I - SEA - YOU

The last thing that I saw as I let myself fall freely to the bottom of the sea is my husband's anxious face. I had no clue where the cerulean skies merged with the turquoise waters. I had no eyes for the spanning flora and fauna. My feet felt lite, my body lithe but heart heavy.   

"Is he ok? Why did he leave?" 

We were informed that it is a 10 feet dip but it sure felt claustrophobic ...or rather thalassophobic. The oxygen helmet which weighed 20kgs above the sea, now weighed only 2 kgs on my shoulders. My crocks helped me to move with perfect agility on the sandy floor studded with pebbles. I could count each one of those colored marbles under my feet.

We (a group of about 10 undersea-walkers...well! Since my hub left it must be precisely 9) were navigated through the purple corals, red sea whips and sea anemones. Gorgonians or sea fans fanned out in every possible colour and in every possible corner.

A crew of 'Four stripe damsel fish'  flooded us out of the blues. Being a zoology enthusiastic I looked out for sea horses and turtles but I was more than amazed by those many tentacled scorpion fish.

 I met marlin the clown fish who is still "Finding Nemo" and thought of my lost hubby with a greater sinking sensation. I am overwhelmed by an urge to see him at once. I needed him like oxygen.

Did he have blocked ears? Is he nauseous? breathing evenly?

My god!!! Is he breathing at all?

I recalled the  sign language of the swimmers. "Thumbs up - Am fine, Index up - I want to go Up, palms up - Increase my oxygen".

I turned back to find my diving instructor and call off my adventure. I found my husband falling in step with me quietly. I never realized when he returned and most importantly why?  He looked at me in the eye with a lot of questions and I found all my answers.

His eyes said  "Are you ok?"

 
And I realized he returned to make sure I am safe and enjoying the adventure with all the devilry that I can have.

 

 

Happily ever after

                                                

Her foot slipped perfectly in to the glass stilettos. The prince found his Cinderella. He took her in to his arms and asked her "will you marry me my dear?"

The boy knows what comes next. He grew apprehensive as the moment neared. He rushed to his granny and gran'pa and blindfolded them with his tiny hands.

"What? Why are you closing our eyes?" his grandparents protested.

The prince kissed Cinderella on her lips and they lived happily ever after in an embrace of love.

"No No No No. I said NOVE-AH. You shud not cee dis" the boy proclaimed trying his best to squeeze his eyes shut. His grandparents chuckled to themselves  knowing their grandson got the best of the brought up's of the generation.  

"But who will close your eyes when you close ours?" his granny decided to pull his leg.

"I squiz my eye's shut...buth sum times...I acci..dentally happen to cee a little. Buth ith's okay. Ith's Noth a big deel" the boy replies soberly.

Cupidity

He painted his granny's toe nails. He brushed his gran'pa's greys. He now thinks they are perfect for the occasion. He taught his gran'pa to kneel on his hurt knee and propose to his wife with a garden hibiscus. They did the charade pretending to please their grandson but rather they are pleased with themselves.

Just when we think we know everything about love, our grand children arrive in style marking open chapters that were never learnt before.  After all, love isn't a noun. Its a verb. One should 'Express more' to 'Experience more'.

Paediatrician - A poem

when i was born

and the cord was torn
i opened my eyes to my future.....

Not a mother
not a wife nor midwife
not some one, any one but for a
DOCTOR.
when i placed my feet out of my crib
and learned to crawl on my knees
i knew where my destiny awaits....

Not at school
Not at college nor hostel
not some where , anywhere but for my
HOSPITAL.

when i bellowed, cooed
and babbled "DA DA PAPA"
I didn't utter words at random
In fact i spoke my first words
(which i speak) even today as i meet my lil patient.

My parents thought that a daughter was born.
lest they knew not by then
a baby doctor was born
A doctor of babies was born.

YES! AM A BORN PEDIATRICIAN.

Ride on the Quad bike - Romantic or traumatic?

                                       

"zum zum zzzuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmm" I accelerated our quad bike like a toddler, armed with the knowledge that the engine is turned off.

"They are toy-like. I am having super fun" I declared to my husband who indulged himself in doing some paper work.

"what are you scribbling over there?" I try to sneak over his shoulder but he shuns me not before I chance a glance on the consent form.

"This stuff isn't dangerous?  or IS IT?" I sound carefully careless, as I buckle my golden yellow helmet.

"Not at all. Its far safer than your favourite Under-sea-walk" he replies acidly. He is upbeat with this quad thing as if he is bitten by the so called radioactive-spider.

"Causalities were reported indeed. Toppled bikes, you know, falls and all" Rohith, our co-honeymooner added in quiet an offhand manner.

"But we have guides accompanying us. I suppose nothing happens to us" his wife shruti quickly reassured me.

we took a trial round. My hub carefully navigates me through the mud path which is deliberately strewn with rocks and swamps. I cling to him tightly thinking "This might look romantic but honestly it's not-to-get-traumatic".

The gates were about to open. We were about to explore the wild. The beast-of-a-bike which was softly purring under us sprang a roar (as he accelerated). I squeezed my eyes shut to say a quick prayer when I heard shruti saying "You trusted your life with him...trust him with the bike too. Just enjoy the ride". Rohith and shruthi zoomed past us on their bike starring Dhoom4.

The forest unveiled for us. A bunch of wild piglets welcomed us. I tumbled with laughter only to gasp within seconds at an ostrich crossing paths with us. The guide warned us not to mess with it as they spotted her nesting some lucky eggs. We  took a turn and stood face-to-ass with a pack of zebras.

"Hey Marty, wherez Alex and Gloria?" I called out to the Madagascarian zebra which is different from the rest cos of its black stripes on a white mane as opposed to the general white stripes on the black.

"Go for a walk with the big cats. 600 MSUD per head. You can find Alex, Aaslan simba zuba wotever" the guide winked at me. 

we reached a clearing in the middle of the forest where the bikes were halted for a while and we pounced on a herd of deers. They gave us the 'Paparazi-are-here-again' look. They posed unflinchingly to the infinite clicks, their pupils in 'auto-acclimatization-to-the-camera-flashes' mode.

 "There is no reason to worry. This is sheer fun" I said to myself as I remounted the little beast which purred maliciously.  

Hub, bitten by the radioactive spider evolved in to a super hero by now. Cocksure of my mellow moods he headed for those killer-mid-air-summersaults.

  He guffawed as he squirted through a muddy puddle. I'm Pissed off with his antics but I hold on. He takes a sharp cut here and there giving me a neck-breaking-spine-bending ride.

"slow down chinnu...you are giving me a heart ache" I pleaded but the gush of air deafened him. He is flying while my heart is sinking.

 "oops...chinnu, my zip is giving away" I let out a panicked shriek. (I wore a chudidaar which needs to be zipped up in the front.)

"Big deal! you can always borrow my shirt" he grinned like the ever-ready-to-strip-Khan.  I can't help but to smile at the livewire I got married to. I hug him even tighter, this time little more romantic than dramatic.

The rest of this mad roller coaster ride had bum hitting bumps, lump giving lows and heartening highs but we took them all with the same gut bursting laughter.