Open Happiness.

12.30 am: Leaving the theatres holding my Mum and Aunt’s hands. Tears glistening in our eyes, and a broad smile on our lips. A movie called ‘Piku’ has cut across generations and captivated our hearts.

1.00 am: The normally reticent sexagenarians give me a hug and I shoo them into their rooms, trying not to make much of it. I sit at my writing table, trying to make sense of my aching heart.

Piku is a bitter-sweet slice-of-life, simple and effortless. The story spoke to me, stirred me and deeply touched me.

One of the most heart-breaking things in Life is to watch your parents age.. to not only watch the spider webs of time take over their faces and limbs but also their minds as they become unyielding, grumbling and stubborn. It is a transition that every child finds difficult to come to terms with- moving from being cared to becoming care givers. When you see their strength betray their bodies in little moments like when you see them unable to stand properly or not able to cut and cook or see them tire easily or hear them grumble about their weakening eyes or when they cant hear you too clearly or when you have to explain to them things as you would a child, you wake up to it with a jolt. Yeah, they just become like that and the strength you took for granted, needs a crutch. Its almost like they betrayed you by growing old, and you live in constant denial that parents are vulnerable and mortal.

I found Piku immensely relatable- from the loud household, to the stubbornness of parents, to the single child’s choices, and the eventual loss; seemed like a few chapters from my life. What I found an instant connect with, was Piku’s frustration with the candid-offensive father- I understood her exasperation that stemmed from deep-rooted undeniable love.

When your Mom looks at you after the movie and says, ‘Ammu, its like your life’. I don’t know if she understands what she means to you. When you lose a parent, the relationship with the other one changes too. You realize Life is unpredictable; you realize that no matter how angry you get at her, she’s the only one you have left.

Mama, You’re very painful, annoying me in inexplicable ways but I celebrate how strong, how progressive,and how independent you are and still try to understand me and the world around you, no matter how confusing and unrelatable it gets to you in terms of technology or altering mindsets.

Happy Mother’s Day.