I wrote this one on 22nd May' 09 for a few friends. As i start this blog i can't think of anything which is more appropriate to be the first post.
My nanaji was posted in the CID Branch of Meerut in the late 70's. He had a huge house in saket and had lots of interesting neighbours. At that time my mom was an impressionable girl in her early twenties whose entire world was her books and she hoped to become a librarian so that she could be surrounded by books for a lifetime.
This is when she met Shani. Shani belonged to a highly affluent muslim family. she was married to a polo player who had a love for horses and owned stud farms. They had 2 kids Umar and Rifat.My mom soon became good friends with shani and started calling her shani di. Shani Di started calling my mom and her 2 younger sisters the CID Gurls. They spent their evenings playing cards & gossiping. Shani di had been to the good schools and colleges. she tought my mom a lot of things much like an elder sister, which my mom remembers till date.
My mom got married moved to bareilly but she remained in touch with her beloved shani di as my nanaji was still posted in Meerut.
In 1982 feb my mother got a letter from one of her sister that Umar shani di's son passed away due to high fever. Thus began Shani di's downfall. she became aloof, stopped meeting people, became depressed.
A year and a half later in 1983 august I was born. My parents & family named me Pallavi. When I was fifteen days old my mom took me to meerut.This is when Shani Di told my mom to change my name to Pankhuri. She told mom that it had to be pronounced Pankhuri and not Pankhudi. My mom changed my name..... Thank God for that!!! I cant imagine being called Pallavi. My Nanaji retired and moved from meerut.
My mom stopped going to meerut as she got busy with her married life. In 1989 Shani Di & family moved to bangalore as meerut became a depressing place where she couldnt get over the sudden death of her son.Thats the reason why i never met her. But all my life I heard my mom rave about her.
This month when i resigned i decided to go to bangalore to meet my friends. This is when i asked my mom to find shani di's number which was difficuilt. My mom got the number of Shani di's house in Meerut from a family friend. Those people gave her brother tashi's no. Tashi gave his mother's no. Shani's Mom gave Rifat's no. My Mom gave me Rifat's No. I was scared to call rifat because i had been told that shani di doesnt meet any one. She takes anti-depressants as her depression has worsened after her husband's death in 2000.
I collected my guts as i really wanted to meet shani di. I got the address & went to rifats house today.But to my suprise & happiness Rifat was able to convince her mom to meet me. Infact Rifats daughters (age 5 & 10) were waiting for my arrival.
Shani Di was looking very different from the glamourous photographs that had been taken in my moms marriage.She was pretty dazed. she didnt recall naming me. The irony of it was that she even asked what my name meant & Rifat asked me how it was pronounced.Though she did recall the card sessions she had with my mom. She hugged me like i was her own daughter. She told me that no one had been as close to her as my mother. Infact when i was leaving she gave me a few gifts a necklace, a perfume, a jewellery Box, Chocolates & a card signed Shani Masi. I was almost in tears as no one had ever given me a collection of Gifts. Though i am in a habbit of giving gifts like that. Maybe that is something i picked up from Shani masi.
My nanaji was posted in the CID Branch of Meerut in the late 70's. He had a huge house in saket and had lots of interesting neighbours. At that time my mom was an impressionable girl in her early twenties whose entire world was her books and she hoped to become a librarian so that she could be surrounded by books for a lifetime.
This is when she met Shani. Shani belonged to a highly affluent muslim family. she was married to a polo player who had a love for horses and owned stud farms. They had 2 kids Umar and Rifat.My mom soon became good friends with shani and started calling her shani di. Shani Di started calling my mom and her 2 younger sisters the CID Gurls. They spent their evenings playing cards & gossiping. Shani di had been to the good schools and colleges. she tought my mom a lot of things much like an elder sister, which my mom remembers till date.
My mom got married moved to bareilly but she remained in touch with her beloved shani di as my nanaji was still posted in Meerut.
In 1982 feb my mother got a letter from one of her sister that Umar shani di's son passed away due to high fever. Thus began Shani di's downfall. she became aloof, stopped meeting people, became depressed.
A year and a half later in 1983 august I was born. My parents & family named me Pallavi. When I was fifteen days old my mom took me to meerut.This is when Shani Di told my mom to change my name to Pankhuri. She told mom that it had to be pronounced Pankhuri and not Pankhudi. My mom changed my name..... Thank God for that!!! I cant imagine being called Pallavi. My Nanaji retired and moved from meerut.
My mom stopped going to meerut as she got busy with her married life. In 1989 Shani Di & family moved to bangalore as meerut became a depressing place where she couldnt get over the sudden death of her son.Thats the reason why i never met her. But all my life I heard my mom rave about her.
This month when i resigned i decided to go to bangalore to meet my friends. This is when i asked my mom to find shani di's number which was difficuilt. My mom got the number of Shani di's house in Meerut from a family friend. Those people gave her brother tashi's no. Tashi gave his mother's no. Shani's Mom gave Rifat's no. My Mom gave me Rifat's No. I was scared to call rifat because i had been told that shani di doesnt meet any one. She takes anti-depressants as her depression has worsened after her husband's death in 2000.
I collected my guts as i really wanted to meet shani di. I got the address & went to rifats house today.But to my suprise & happiness Rifat was able to convince her mom to meet me. Infact Rifats daughters (age 5 & 10) were waiting for my arrival.
Shani Di was looking very different from the glamourous photographs that had been taken in my moms marriage.She was pretty dazed. she didnt recall naming me. The irony of it was that she even asked what my name meant & Rifat asked me how it was pronounced.Though she did recall the card sessions she had with my mom. She hugged me like i was her own daughter. She told me that no one had been as close to her as my mother. Infact when i was leaving she gave me a few gifts a necklace, a perfume, a jewellery Box, Chocolates & a card signed Shani Masi. I was almost in tears as no one had ever given me a collection of Gifts. Though i am in a habbit of giving gifts like that. Maybe that is something i picked up from Shani masi.
