There are times, when waiting for a connecting flight could be like a million light years! Sitting in an alien land, armed with a simple transit visa, i was stuck for the rest of 4 long hours with nothing more than my iPod, the latest copy of my favorite Fashion magazine, and some very noisy kids running around, with their mom wailing behind them!
Ah mom! My thoughts were drifting back and forth to our small apartment in Mumbai, where i spent the most impressionable years of my life. And there was mom, and me, eating our snacks and drinking milk post school, in our large balcony facing the sea. Mom worked in my school as a Math teacher, we went to school and came back together for this revere of ours together. Thinking of mom takes me back to these moments all the time, this was the best time of the day, with nothing to hurry about and just talk.
Oops! There, someone found me again! "Hi, Ms. Swapna! Oh my god! its actually you. I never, er...I'm such a big fan of yours! I wore the same thing you orderd on my wedding, remember the question i posted on your website? Oh! I forgot to add, i'm Ms.Hema, oops i had posted as 'Confused on Clothes'". I gave the mandatory smiles, and posed for a picture, which i later signed and handed it over. Hmm, life is funny! 'Confused on Clothes' what a name was that!! and moreover, its my team which answers these silly questions people pose. I call them silly, coz if it was me, i would just wear what i'm comfortable in, not what someone 'orders'. Smiling to myself, i looked at the magazine with me splashed on the cover page, with the reigning Miss World. She had won the crown, and i had to dress her up for it. Ah, the tantrums celebs throw just to get into decent clothes. Smiling to myself, i settled back looking around at those noisy kids, who had by now settled with their set of colour pencils and books.
Kids can be so difficult to manage, i watched the weary look on their mom's face. She dint notice me, all her attention was on her future Picassos. Mom's are probably like that, dreaming up their kid's futures and working meticulously on it. My mind went back to those days in the balcony of the small sea facing apartment. Mom had found my passion very early in my life, crafts and art. I loved painting, dressing up dolls, coming up with creative things around the house. We always had a routine, finish off the school chores and get to action. With the sea breeze hitting my hair, i could work as much as i could in that balcony. Into my teens, she converted it into a studio, with some amazing pull down shades for the summer. From dressing dolls, i went on to dress up mom! Her saris were my canvas, where i could experiment with works and drapes. My mom was always so proud of my work, be it sloppy or great, she would religiously wear them everywhere and show it off with pride. It was this pride of hers, which got me onto newer heights, when i chose Fashion as a career. My father was a little skeptical about my choice of college. With such good grades, thanks to Math teacher Mom, he expected an engineer atleast, if not a doctor out of me. But mom stood her ground for me, she knew my interests just too well. She trusted my choice, and that simple was it.
There was an announcement which bounced me back into the noisy airport. Yes, my flight was on time, thank god! and i should be home by late evening for my snacks and milk in the balcony with Amma. This time its a silk sari for her. Oh, today it has been woven in my own weaving unit in the villages of Gujrat, and worked upon my myself. Honestly, i spent more time on this than on that Miss World outfit staring out of the front page. I smile to myself and continue with the songs in my iPod lest i fall asleep.
Hayley Williams, sings, "Can we pretend that Airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars, i could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now". Twenty years ago, mom had probably not heard this number, but had done exactly that and made me all that i am now.
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