With the onset of winters there's another season that needs to be welcomed......tis the season of marriages...........the rate being an average of 2 marriages per week............not that I have any complaints (except for the wide array of cuisines.....coz in the end one leaves the premises with an absolutely confused mind and stomach)..................
but I love the scrupulously planned weddings............its amazing to find so many colours as well as emotions under one roof................the various rituals, the fun and frolics of the youngsters, the decors, the gifts, the flashy and flaunty ladies, the nervous brides and I guess the bridegrooms too :-p, including the tantrums of ajji's, kaku's, mavshi's .....et al...............................
However amongst the hustle-bustle that existed in all the marriages, I couldn’t help but notice one common expression on a particular face that held the same designation in every marriage..........The Father(s) of the Bride(s)..........................................!!!
Though their façade was exultant, there was a veiled fear that maybe, can be identified and related with, only by a species called ‘daughters’……………This is an innate fear of every ‘father of a daughter’ and which I think forever remains unexplained and unconsoled……………. (all this philosophy is solely an outcome of a realization within myself that says, “you are a daughter yourself” :-p )
And before this post gets any bizarre……….its necessary to explain why this thought crossed my mind……………………Saleel Kulkarni and Sandeep Khare, the celebrated duo in the music industry, are creating remarkable works with their literary and musical prowess…………. Besides having the privilege of being Saleel Kulkarni’s student I consider myself fortunate to witness and be a part of some of his wonderful works…………………….and one such wonder is a musical composition called ‘Damlelya Babachi Kahani’………………………………..it has been an instant hit amongst the music aficionados all over Maharashtra…………..
What appealed to me most in the song was the, the beautiful description of this above mentioned ‘fear’……………it invariably turns the listener’s eyes moist …………..the song explicitly describes the turmoil a father faces when it suddenly dawns upon him that his daughter won’t be around henceforth……………. He regrets losing out on her childhood, while chasing his career, ironically only to provide all the possible comforts to her.……………..
Also at the release function of this album, a few people from the audience were invited to express their opinions about the song………which I feel is quite unique, as the exact impact of the composition could be appropriately gauged………………..The belief behind doing so being that, there is an unexpressed side to every persons character that remains always susceptible to emotions if instigated in the right manner…………which the song aptly did………..!
And it was then when I realized, that every person dwells some kind of ‘fear’ in his/her mind………….’fear of loss’, ‘fear of failure’, ‘fear of dejection’ etc I feel are all mundane, but what tops the list is the ‘fear of being happy’ [however the idea is open to individual perception……!!!]…………………………………………….. And now coming back to the marriages and the Fathers and the Brides……..I feel it is this fear that possesses these beings……….coz amidst all the happiness there’s a sadness silhouetted around it………………a Father could be aptly called as the ‘unexpressed mother of a child’………but then as I said earlier, this gap forever remains unexpressed and unexplained……….and as it is often said, some things are beautiful if left incomplete…….maybe that’s what beautifies the relation even more…………..!!!
P.S: Though there isn’t any specific occasion or for that matter a reason to do so, I would still like to dedicate this post to every ‘Father of a Daughter’………Baba you too….!! :-p
