Young Forever!

Few days back, one interesting thing happened.  It was kind of very soothing night here in Delhi, slightly cold breeze and partially clear sky. I was enjoying every bit of this lovely weather while standing in my balcony. Suddenly my ears heard few calming tunes of black and white era. Okay, after a minute I was able to recognize the song, it was, ‘Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat..’ and I too started humming this song, actually to be true I was not humming, I was literally screaming. All of a sudden my neighbor came outside in his balcony and started staring me. He then asked me whether I like this song. I nodded my head in agreement. Then we just started talking on random topics and laughed and gossiped. Then his wife also joined us in his balcony and later I came to know that it was wife’s birthday and they were celebrating it and were dancing on that song which I was trying to sing in my very high pitched voice few moments back. Then they invited me to join them in their celebration, and I was like, okay..I am just coming in a bit. I was back at my room and was searching my cupboards for a book to wrap it up quickly and give it to them as a gift. The book was a Hindi novel named as ‘Gunaahon ke Devta’ by Dharamvir Bharti. (I only have read few pages of this book, and I find this novel too filmy. Basically, I don’t like anything and/or anyone which/who is filmier than me :P) I always wanted to get rid of this book, and this occasion, I felt, was the bestest chance to get rid of it. ;)

Next moment, I gave them their book, and they were like..areh arreh, iski kya jarurat thi and I murmured to myself I don’t care whether you need it or not but I truly need to get rid of this book :P. Later they offered me a big piece of cake (if somehow I would have known that they would be offering me this ultra big piece of cake, then I would really not have joined them in their party because I hate cakes X-( ) While I was trying to eat that super big piece of cake, I noticed that there were only three people in that room and it was really odd to see an old couple to celebrate any occasion this blissfully without their sons or daughters or relatives. So I enquired them about their family, education, social life, favorite movies and songs and blah blah like any FBI agent. And they even patiently answered my each and every question. They have only one son who lives abroad and comes to India once or twice in 3-4 years. Even when he is home he spends most of his time with his friends. I noticed that they became very emotional while talking about their beloved son and I could even see their wrinkled eyes getting wet, but at the very same time they told me that they don’t hold any grudges against their son instead they feel happy that their son is very well settled in some European country. But actually, I could sense the pain in those happy words.

But still I was so puzzled that this couple is so aged (they were something around 65 or 70), how they have managed to be so happy and still so healthy, so I asked them this question. You know what they said? They said, ‘LOVE’, love for each other which is still as fresh as morning’s air and as sacred as the Geeta. Believe me, this one word answer touched my soul. I never had expected this answer, and I couldn’t say anything but just smile.

I now meet them almost every day and trust me I never have seen this couple worried or sad. I don’t know from where they get so much passion and courage to lead this life so delightfully. They play badminton and volleyball with little kids in our apartment, they sing, they dance, they crack jokes and they are so much in love with each other and most importantly they respect this miracle called ‘life’. I believe, they have something extra ordinary in them and I am still wondering what that extra ordinary thing is.

Humph, I guess that’s what we call ‘Living life king size’ :P, but jaate jaate ek sher arz hai ;)

“Apni jawani ka gurur kisko hai Ghalib, Jawani umra se nahi karishme se jhalakni chahiye..”