Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Being Charu

I dont know how being Charu feels like... but from a 2nd person perspective, it looks like fun. Yes trust me, I know her since the last 2 years only but it feels like I have known her for eons. This is the same person who can be extremely rude and bitchy if you are not on her side or team and extremely caring and fun if you are.
Let me take you through the exciting world of Charu from an insiders point of view... she gets up in the morning and heads to the gym class where she learns horrendous aerobic steps, which she diligently shows off to unsuspecting fans like me. Then she has her breakfast around midday and heads off for coffee by the sea. Once, seated in the nice corner of the coffeeeshop she places her order after religious deciding to not repeat yesterdays order. But being the eternal embodiment of confusion and greed, she ends up ordering the same coffee and thoroughly confusing the poor waiter who is happy to run away. Once coffee n catching up on recent gossip is done, she heads home to watch TV or trouble her son Abeer. If Abeer's exams are on, then heaven forbid--- she insists on teaching the poor kid, who is already exhausted from various tutorials. And wonders of wonders...she chooses to teach him Chemistry having never studied the same. She keeps on quizzing her kid and doesnt even know if the answers are correct or not.
Satisfied on having done her bit in the education sector, she moves on to the food problems of the world (read- her stomach). Having gorged on some tidbit she decides that she will skip lunch. In the evening, some hapless fan like me drops by and is forced to sip some wine or subjected to some amazing cocktails (entirely her connotation). All the while sharing some interesting tidbits. Then she insists on having dinner early as she wants to hit the bed early.
Thats a day in her life, very idyllic ...but what makes her an interesting person is her madness... her forget fullness... she starts a conversation in her mind and continues midway in actual sound... so the person gets even more befuddled and when tries and gets some semblance of clarity... she is already traipsing on another completely disjoined topic.
How can one describe or define what Charu is?? I tried to but I guess I didnt capture even half of her essence. She is a wonderful person, a friend, an elder sister, a mom, a punching bag, a clown, a wonderfull cook and a great (ahem!) dancer....a supportive spouse (for Pankaj) and a crazy mom (for Abeer).... I will miss her when she moves to Bangkok... I wish she didnt have to... although it opens up my window to Bangkok... I have already managed to wriggle a vacation at her place ther... but I will miss landing up unannounced at her place and staying with her post dinner, drowning drinks with her, exchanging theories ranging from world peace to bollywood with her, badgering her with my PJ's and expanding my millitant fundas at her socialist attitude... I have grown so used to her that I shudder at the thought of a life without Charu and wish Pankaj didnt have to get transferred to Bangkok.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

find another charu :-)

kidding...

Unknown said...

she DOES have another Charu... a minor Charu... who's nothing like Charu, doesn't have her idyllic life, isn't even a quarter has absent minded, and not ever going be a wonderful cook as her in this life etc... but hey, still... A fall-back person... ME!
But yeah, it's really heartbreaking that Charu's not going to be around. We spent so much time doing nothing at all, and enjoyed it! Talking about anything and anyone... Doing a lot of inner questioning and analysis thanks to her! And spending some saturdays having a lovely time without any plan at all... traipsing along the lanes, by-lanes and main streets of bandra and linking road... shopping, window shopping, stuffing our faces with food, more food, and beverages of all types - caffiene infused or alcohol infused! (BIG sigh!!!)

On the brighter side, we now have a REASON to go holiday in Bangkok!!!

We'll miss ya Charu!!! xxx