Some words that I have learnt during #Elections2014

The past two months have seen a kind of pre-occupied sense of political air in my house. This culminated into a euphoria on 16th May when the Modi wave of the past gave way to a thumping victory for the 'Sarkar' of  Narendra Damodardas Modi. A new era, everyone suggested had begun in Indian politics. Congratulations and Celebrations exchanged. Both at home. At work. Even on the road sides. Everyone is currently abuzz and wishing the man of the moment and has high hopes pinned on him.

Now I am a person of limited knowledge when it comes to politics and few other dozen topics. But with the overflow of information in the Bansal household, thanks to the biggest Modi fan I know was enough to teach me a bit. Now Mohit Bansal who was on a self-granted 3 month leave from everything that involved the house so he could campaign for Modi on social media has agreed to return from the exile and impose himself to the family again. Even Modiji has acknowledged the sacrifice that I have given for these 3 months in giving him my husband through the letter enclosed here. Anyhow, I have understood the meanings of certain words in these past few months thanks to the atmosphere in the country and everywhere around me.

Campaign-
What it meant for me- Till 2 months back, I only knew of Social Media campaigns which onlinepokernews.in ran for its readers. Now I know otherwise.

Right Wing/Left Wing-
What it meant for me- Some sort of political parties with some sort of views.

Pseudo Secular-
What it meant for me- Word No 1 prevalent in every article in every newspaper. I have no clue what it meant as a phrase. The husband used it multiple times every day for the past 3 months. I don't have an opinion on whether being secular is a good thing or no.

Minority Appeasement-
What it meant for me- Word No 2 prevalent in every article in every newspaper. Now I knew what the two words know separately. Keeping the minorities happy. Why that is a controversial one, I don't know. Clueless and don't plan to understand. It sounds like one of those 'divide and rules' sort of words.

Communal Riots-
What it meant for me- Word No 3 used in every article in every newspaper. This is one word every Indian is used to reading and so hates. I learnt the true meaning of this word in the context of the Indian Electorate(another word I learnt) through the past months.

Gujarat Model-
What it meant for me- Word No 4 used in every article in every newspaper. This word was something I understood when I visited Ahmadabad in Dec 2013. Only a visit to one of the developed cities of Gujarat can explain this 'Gujarat Model'.

Hindu-Nationalist-
What it meant for me- Word No 5 used in every article in every newspaper. Clueless and don't plan to understand. It sounds like one of those 'divide and rules' sort of words.

Governance-
What it meant for me- The rule that India was subjected to these past 67 years was some form of governance. What is the good side of governance is about to begin NOW. Knock Wood.

AAPtard-
What it meant for me- For a long time, I thought it was a non-abusive word coined for everyone who followed AAP blindly. I only realised the connection with the word B@$^@%D a month back. Call me stupid or plain gullible.

Bhakt
What it meant for me- People who visited temples regularly and believed in the God All mighty. But these are supposed to be another category of Bhakts who opine, debate and support BJP(read Modi) to any extent.

Dynasty Politics-
What it meant for me- The only Dynasty whose rulers I could remember by heart till a few months back was the Mughal Dynasty. But now I also know another Dynasty in India. Are they done and dusted? Only time will tell.

My political vocabulary repertoire is still very limited and I do not wish it increases too much if the colors are in black above are the ones which will be added. Happy to add the colorful red color words and hopefully Modi will bring about this brightness in our lives. The grey colored words are the ones that the country can get rid of immediately.

Take a Bow! Awaiting Good, better and bestest Times! We rest our faith in Modi, lets hope and pray he delivers!

R

Not an Year now but 21 months

So we celebrated Myra's first birthday on 8th May. And as they say, it does seem like yesterday that I actually held her for the first time and looked into those pretty eyes and held that tiny hand. But then again, she is turning one for the others. For me she has been one year for so long. For me she completes 21 months now and soon two years. Nine months within my system and the 12 months outside my physical body but so synced with my inside always.

For me, she is the second born who didn't do any thing path breaking but was still so special that no words can express it. She didn't make me a mother, I was already one. She didn't make me a mom of a daughter, I had already mothered one. Yet, she was special. She didn't add to the 'Indian' quintessential 'Happy Family' thingie but for insiders she did complete us. She may not have been the 'son' to complete our family but she is the 'child' who does make us a family and a complete one at that!

From the time that she was first kicking inside the tummy to todays times when she slaps my face lovingly, Myra is the 'not so pampered' second child. The child who when was born came with the two word declaration from the operating doc- 'Girl child'. Thats what she proclaimed and my heart skipped a beat. Not because I wanted a boy child but because I hoped my family would still be able to rejoice. I always knew I was having a daughter, both times in my pregnancy. Mothers always know!

But to uphold the collective hopes of an Indian family together and bring 'wholesome' joy to them is a difficult task. Congratulations were exchanged but the smiles were faint. Maybe it was fatigue! My heart knew the obvious. But the two smiles that matter the most were bright and curvy. Navya and Mohit coudn't be happier. While the first born had become an elder sister, the doting father was happy to add to his female following! And as the aches and pains of a C-Section delivery went away so did the uncertainty of how loved my 'second girl child' be.

Her birth an year back did mature me into a more responsible character. I started hallucinating of the times they will marry and go away. I was dreading the dowry discussions and the after marriage wrath. Too much, too early. But then again, being a mother is tiring enough and being that of 'two female kiddies' in India is a whole different thing. There is the physical strain on your body as well as the mental responsibility that stays 24 hours. Just another side-effect of being in this Indian society.

The Modern Mommy may not relate to anything that i wrote. But it is the bitter truth that has to be digested with some sugar coating. I and my family love my two daughters to bits and would not want to have anything but them as our first choice. But somewhere in those empty expressions that the world gives when it sees you with two daughters and those curious questions of a third 'boy' child leads to a vaccum that nothing can fill and no one can understand. Apart from the responsibility that comes with mothering two daughters in an Indian society, life throws at you these social conditions that you have to brave through...

Being a second daughter myself, I find it fitting to share this on Mothers Day and tribute it to my Mom. She sailed through in those 'orthodox' times in a 'joint' family so I can surely grumble off the occasional critic.