My life has been a string of new experiences since May 2006! The latest of these thrillers is the launching experience. My first experience as a chief guest! Me, a chief guest? Whatever have I done to deserve this honour? I asked my friend as to what compelled her to invite me to the event and demanded that she give me a justification. In my mind, I was waiting for a long list of good things that would bring to light all my achievements and glorify all my shortcomings. The first cold shower I got was when no list came forth. The answer was simple, “because of your simplicity, because you are who you are a simple soul.” Well, so much for the expecting accolades! I mentally ticked myself off for having strutted around in self-consuming sense of pride. I felt all the hot air making way for humility.
I was then expecting that I would get a formal invitation and details of the venue and the information about the organization. Nothing happened till 20th Jan. 26th Jan was the launch. I was paranoid by then. “Is the programme still on? Am I really invited or have they had a re-think?” My self-worth was on shaky grounds. “Who is the audience, what do I speak? Why can’t people be organized? Let me call them. No, don’t call them.” I found myself constantly mumbling and worrying. Finally, I called my friend and asked her. She re-assured me that, yes the programme was still on, yes, I was invited and no she had not sent any material to me. I put the phone down, when she promised to send me all the info about her institution that day. This was on 21st Jan. And I decided to wait for the mail….
Finally the mail came to me on 25th with details. I read through, not understanding much in terms of the balance sheets. What did touch me were the success stories of the people who had benefited from micro financing. This was about supporting the under-privileged to upgrade their lifestyle, with dignity.
I had little time to prepare my speech and decided to do an ex-tempor speech.
The night of 25th was full of ribbing from my husband. I decided to keep myself busy by getting my costume ready. “Saree or Kurta? What should I wear? What colour?” I had so much going through in my mind. It was 26th Jan, so I expected that people would wear white. I mean, all these social kind of organizations do these things right? National pride and duty etc.! Pride was plenty, frills were not! Finally, since the NGO was one of the modest ones, I settled on a simple gray saree with red border and light make-up with simple jewellery.
The train was delayed and I wondered, whether I would hold up the proceedings like a typical chief guest. Surprisingly, the train made up time and I landed at Malad sharp at 11.00am. I was told that I would be received at malad station and taken to the venue. I dreamt of a committee with flowers, escorting me to a waiting car! Ha! Ha! The joke was on me. The lady who was to receive me was yet to leave for the station!
30 minutes later, I got a beep on my cell and I saw a breathless white kurta rushing up to me. No flowers! No reception committee! No car! We got into an auto and trudged along to the destination. My escort was busy on calls as she seemed to be responsible for many a things. Nevertheless, we chatted a while and I got to know more about the NGO.
Finally, we arrived in a part of Mumbai that was alien to me. The last time I had moved around in Dharavi was 20 years back, when I was working for NSS in college. This was a similar location and an unassuming resort was the chosen venue.
I saw a huge pile of footwear at entrance of a large hall. The audience was sitting cross-legged on the floor. The head table was occupied by four personalities and a speech was on. I looked around bewildered and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw some familiar faces. As I looked around, save for some transgender members, my first reaction was “oh! My God! I am so overdressed and made-up.” I gobbled up my lipstick and made an attempt to tone down my eye shadow. The blush would not go down simply because, it was natural! Thankfully, I was offered tea and I ran from the gathering. I do not know whether I felt parched due to heat or embarrassment.
The earlier session was to launch a book of inspirational songs. So inspired was the team that they ate into the time allotted to my friend and her team. Everybody seemed to be humoring them, so I settled down to enjoy the singing. An hour or so later and beyond schedule, my friend decided to call the shots and requested for her time. However, the typical chief guest who walked in one and a half hours late from his scheduled time, was not in a mood to comply.
As the audience started leaving the hall, we finally saw the session being taken to its conclusion.
A short break and a cup of tea brought the groups back and our session commenced. We heard the inaugural speeches and then our (I was not the only chief guest! There were 3 others) introductions followed by the “Aashayein” song. My introduction was the shortest ever, as my friend repeated exactly what she had said to me while citing the reason for inviting me to be chief guest.
Finally, it was time to launch the new programme designed for the would be facilitators, counselors and trainers of the NGO. The moment was all for a few seconds and then I was asked to take the stage and say something. When I looked at my audience, I forgot everything that I had planned and everything that was suggested by my friend. I ended up telling them, that this is a great platform to get the superbly designed syllabus all under one roof. I hurried to my conclusion making a wish that I would be associated with them in future in a more productive fashion.
I could see the relief on everyone’s face when I called it a day in about 4 minutes. Little did they know that, it was way past my lunchtime and my stomach was empty save the butterflies that I had in them, since last night!
Others on the table kept it brief, thankfully and we called it a day.
The highlight of the day remains to be the yummiest biryani that satiated the hungry group and the plant on my kitchen window sill that came to me as a gift from the NGO.
I was then expecting that I would get a formal invitation and details of the venue and the information about the organization. Nothing happened till 20th Jan. 26th Jan was the launch. I was paranoid by then. “Is the programme still on? Am I really invited or have they had a re-think?” My self-worth was on shaky grounds. “Who is the audience, what do I speak? Why can’t people be organized? Let me call them. No, don’t call them.” I found myself constantly mumbling and worrying. Finally, I called my friend and asked her. She re-assured me that, yes the programme was still on, yes, I was invited and no she had not sent any material to me. I put the phone down, when she promised to send me all the info about her institution that day. This was on 21st Jan. And I decided to wait for the mail….
Finally the mail came to me on 25th with details. I read through, not understanding much in terms of the balance sheets. What did touch me were the success stories of the people who had benefited from micro financing. This was about supporting the under-privileged to upgrade their lifestyle, with dignity.
I had little time to prepare my speech and decided to do an ex-tempor speech.
The night of 25th was full of ribbing from my husband. I decided to keep myself busy by getting my costume ready. “Saree or Kurta? What should I wear? What colour?” I had so much going through in my mind. It was 26th Jan, so I expected that people would wear white. I mean, all these social kind of organizations do these things right? National pride and duty etc.! Pride was plenty, frills were not! Finally, since the NGO was one of the modest ones, I settled on a simple gray saree with red border and light make-up with simple jewellery.
The train was delayed and I wondered, whether I would hold up the proceedings like a typical chief guest. Surprisingly, the train made up time and I landed at Malad sharp at 11.00am. I was told that I would be received at malad station and taken to the venue. I dreamt of a committee with flowers, escorting me to a waiting car! Ha! Ha! The joke was on me. The lady who was to receive me was yet to leave for the station!
30 minutes later, I got a beep on my cell and I saw a breathless white kurta rushing up to me. No flowers! No reception committee! No car! We got into an auto and trudged along to the destination. My escort was busy on calls as she seemed to be responsible for many a things. Nevertheless, we chatted a while and I got to know more about the NGO.
Finally, we arrived in a part of Mumbai that was alien to me. The last time I had moved around in Dharavi was 20 years back, when I was working for NSS in college. This was a similar location and an unassuming resort was the chosen venue.
I saw a huge pile of footwear at entrance of a large hall. The audience was sitting cross-legged on the floor. The head table was occupied by four personalities and a speech was on. I looked around bewildered and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw some familiar faces. As I looked around, save for some transgender members, my first reaction was “oh! My God! I am so overdressed and made-up.” I gobbled up my lipstick and made an attempt to tone down my eye shadow. The blush would not go down simply because, it was natural! Thankfully, I was offered tea and I ran from the gathering. I do not know whether I felt parched due to heat or embarrassment.
The earlier session was to launch a book of inspirational songs. So inspired was the team that they ate into the time allotted to my friend and her team. Everybody seemed to be humoring them, so I settled down to enjoy the singing. An hour or so later and beyond schedule, my friend decided to call the shots and requested for her time. However, the typical chief guest who walked in one and a half hours late from his scheduled time, was not in a mood to comply.
As the audience started leaving the hall, we finally saw the session being taken to its conclusion.
A short break and a cup of tea brought the groups back and our session commenced. We heard the inaugural speeches and then our (I was not the only chief guest! There were 3 others) introductions followed by the “Aashayein” song. My introduction was the shortest ever, as my friend repeated exactly what she had said to me while citing the reason for inviting me to be chief guest.
Finally, it was time to launch the new programme designed for the would be facilitators, counselors and trainers of the NGO. The moment was all for a few seconds and then I was asked to take the stage and say something. When I looked at my audience, I forgot everything that I had planned and everything that was suggested by my friend. I ended up telling them, that this is a great platform to get the superbly designed syllabus all under one roof. I hurried to my conclusion making a wish that I would be associated with them in future in a more productive fashion.
I could see the relief on everyone’s face when I called it a day in about 4 minutes. Little did they know that, it was way past my lunchtime and my stomach was empty save the butterflies that I had in them, since last night!
Others on the table kept it brief, thankfully and we called it a day.
The highlight of the day remains to be the yummiest biryani that satiated the hungry group and the plant on my kitchen window sill that came to me as a gift from the NGO.
2 comments:
hmmm.... I realise what all I have missed out on while I slaved away.... not talking about this episode u talk about here but the first hand version of it face to face.
You write very well.
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