Chapter 09.02 - The Makers

An account of our central character, (“Dares To Dream”)’s life, is incomplete sans the mention of "The Makers".

Here goes,

Mom:

Well, what to say about her, “Dares To Dream” has always known her to be the world’s most lovable and addresses her as such every time a conversation gets initiated. It goes like this…”World’s most lovable mom, how are you doing? blah blah blah…”. Which is why, for the sake of our narrative, it would be best to refer to her as such - ”Most lovable”.

Seriously though, if you have met “Most Lovable”, you have definitely, fallen for her (Dad, beware!). She is a woman of heart, which is what “Dares To Dream” has always been so appreciative of and I do think that it is this remarkable attribute that distinguishes her from the rest and makes her the remarkable woman that she is... one who will do anything for Love.

Evidently, her parents had ceased to exist when she was a kid and so she was brought up by a whole gamut of aunts and uncles (that’s as far as my knowledge goes about my maternal uncles, aunts and the like).

Dad:

Hmm…now that’s a tough one (nope daddy dearest, I am not saying it’s challenging to write anything about you, all I am saying is, there is so much that I just don’t know where to begin. Happy? Better. Phew!).

Let’s start by coining a name for him for our narrative…umm…“Pampers Audaciously” should be a good one (that says it all - about him!). “Pampers Audaciously” meaning, pampers audaciously, meaning, pampers audaciously…someone who pampers without a care…someone who just knows how to pamper (spoil, coddle, cosset and what have you) left right and centre. Yup! That’s my dad.

I have never known “Pampers Audaciously”, to care about (or is it, “give a damn to”?), the “accepted norms” (and you will know what I mean when I have presented the next chapter, “Small Town Girl”, shortly after).

But yes, his parents were very much in existence (at that time). Just so we complete the picture.

The Making:

The next part is interesting (don’t worry - we won’t go into the details of the “process”, we will just scratch the surface)…

In that era (it’s what, late sixties/ early seventies?), during a festival, “Most Lovable” and “Pampers Audaciously” met in a (Goddess Durga) temple at Gwalior and it was love at first sight (How cool is that!) - As some of you may have rightly deduced, this festival is none other than the most celebrated NAVRATRI fairs at Mandre Ki Maata. Hang on now, isn’t she (Goddess Durga i.e.) also known to be the malignant goddess of war? - That explains the near-fatal escape (love) and the most unfortunate aftermath (me)!

Although, it surpasses me, how, if love is blind, can there be a first “sight” (or any “sight” for that matter) - “The grapes are sour” huh?…Truly, I never inherited any of mom’s entrancing abilities (the one’s that enable someone to be “charmed” at first sight), which is why I had to make “Eats A Lot” see me numerous times to make “it” happen for me (more like creating a Stockholm Syndrome or something - i.e. if you equate the object in question to victim and “making the object see me multiple times” to pain being inflicted upon that object)…

More like…umm…more like…umm…the “victim” rather than the “Object” of my affection (or desire - for that matter). Oh, boy! My heart goes out to him (May the Good Lord save him).

My last words on the Stockholm Syndrome? All I can say, having tried that is, it works (although, I would strongly discourage you from trying that sort of a thing).

Back to the rents (& their love at first sight thing)…

So, “Pampers Audaciously” proposed “Most Lovable”. When “Most Lovable” broke that news to her siblings they vehemently opposed and asked her to forget them if she wanted to marry someone outside of her caste. What did “Most Lovable” do? Well, she decided to follow her heart…

It was the senior (aka, fourth/final) year for dad’s undergraduate study (aka, bachelor's degree) in engineering (civil being the major, i.e.). I am told that it was then that he “popped the question”, so to say. I am not sure if he was hoping for a quick answer or he wanted to complete his engineering…anyway, knowing my mom, it did not take me by surprise having learnt that dad decided to elope (with “Most Lovable”, of course) to get married chop-chop.

The news (for when it finally fell in the ears of my grandparents) of their wedlock wasn’t received very well, considering it was made known through a friend of dad’s (before dad could break the news in person himself i.e.)…Even today, “Pampers Audaciously” fondly remembers this friend as a…as a…toad (for want of a better word).

“Pampers Audaciously” got himself a job after engineering and then in Mumbai they gave birth to this angelic daughter (negative, not me… I make an entry much later, this time it’s sis) and (as you rightly inferred), the non-angelic one (or the one whom all you delectable Cybercitizens otherwise also commonly know as your, “Dares To Dream”) came into existence in Shillong, a lustrum after.

With the alliance of “Pampers Audaciously” and “Most Lovable”, I think sis & I could have been aptly named, “Lovably Pampers” (sis) and “Audacious Most” (yours truly!) or something to that effect...if you know what I mean. That in a nutshell sums up our characteristics. So you see, if mom would not have decided to marry my dad, then I would not have been what I am - mostly audacious!

I love you, precious parental units (even more that you didn’t name me as such). You are the Best. I do hope and pray that I am born into you guys (each time I come into existence, that is). You mean the world to me. Do me a favor, can you please “make” me in America next time - just kind of dig the idea of being “Made In America” (and because I am such a movie buff) that’s all…I think I should just close up now - for it may not be a wise decision to ask the parental units to re-do me for the rents may not want to “make” the same mistake again!

XOX,

I guess, I remain,

Certainly not “Made In America”???!!!