The Cot, Yashoda Singh
[07-10-2006]
There are three cots in her house. Sitting on one, the dark skinned Noorjahan apaa, with half the hair on her head having turned white, gold ear rings strung into the string attached to her spectacles, was intently opening the chain on a bag she was holding. Another bag emerged from this bag, shinier and more beutiful than the one before. She unzipped this second bag, and it revealed a third bag, more beautiful than either of the two before, and with fresher colours. Seeing this, a smile spread across my lips. I said excitedly, "Wow! Bag inside bag! It's looking so beautiful."
Sweeping her hand over a bag she said, "My daughter gave this to me; she made it from the scraps of cloth left over each time she got a new suit stitched. She said to me, 'ammi, use them to keep your special things'." Saying this she began looking at the bags lovingly.
There are three cots in her house. Sitting on one, the dark skinned Noorjahan apaa, with half the hair on her head having turned white, gold ear rings strung into the string attached to her spectacles, was intently opening the chain on a bag she was holding. Another bag emerged from this bag, shinier and more beutiful than the one before. She unzipped this second bag, and it revealed a third bag, more beautiful than either of the two before, and with fresher colours. Seeing this, a smile spread across my lips. I said excitedly, "Wow! Bag inside bag! It's looking so beautiful."
Sweeping her hand over a bag she said, "My daughter gave this to me; she made it from the scraps of cloth left over each time she got a new suit stitched. She said to me, 'ammi, use them to keep your special things'." Saying this she began looking at the bags lovingly.
This is our third meeting with her. Whenever we come, we find her fanning herself with a hand held fan and she begins to talk to us with a lot of affection about different people in her family. The house, open from all sides, gets filled with so many presences that I lose track of time amidst them. I sense a big, happy family which will return home in the evening and the three cots will get filled with stories from the day that has passed. Anecdotes from different days appear on her lips each time we meet her.
While chatting I asked her, “How many children do you have?” I think she didn't expect this question. She just sat there looking at me for some time. Then she said, “No child, I have no children. I have been married thirty years.” She said this and then picked up a plastic bag lying next to her and started to transfer the ghee from it into a container. She said, “The house is open from all sides right now, and will take shape slowly. Right now dogs come in from any side and drag away the packets of ghee.”
While chatting I asked her, “How many children do you have?” I think she didn't expect this question. She just sat there looking at me for some time. Then she said, “No child, I have no children. I have been married thirty years.” She said this and then picked up a plastic bag lying next to her and started to transfer the ghee from it into a container. She said, “The house is open from all sides right now, and will take shape slowly. Right now dogs come in from any side and drag away the packets of ghee.”
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