All who have
seen the 1971 Hindi movie, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s “Guddi" would understand what I am going to say. The scene where a school-girl
Jaya Bhaduri (as she was known then) in her frocks goes inside a room and
emerges out of it wearing a red silk saree,
leaving everybody awestruck, was replayed at my home yesterday.
My daughter
became a young lady yesterday, when she wore a saree for her school farewell. I can’t remember when my small girl
who would hold my hand while crossing the road and look up to me, started
staring at me at the same level (an inch taller than me I suppose, in her high
heeled shoes!) slipping her arm in my arm, grew up to look absolutely stunning.
Is this the same bundle of joy that I brought home from the hospital some
fifteen years back? Is this the same chubby kid who would giggle at every
gimmick of mine? Is this the same girl who would be uncomfortable in the
squeak-when-you-walk shoe, walking confidently in the new heeled shoe?
First day to School - 2002 |
Last day in School - 2013 |
Just when did
this metamorphosis happen?
In the three-hour movie I could see it happen with
Jaya Bhaduri, but how did I miss it for my daughter? When did she stop wearing
lacy frocks and jump into jeans and now a saree?
When did Enid Blyton’s Noddy give way to Harry Potter? When did Cartoon Network
get replaced by the soaps of Star World? When did small shoes give way to
high-heeled shoes? When did giggles on silly gimmicks give way to ‘grow-up-Dad’
looks? Life sure has been fast!
For the moment,
I was speechless, and for the rest of the evening, I was worried. How could I
let her alone in this big bad world? The small girl has grown up and will soon
be ready to fly – will the world be as caring as the confines of my home? Will
she find the care and comfort that I have provided her till date?
But let’s leave
the worries for another day and savour the moment, that for want of a better
word I call – my Guddi moment!
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