One of the gifts the universe can bestow upon a writer, (we aren’t talking about inherent writing skills or usage of clever syntax and skilful semantics here, that is an esoteric quibble!) is the gift of a quirky family in all its blazing glory. A canny writer can spin gold out of humdrum if he/she becomes a fly on the wall during sticky, no-holds-barred clan conversations.
Politics, films and religion are great dividers of unity and providers of fodder for heated exchanges. History is proof enough!
War has a greater reference value. Especially if it is between David and Goliath.
Take for instance the recent war that is telecast in our homes, which has caught our attention for the past month. And the resultant fault lines have been drawn up in our drawing rooms, over the cyber waves across generations
Even in a tiny unit called home, Russia and Ukraine have their own fan following.
The father of the house, who has overseen the family for years, as a no questions asked, strict disciplinarian, has strong feelings for Putin, the no-nonsense man. By Putin, he hectors, a lot of people will get put in their place. For him, Zelensky, the actor, playing to the bloody gallery is so wet behind his ears!
The son who has ventured out from the iron curtain and assimilated the freedom waves and democratic nuances of the first world swears by Zelensky and swears at Putin the aggressor. It is simply unthinkable to be an attacker, causing havoc to millions, in this global age and open times, he bristles.
While the mother of the house, much like the ever wizening and utterly distraught Nirmala Seetharaman, struggles to balance the expense sheet. Should she declare her kitchen, as a ‘No-fly’ zone on Sundays and insist on intermittent fasting daily to counter the soaring cylinder and oil prices? Bread and sugar are anyways detrimental to an ageing heart, aren’t they? Seriously can that gently frothing Biden bide his term? That Macron (or is it Macaroon) looks dicier though! She is often found nodding vaguely as the old regime and new thoughts go hammer and tongs at each other.
The coming-into-her-own daughter of the house fathoms ‘going for a drive’ is a pleasure of yore. She has to now slum it out like most and take to hitherto abhorrent public transportation. She shudders at the damage the pollution around would cause to her pristine skin and glowing hair. Why did Putin have to be so reckless? So much unnecessary global warming unleashed now!
Meddling America gets rarely dissed though.
Mind you, none of them has any direct connection with the war, yet is the direct recipient of its after-effects.
And that my friend is in a nutshell the nth degree separation consequence of a dramatic war streamed live to grab your eyeballs!
Finally, you might have been Ukrained often in life, remember you have a Ukraine hidden within you to stand up to the bull, to fight the hell out there, and to walk tall!
AJ wants to know if this takeaway could be pronounced as the power of positivity?
Anupama Jain is the author of ‘Kings Saviours & Scoundrels -Timeless Tales from Katha Sarita Sagara’. These are Eternal Tales of India, Retold for the world, ‘When Padma Bani Paula', a breezy novel about acing the second chances of life by staying true to one’s rootsand 'Masala Mix: Potpourri Of Shorts', a short story collection on the myriad manifestations of love
A community builder, a multi-awarded blogger, closet Master Chef, Green Thumb, and an educator, Anupama is based out of Gurgram
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