For all times sake ( I am delirious on account of high fever), I want to record an honest statement. The most beautiful person, I ever saw. Now, on screen it is Madhubala (for all the sentimental reasons). In person, the most angelic I ever saw was in the most unlikely circumstances.
When I was a kid, way back in 6th or 7th, my favorite hobby was calculating my wealth. I had this big piggy bank and I would calculate my wealth in tens and quarters several times a day. Calculating interest on what was deposited in my bank account was a heavenly pleasure. I have found nothing better till date. I still remember my account in Central Bank of India, Etawah and how the cashier would refuse to accept my deposit in tens and quarters. I still remember how my mother would smilingly take back all the coins and pay in notes, the desired amount. I would be teary eyed, for I would be unable to understand the reason for the refusal to accept GOI's own coins. Anywayz I would wait eagerly for the summers, so that I could go to Etawah and undertake my pilgrimage to the bank and wait in the queue to get my pass book updated. My calculation to fourth decimal place would always be more accurate than the cashier's rounded off values and I would be so proud of that.
The most boring part of the trip was the time spent in the safe deposit box room. Everything locked up. In the beginning, it was nice but later it was a place to avoid. There was this time when I refused to go in and opted to stay in the bank watching people at work.
I was in line to get my pass book updated, when somebody touched me. I looked back and there she was. A woman in a black veil. Her slender fingers sharnk back. She asked me if I could read and write. "Obviously I can." So she asked me if I owuld help her.
Just then the caskier asked for my pass book and I asked her to wait for a minute. Getting my passbook back, I focussed my attention on her problem.
She wanted to withdraw some money and for that she had to get the form filled. So I said simply, "do that". She laughed and lifted her veil. I was transported to heaven, as if.
The face, the eyes, the nose, the lashes, the teeth, the lips. God.
Anywayz I filled her form and asked her to put a signature. She asked me what that was and I asked her to put her thumb impression on the form. I caught hold of her hand and inked it and put it on the slip.
All I know is that her name was Sakina. That is all.
The bank where I have not been for so long, must still be visited by her. They say beauty is transient and not that important. It has been ten years or more and I still look for her in Etawah. Beauty has to be something. I do not know why but it has something so powerful that after all this time, it has touched me again in this fever.
When I was a kid, way back in 6th or 7th, my favorite hobby was calculating my wealth. I had this big piggy bank and I would calculate my wealth in tens and quarters several times a day. Calculating interest on what was deposited in my bank account was a heavenly pleasure. I have found nothing better till date. I still remember my account in Central Bank of India, Etawah and how the cashier would refuse to accept my deposit in tens and quarters. I still remember how my mother would smilingly take back all the coins and pay in notes, the desired amount. I would be teary eyed, for I would be unable to understand the reason for the refusal to accept GOI's own coins. Anywayz I would wait eagerly for the summers, so that I could go to Etawah and undertake my pilgrimage to the bank and wait in the queue to get my pass book updated. My calculation to fourth decimal place would always be more accurate than the cashier's rounded off values and I would be so proud of that.
The most boring part of the trip was the time spent in the safe deposit box room. Everything locked up. In the beginning, it was nice but later it was a place to avoid. There was this time when I refused to go in and opted to stay in the bank watching people at work.
I was in line to get my pass book updated, when somebody touched me. I looked back and there she was. A woman in a black veil. Her slender fingers sharnk back. She asked me if I could read and write. "Obviously I can." So she asked me if I owuld help her.
Just then the caskier asked for my pass book and I asked her to wait for a minute. Getting my passbook back, I focussed my attention on her problem.
She wanted to withdraw some money and for that she had to get the form filled. So I said simply, "do that". She laughed and lifted her veil. I was transported to heaven, as if.
The face, the eyes, the nose, the lashes, the teeth, the lips. God.
Anywayz I filled her form and asked her to put a signature. She asked me what that was and I asked her to put her thumb impression on the form. I caught hold of her hand and inked it and put it on the slip.
All I know is that her name was Sakina. That is all.
The bank where I have not been for so long, must still be visited by her. They say beauty is transient and not that important. It has been ten years or more and I still look for her in Etawah. Beauty has to be something. I do not know why but it has something so powerful that after all this time, it has touched me again in this fever.
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