The First Sari ...

I am a Veteran Empty Nester, with 5 intense years of experience.

From denial, drama, melodrama, tears, anxiety … to a calm acceptance, my journey as a parent, with her jigar-ka-tukda living saat-samundar-paar, has come full circle.

When daughter dearest became a working girl, it meant that she was no longer a college student, with those luxurious months of holidays, which are mainly meant for us sad parents, to soak up suputri love.

I have the reputation of being quite the drama queen, but have quite surprised my miya & beti, by handling the transition quite well & making the most of that ugly phrase, ‘quality time’!!!
Just when I was patting myself on my broad back, for behaving like a mature & sensible adult …

my daughter’s best friend is getting married & hamaari beti is one of the bridesmaids. The wedding is in Tulsa, USA and she goes directly there, from London, where she lives.

My heart melted, when she sent me a picture of herself, in her bridesmaid's dress. Like any reasonable, level headed, unbiased mother, I thought my daughter looked like a princess and could not stop looking at the photo.

Then a few days later, she casually mentioned, that for one of the events, all the bridesmaids were going to wear saris and that she planned to look for a sari and blouse in Southhall, the desi part of London.

Strangely, Shiksha has never worn a sari in her life. Lehengas, Anarkalis, Paavadais, Dhavanis … all kinds of desi gear, but not a sari.

Suddenly I wanted to cry. I was no longer a brave empty nester. I had this desperate need to be with my daughter, when she bought her first sari. I had to be the one who helped her drape those six yards around herself. I sobbed at the thought that my mother was not there to call up and excitedly tell her that Shiksha was going to wear a sari.

How can six yards of fabric & the thought of it wrapped around Beti S, turn me into a mushy mess?!

This too shall pass … I will be back to posting inappropriate jokes on facebook and doing what I am best at – nothing!!!

But aaj, abhi, ippo … my thoughts are with that piece of my heart, wandering around a desi district of London, having dosas and pani-puri & shopping for her ekdum first sari!