman breaks my heart.

Women like Tanya Shergill, Avni Chaturvedi, Mitali Raj and many more have proven that their gender is neither an obstacle nor a privilege that they have. They have excelled in their field of interest and have proven that it is okay to be driven by career and not have typical female priorities.   Their success is the living example that it takes immense hard work, passion and struggle to reach the point of being idolized over the country.

Just recently there was an advertisement for a smart kitchen brand that showed a working father efficiently handling the kitchen chores and setting an example for his son when the mother is out late working. It closed with a line that if you want to teach your son the right things, set an example in front of him. I loved the idea that was put in to advertise a brand that sold the idea of smart kitchens. A lot of brands are seen making this conscious effort of promoting women-centric ideas. 

It was some time back when Mr. Anand Mahindra shared a picture on his twitter handle along with a post saying that the hurdles women face are way more than those faced by men. The household responsibilities and their career make it difficult to look after themselves. He acknowledged the fact that due to these hurdles the women representation on higher levels is very less.

The most under-appreciated job played by a woman, in my opinion, is that of a home-maker. This role plays the biggest part in shaping so many lives and is the perfect image of “Adarsh Naari." Home-maker women have over and over again sacrificed their hopes and their lives for their families. Yet they are often found saying that they are happy because their loved ones are progressing. Their job is the one that deserves the highest respect and payment in this world, gets neither.

Why do we do these to ourselves? Why do we value our happiness less important than that of our loved ones? Is it really necessary to sacrifice, to be ideal? Even today women are expected to give up on their aspirations and value the family. I'm not saying that family is not important. My only question is why are we expected to give up? Why do we give up on ourselves?

This 8^th March let's do a brand re-positioning of womanhood. Start by acknowledging the fact that we are also just humans. So it is okay to be tired and let things be. For it is only when we're truly happy ourselves can we make people around us happy! This Woman’s Day lets put our dreams, aspirations, and health on priority. History holds the struggle of so many women who sought freedom from the so-called bondage of womanhood. The only way to give justice to their struggles is to keep moving ahead towards a new horizon free of all prejudices that surround women.

Women are the reason for life. Break free of all notions and ideas that hinder your flight. Be a woman, for there is no higher blessing than being one...

1st February 2020

My Dear Nirbhaya,

How are you? I hope this question is not misplaced, given the way you left us. It's been 8 years since that horrific night. I read about it in the newspapers the following day and I just could not grasp the amount of torture, pain, suffering you must've been through. And for what? What had you done to have been treated in such a manner that'll shame not just the humans' but even animals? To date, I've been unable to find an answer to that question….

Ever since then there have been changes in the laws and the idea of women's safety. Politicians have won and lost elections on that very point but none of the steps taken have made the women in this country feel safe. Since you've passed there have been similar incidents across the country. You obviously must know having met those girls as well. 

Speaking of politicians, did you know our government banned a documentary made on this incident as it showed the nation in a bad light? But never the less, we've all watched it. Frankly, I wish that I hadn't. The recounting of that horrific night will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life. But it nears nothing to the excruciating pain that you have been through. What surprises me is your will to live. The doctors in the documentary said that they were baffled to see you conscious. Having medically assessed your condition they said it was a shock that you were even alive. After you were air-lifted for better care you told your parents that you want to live. Since then you've been our Nirbhaya- the fearless…. 

The reason why I'm writing this letter to you today is to tell you that your culprits will be hanged to death on the 1st of February, 2020. Though your pain and suffering will always leave us all scared forever, this is a small attempt of salvation. The justice came in late and is not in a  balanced way yet it is what it is! 

We've as a society failed over and over on many counts, this being the biggest failure of them all. If tomorrow the human race were to become history, I wonder if it would be our triumphs that'll be remembered or would it be our failures that'll mark our presence?

At the end of it, there's one thing as a woman that I've realized is that this is a never-ending battle. There might be a faint trace of light at the end of this tunnel but the entire tunnel is pitch dark. We are going to have to fight our own battles with the armor that's best suited for us. I just wanted to say that I do hope you forgive us all. You were the reason that the battle of women's safety took a revolutionary turn in this country. Wherever you are, know this that you are and will always remain, "India's Daughter".

From, 
A Daughter.