Makar Sankranti 2013

Our beautifully landscaped and manicured Garden today became a cause of acute embarrassment, even shame to all of us. Early morning, we were greeted by hordes of low-flying crows and scavengers feasting on piles of refuse from last evening’s Lohri celebrations. The entire Garden was littered with biscuits, half-eaten potato chips and fries, empty whiskey bottles, bones of roasted chicken, not to mention plastic bottles, wrappers and soiled tissue. Never before had the Garden looked so dirty -- like a sprawling garbage dump. Whoever was responsible for this, knew well that today happens to be another important festival, Makar Sankranti and still did not bothered to clean up.
On this auspicious occasion that marks the ‘ascendance of the Sun God over the northern hemisphere’ Razia Khan has e-mailed us her well-meaning wishes: “Pal pal sunahre phool khile/ Kabhi na ho kaanto ka saamna/ Zindagi aapki khushiyo se bhari rahe/ Sankranti par hamari yahi shubhkamna… Happy Makar Sankranti.” She has also attached the greeting card above, which speaks volumes of her feeling towards us, even as she is still on the sick bed.
Happily also, Sunita Jajodia showed up with a box of sweets (pic above right) to celebrate son Jatin turning a father. He has been blessed with a daughter, who Sunita lovingly calls ‘Gudiya’ for the present. The day-before-yesterday, she had brought her bahu to the Garden and upon being introduced to us (as Santosh Tyagi never fails to joke about) the young lady delivered a baby girl the very same evening!
Nahid Khan too had a somewhat similar piece of news to share – her son having fathered a son three days back. But on the flip side, we had Ramila Mistry (left pic) informing that she had lost her mother yesterday. The latter was nearing 90 years and was suffering from a terminal case of intestinal collapse. In deference to the memory of the departed, we suspended the customary ‘three laughs’ after the exercises.
May her soul rest in peace.
Jagmohan Papneja;
A new beginning. A new destination with happiness and sorrow. Happy Makar Sankranti!
Life is a complex mix of joy and sorrow. But the proportion of joy and sorrow is in our hands. Overcome sorrow and live life happily.
Srichand Arora:
* This is what we call KANHI KHUSHI TOH KAHIN GHAM. SUNITA-JI DADI BAN GAI HUM ISKI KHUSHIYAN MANAYEIN, YA RAMILA MISTRY KI MATA-JI KE DEHANT KA GHAM? JAHAN HUM SUB SUNITA-JI KI KHUSHIYON MAIN SHAMIL HAIN, WAHIN RAMILA-JI KE DUKH MAIN BHI. GOD BLESS ALL!
* I really like those two lines of happiness and sorrow described by our Jagmohan-ji. Well said!