Autumn Leaves by Indira




		In the autumn of her life, Indira calls up the evergreen memories of the spring and summer. Realising a lifelong ambition, she picks up the pen to bring to life once more her more than usual adventures.


		The Fascinating World of Books (6th September 2002) The atmosphere at home was also conducive to reading, as my father (a bibliophile) had a wide variety of books stacked away in five or six bookcases... My Teaching Stint (23rd August 2002) I did not know what was in store for me. When I faced a sea of faces in the pre-university class (of more than a hundred girls), I nearly fainted... Independence, Gandhiji and I (16th August 2002) I still remember the day Gandhiji died. My sister and I, along with some friends, had gone to watch a dance performance by Kumari Kamala, the famous Bharatanatyam dancer. The date was January 30th 1948... My Music "Yatra" (9th August 2002) ...nobody seemed to notice my interest in music. If someone had suggested that I should join my sisters, I would perhaps have learnt the saptaswaras and gone through the whole course of classical (Carnatic) music... Freedom from Slavery (2nd August 2002) I would avidly watch each and every episode from Monday to Friday. If the power went off, I would fret and fume; if anybody talked to me while I was watching the serial, I would make signs for them not to talk to me... Love's Labour Lost - Part III (26th July 2002) The stranger sat down and said in a shaking voice, "I came to deliver a package sent by Shiv Kumar, who had been Ramani's husband. How is the boy, Velu?" Love's Labour Lost - Part II (14th June 2002) Ramani was back to square one. History seemed to be repeating itself. Like her mother, she was left alone with a small kid... Love's Labour Lost - Part I (7th June 2002) As Ramani was good in sewing, she was given training in cutting and stitching. She continued to do well in studies and became an expert seamstress by the time she became sixteen... Retribution (31st May 2002) Munna was as usual playing on the lower slopes of the hill. Chasing his ball, he was on the edge of an incline and was on the verge of slipping down the slope... Victims of Fate (24th May 2002) Gopal Banerjee had come to Mumbai thirty years ago to take up the job of an accountant in a private firm. He had married Sudesha, a Bengali like himself, but born and brought up in Mumbai. The Choice (17th May 2002) Neela was not pleased to hear her husband's plan. She was bent upon fixing Smita's marriage with Nitin. How to put off the Delhi boy? The Iron-willed Ganga (10th May 2002) Ganga was short and thin, but she had an iron will. She was left penniless when her husband passed away suddenly. With two small children, it was difficult to make ends meet... The Reconciliation (3rd May 2002) Sumati had just finished her Master's in Communication. Ghosh wanted to settle her marriage with a software engineer who was in the States... A Catty Tale (26th April 2002) Don't expect me to sing paeans in praise of cats. I am writing this in frustration, as all the family members are ganged up against me: my husband, daughters and grandchildren are all mesmerised by cats... Moore Market Nostalgia (19th April 2002) Moore market was like a rambling department store. There were shops selling all kinds of things. After going round the building doing window-shopping, we would halt at our favourite shops - the bookshops selling second-hand books... Mosquito Dance (12th April 2002) The mosquitoes, big and small, attack one at all times of the day and night - inside the house or outside the house. They have a knack of attacking me when I'm busy... Some Hair-raising Events (5th April 2002) I slipped on a pebble and started sliding down the slope. Terrified, I started looking for something to catch hold of, as I went on helplessly sliding downward... Cricket Blues (29th March 2002) My husband gleefully sets about preparing the arsenal for watching cricket on TV. Containers full of salty snacks, groundnuts, biscuits, sweet - all are arrayed on the dining table... Travails of Bus Travel (15th March 2002) Every time I travel by bus, I send up a silent prayer for returning home in one piece. As soon as I place a foot in the bus, the conductor shouts "Right" and the bus starts with a jerk. Lurching forward, with one hand firmly clasping the bar overhead... Of Stars and Skies (1st March 2002) 1970 is an unforgettable year in my life. It was in May 1970 that I first stepped inside a plane. How excited were my young daughter and I to travel by air! The Writing Bug (22nd February 2002) "The writing bug has bitten my wife," observed my husband to our neighbour, Mr.B. "You know, I opted for voluntary retirement, hoping to lead a life of ease and peace. But my better half has other ideas... Small Things Big Joys (15th February 2002) What wonderful days were those of my girlhood! Small things brought big joys - like being taken for a film show by elder siblings, going to the park in the evenings, reading story-books, listening to songs on the radio... Adventures in a Forbidden Land (8th February 2002) Even as a child, I was fascinated by Tibet, roof of the world, rich in folklore and abounding in mystics and seers. It has been my life's ambition to visit the place, inspired as I was by various travelogues of Lama Anagarika Govinda, Alexandra David-Neel...