We are two sisters.I had the privilege of being born a year before my younger sibling.Though i realized ,when i attained the knack of realization that being elder in the family puts a lot of pressure on you.For instance if you spend months collecting a meagre amount of a few hundreds in your piggy bank,the younger one gets the amount as a "gift" for being frail and not being able to collect it as you have..and more so because parents cannot and should not be partial.(it was MY effort!huh!!.so wasn't it MY money in the piggy bank?confusion galore...)anyway I've outgrown these mishaps like i outgrew my jumpsuits and skirts.I love my folks too much to reflect upon a few casual scratches one gets when playing amid roses and thorn bushes.
I had a long chain of nicknames.Friends called me Ghazu,Papa called me Ghazzi,Amma called me Ghazal,my favourite uncle nicknamed me Poppy but i still cannot figure out why and when my sister started calling me Baya..a distorted version of Bhayya.(big brother)I dont think i could have ever been bossy or overbearing like most big brothers and even today I revel in the fact that i am a woman in all her basic womanly forms.At least that's what i feel..a very subjective view.
Timezone:past..Class VI..I was unwell so could not go to school.I however went to see my sis off at the autostop.In those days we had a pool auto to take us to school and everyone would clamour to acquire the window seat.The driver stopped.On your marks..get set...and shoot!!I rushed into the auto and grabbed the window seat."Come on quick!i've got the seat for you!"and did not budge till my sis made herself comfortable inch by inch as she settled in and inch by inch i cautiously stepped out of the auto,now realizing my head was spinning because of the fever.I think that's how i got the affixture Baya to my name.
Chintu was the nickname of Rishi kapoor,a bollywood hero,quite popular in his heydays..We,my sister and I ,both liked the sound of the name Chintu.It was kind of cute.I dont know why i nicknamed my sister "Chintu"and it has stuck on to her like clingwrap.Today she is Chints for me.Recently a bemused friend asked me -What's the story behind this nickname?I really have no answer,Nicknames are born in moments.they do not have to endure labour pains.I think it is our fascination for onomatopoeic sounds that results in some weird names.Not so weired when the names were born,but today..yes.But there are no regrets.Only happy childhood memories.I love you Chints!Aals!(or Alu!though I prefer Aals)Anaamu,Ousy!Manna!Saamu!Saroshu!It's a long long list...Kudos....what's in a name?Love and only love.
what an insight , lolz, and definitely there's a story behind names specially the "pet" names ! ur writeup surely depicts the love and the "taking care" for it that follows.....lovely !
ReplyDeletewow!! truly nicknames are just born in an instant. My school time buddy who is now also my roommate, one day, just called me soni and after that its very rare that i hear her call me Diksha...nicknames also makes u feel very special bcz most of the time they are given and used by special people ...just to show us that the special bond is mutual :)
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