She has a mild air about herself. She is the round which
does not have the sharp edges. She would give a 5 second hug on an average by
leaning over and covering up the object of the hug. Many things in everyday
life amuse her. She would be often caught smiling at something or someone. She
receives reality with a serious face devoid of criticism and bitterness.
Abstract theories first elicit an amused smile from her and if she is convinced
she will look awed… not awe-struck. She would drag the ends of her pink mouth
down, raise one well shaped eye-brow and change the size of her eyes. Depending
on whether the abstract theory is pleasant or unpleasant, she would either
enlarge her eyes or narrow it down in perceived scrutiny. She follows an
internal schedule, as the to-do’s don’t work for her. But then she keeps a
laundry list of sorts. She does not read books. She is the ‘yo’ generation
product. Her magnanimous tablet serves the purpose of providing to her the joy
of larger-than-lifefacebook(ing), whatsapp(ing) and sliding through the list of
Bollywood romantic numbers which she listens to through speakers. Earphones are
not used, as they usually manage to hopelessly tangle with her large hooped
silver earrings with intricate mosaic patterns on it, like the jaali on Salim Chisti’sdurgah.
She is a person of sensual pleasures. She loves filling up the five senses with
aesthetic beauty, fragrance and aroma, food exploding with rich spices and
tongue dissolving sweetness, the feel of satin and silk against her well groomed
skin and the luscious instrumental music seducing her to sweet promises of
love, romance and ecstasy. Everywhere she goes, she walks in looking neither
busy, nor important nor as though she has to conquer the destination. She looks
disarmed as though she has kept away her pistol after unloading the magazine.
She does not set off the fire alarm in the room with her presence. She looks
around as though there is no agenda with which she uses her visual power. She never
really strategized her life. She always managed to get the second seat in the
two-seater bus heading towards a great career and a great life partner. She
always looked amused at the struggle many made to catch the running bus heading
towards their own happily-ever-afters. Marie Antoinette once said… ‘If there is
no bread, give them cake!’
This is Gedatsu for you who screws up her nose at the sound
of her name after choosing to discard the beautiful meaning it carries. Her god
mother named her thus to denote liberation and using wisdom to be unaffected by
life’s suffering and living in a way that leads to becoming a better person
each day. ‘You slumber, my child’, the god mother would playfully chide
Gedatsu, hoping that she would one day wake up to her potential. For now, Aida
as she is called out, is LOL(ing) over a joke her 2 day old fiancé has
whatsapped her. It is hard to ignore the mystic rhyme Aida’s name has, to Mount
Ida in Tennyson’s ‘Oenone’. Aida is an instinctive bride with moves à propos. She does not overdo the smiles, the coy moves and the
enamored look. She looks as though she ought to give the right meat to her own
memories, to the photographs and to the wedding video. Not to forget, give
enough poetic thoughts to her love struck husband so that he can keep talking
about it for days on end, in several different situations much after the
wedding has happened.
Aida settles down to her job and marriage in an unfazed and
unrushed manner. She does not look ruffled because she does not let anything
bother her so deeply so as to elicit such a hyper reaction. She at times, comes
back home from work on a half-day at a whim because she feels like cooking
lasagna with her husband and chatting with him about the latest film, bashing
the objet d’art to smithereens. While relishing the lasagna, the husband would
inspire Aida to apply for a competitive exam because she is a bright girl. Not
inquiring too much into its return of investment, Aida starts studying for the
exam because she feels that her husband who is out there to prove his
cosmopolitan moves, would highly appreciate if he is the one leading Aida to
success so that he can later play humble when she attains victory; wanting the
credit for his support during their love making.
Aida is rustling up her salad when her husband comes in and
gently reminds her that the exam results would be out in an hour’s time. Aida
on cue, gives the husband car keys as though giving the knight his sword to go
out there and get the golden cup. The husband indulgently smiles as he looks
forward to a sumptuous meal when he returns after collecting Aida’s outstanding
result.
The husband takes Aida out for a movie date as a treat. Earlier
in the day, he had walked in at the Directorate’s office and loudly proclaimed
the name of his wife (adding his surname to it) who merited a distinction in
the exam. After getting enough envious and admirable stares, the husband
quickly realizes the need to be humble and walks out of the room with a slow
and happy pace. He loves picking out Gedatsu’s clothes for the dates they
usually go on. While he does that, Aida spritzes on her perfume and instantly
the entire room smells of Britannia Marie biscuit smothered in sweet vanilla
essence. She delicately puts on her silver hooped earrings and wears the
husband picked kurta which does more to adding coyness to her gender than
enhancing her personality.
On another occasion when Aida is escorted by her husband for
a long drive, along with some of the friends, she smiles sweetly to all of them
and makes small talk about the weather, latest films and gadgets. To the
friends, the husband starts praising about Aida’s latest achievement in the
competitive exam and as though again on cue, Aida talks intelligent stuff and
gives spiel on the knowledge she grasped. She stops at the 5th
minute because she does not want to sound so intelligent that she becomes
inaccessible.
Aida always talks about reality as though it was always
there and it has always been unchanging. She shows as though she does not
believe that life is dynamic and subject to change. Her husband points these
realities to her and she looks surprised, enamored and in love. Her husband
leads her to a life where they can progress.
In order to be labeled as progressive, Aida works at a
reputed firm and earns an impressive designation. When she and her husband move
into their own 4 BHK sprawling apartment, Aida gets pregnant and resigns from
her job. She and her husband take turns in cooking. He feeds her meals and
feels her stomach to catch any foetal movement.
When guests come home, Aida behaves the way she did when she
was a bride… her moves à propos. She looks like a happy glowing
mother cooing to her child while breastfeeding. She takes hold of the camera to
take endless candid shots of the husband with the child. Aida never complains
of post partum depression because her husband keeps her pampered by buying her gifts,
taking her on holidays, for Bollywood films and keeping her more entertained by
watching ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma’ on SAB TV.
Her husband calls Aida the muse of his
life and the foundation on which they built a life together.
One day Aida is visited by her god mother
who asks her, “When are you becoming Gedatsu?”
