Between Breaths!

 A constant feeling of anxiety. "What is the water level? Is it rising? Oh no! Not again.....Is it receding? Alas! Some relief..... however, until when? Check the forecast, keep checking". The water logging is taking away your peace.

Heart beats, it races, not because of adrenaline but because you can't bear to see your house, which you keep clean, decorate and embellish in every way you can, that house is getting water logged. 

Rains are important. But what has happened these days? It doesn't rain for a month and then it pours cats and dogs, destroying, damaging property, nature and everything that comes in the way.

The tall rise buildings adorn the city. The mesh of flyovers make it easy to travel huge distances, skipping the traffic underneath. The chain of roads without trees feels empty but connects and aids rapid movements across vastness. You need them all but you need the balance too. Too much of everything is injurious.

Getting up early, without having slept throughout the night, checking the water levels whenever the decibels of showers go beyond euphonious sound —yet at the dawn, up on two's, to swiftly get over with the never ending chores. These tasks that go into making a house the home, are not quite appreciated, but you keep on doing them. You've to. If you're a working professional then it's applauded how you finish them and proactively attend offices thereafter. 

But, heaven forfend, if you're a homemaker, then you've to face the barrage of "What do you do the whole day at home? Attend kitty parties?"

Cooking, cleaning, dusting, watering the plants, washing/folding clothes, scrubbing utensils, keeping everything ready for everyone at home —be it ironed outfits or warm food on plate, all this is just a thankless job. 

I keep doing it day in and day out. "The same old boring routine", my mind complaints a hundred times. I ignore the thoughts and proceed. 

In a restaurant you've a fixed printed menu. But at home, everyone just places the orders, conjured up, "I'm on diet, I need carbs only, I don't need carbs, I want only protein, I'll eat salad tonight. Make something Chatpata na.......". The list is inexhaustible. 

And if you've ailing elders, then it's another priority to attend to. You've to stick to timings, dietary requirements, and be calm, patient at the same time. Yet you're inadequate. Your efforts seem lacking at times. You're exhausted but the instructions don't seem to wear out.

I run up and down. I catch my breath. I continue. 

How productive can a person be?

The rains don't seem to cease, neither the demands of you. As if they've teamed up to test your limits.

Nevertheless, you stay strong. You are capable and may be that's why everyone expects so much from you. You're proud of yourself. You pat your own back and uplift to keep going.

I'm trying, going that extra mile. I've to advance and accomplish. I don't like to leave midway. I've never given up.

Sometimes, you show that you're tired. They do care. But you are sine qua non. And at such times patience is your sine qua non.

Vera Nazarian says "Patience is not a virtue, it is an achievement"

And it's a no mean feat! It requires significant amount of skills and courage to achieve it.

When will this end? —The most common question asked by an impatient person. 

The answer —It will never.

Because life will keep on throwing googlies at you. You may hit a sixer but not everytime. Yet, you can celebrate those sixers you've added to your kitty, before you are bowled!

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