Love across the salt desert

In our class XII English text book we had a chapter titled "Love across the salt desert". This is the story of Najab Hussain who falls in love with Fatimah, daughter of a spice seller from the other side of Kutch. Known to be a simpleton, Najab decides to brave the vast desert to meet his beloved. When they do meet, Fatimah discloses her fears of her family getting her married to another suitor. On hearing this Najab asks her if she would want to come with him on the journey back. Her entry into Najab's village is greeted with the falling of raindrops for the first time in two years.

I particularly love the following passage which tells the thoughts going through Fatimah's mind during the ride.

"It was only in passing that she thought of the village she was leaving for good. As for quitting one and entering another, she never gave it a thought. Where did one have the time for Pakistan and Hindustan when one was eloping with one’s love and crossing the desert which divided, both physically and symbolically, the two countries? For her it meant just a shift in dialect, a smear of Kutchi added and a little of Sindhi sandpapered away."

Fatimah's willingness to leave home, absence of worries about fitting into a new family, and simplistic approach to the huge transition about to take place, are highly endearing. In a world which has a habit of throwing doubts at you, she shows us how easy it really is embracing the changes in our lives.

She makes us realize that when in love we shouldn't be afraid of taking the leap.

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PS: Do you remember reading the story in school? What relevance does it hold for you today?

More romantic movie dialogues

1. Never Been Kissed
Josie: That thing, that moment, when you kiss someone and everything around becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this person and you realize that that person is the only person that you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life, and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you want to laugh and you want to cry because you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that that it will go away all at the same time.


2. 13 Going On 30
Jenna: You want to know a secret?
Matt: Yeah.
Jenna: You are the sweetest guy I have ever met.



3. Runaway Bride
Ike: Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me.



4. As Good As It Gets
Melvin (to Carol): I might be the only person on the face of the earth that knows you're the greatest woman on earth. I might be the only one who appreciates how amazing you are in every single thing that you do, and how you are with Spencer, "Spence," and in every single thought that you have, and how you say what you mean, and how you almost always mean something that's all about being straight and good. I think most people miss that about you, and I watch them, wondering how they can watch you bring their food, and clear their tables and never get that they just met the greatest woman alive. And the fact that I get it makes me feel good, about me.


5. Sleepless In Seattle
Dr. Marcia: Tell me what was so special about your wife?
Sam: Well, how long is your program?... Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were suppose to be together... and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home... only to no home I'd ever known... I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like... magic.

Without condition

When I let my thoughts wander a bit, a question that comes to my mind is that is there anything called true love. Many would say there isn't because love is always conditional. At first they do seem to be right. After all children always expect support from their parents. Younger siblings always want to be looked after by their elder brothers and sisters. Parents too hope that their kids on growing up will take care of them in old age. Even in our search for a life partner we tend to confine ourselves to a space defined by the qualities we desire for in a spouse.

Agreed that we expect certain conditions to be fulfilled. But what happens when they are not met to our satisfaction? Or when we happen to encounter in addition particular attributes, good or bad, which were unanticipated?

We don't start hating our children when they do not come first in their class. We might fight with our siblings but that does not mean everything is lost. We make up after those arguments. Your fiancee might act silly occasionally but you don't stop loving her. Your would-be might be a few cities apart but that does not diminish your feelings.

In my opinion, while it may be circumstances and needs which bring two people together but what keeps them truly entwined are selfless emotions unbound by any conditions.

Kaise mujhe tum....

This year I began my account of hindi movies by watching Aamir Khan's Ghajini in Bangalore. I did not like the film that much. But I came out loving one of the songs Kaise mujhe tum... from it. I suppose the reason for this is that the lyrics so beautifully convey what you feel when you've finally found your special someone.

It tells how when its just you and your thoughts, you wonder how did this miracle happen so much so that you can't believe your luck (Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi... Kismat pe aaye na yakeen...).

Then when you actually get a chance to spend some time with this person it leaves you confused because you are unable to decide whether you should just keep gazing at him or close your eyes and just go on endelessly hearing his voice full of love (Dekhoon tumhe ya main sunoo?).

There's only one question that you keep on asking the man in front of you. What took you so long? Why did you not come in my life earlier? (Kyon pehle na aayi tum?)

You remember the times you lamented at God asking Him why you were alone (Main toh yeh sochta tha ke aaj kal... Uparwaale ko fursat nahi). However, now you can't help but thank Him enough everyday with your faith in Him having increased by manifold (Meri nazar mein chadh gaya... Rutbe mein woh aur badh gaya).

Having realized "this is the one" you are left without doubts that you will never let go. Seasons may change but you'll always be there for your beloved every moment from hereon (Badlengi rituen ada ... Par main rahoongi sada... Har lamha har pal).

With that background let me put the lyrics of the entire song for you to savour.

Film: Ghajini
Music: A. R. Rahman
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi
Singers: Benny Dayal and Shreya Ghoshal

Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi?
Kismat pe aaye na yakeen
Utar aayi jheel mein
Jaise chaand utarta hai kabhi
Houle houle dheere se

Gunguni dhoop ki tarah se
Tarranum mein tum
Chuke mujhe
Guzri ho yoon
Dekhoon tumhe Ya main sunoo?
Tum ho sukoon
Tum ho junoo
Kyun pehle na aayi tum?

Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi?
Kismat pe aaye na yakeen...

Main toh yeh sochta tha ke aaj kal
Uparwaale ko fursat nahi
Phir bhi tumhe banaake woh
Meri nazar mein chadh gaya
Rutbe mein woh aur badh gaya
Zindagi sitar ho gayi
Rimjhim malhar ho gayi
Mujhe aata nahi kismat pe apni yakeen
Kaise mujhko mil gayi?

Badle raaste jharne aur nadi
Badle ret ki tim tim
Chedhe zindagi dhun koi nayi
Badle barkha ki rimjhim
Badlengi rituen ada
Par main rahoongi sada
Usi tarah teri baahon mein baahein daalke
Har lamha har pal

Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi?
Kismat pe aaye na yakeen...

Motivation

I loved this cartoon strip as I sometimes really do behave like Garfield. Thankfully these days with lots of things on my hand and head like my pre-synopsis presentation, synopsis submission, wrapping up my Ph.D. thesis work, and worrying about it all, I have enough to force me to get out of bed every morning. I am however hoping that my lazy ways and days come soon again. :-)