Its coldddd... !!!!

The doorbell rings.. I look at my dad who looks at mum who stares back at me.. and each look carries a plea.. ‘please open the door.. I cant get up, its coldddd !’

Finally, the lady of the house, as always , takes the lead in responding to the restless stranger at our door step who, by now seems to be enjoying the ‘Go-on-ringing-the-doorbell’ game. Well, he is also feeling coldddd !

The fact of the matter is that this biting cold has left one incapacitated to function normally. The thought of taking a bath is dreadful in itself. The few moments that give you solace are the ones when you are embraced by ripples of warm water in the cozy bath tub or when you are cut off from the world , hidden in the recesses of your warm quilt, or when you are joyfully sipping endless cups of tea that does give you momentary relief.

And who cares about going to the beauty parlour ? So what if waxing is long overdue and eyebrows are shaggy and bushy. Non smokers can also be seen smoking perpetually. The elderly couples look endearing in their monkey caps. Winter attire can be equally trendy, girls in my neighbourhood make me believe so. Their pet dog aka Robert is also sporting a stylish jacket that has ‘Pet Mafia’ written on it. The whole family including Robert can be seen fighting for seating space, right in front of the heater.

So, while we do want the temperatures to increase, most of us are relatively acclimatized to the Delhi weather and we do manage to get through the Delhi winter each year.

But, that’s not true in all cases. Shakuntala, my house maid, walked in this morning without her slippers. It was a ‘cold’ sight and we could hardly fathom how she managed to walk the distance on this cold morning barefoot.

‘Chori ho gaye aunty’ she was sharing the sad tale of events with my mother who deeply empathised with her and took out a pair of slippers from the shoe rack for Shakuntala.

“Aunty, aur razai bhi. Bache le lete hain. Bahut thand hai..”

For many like Shakuntala, this is the ‘winter’ of their lives. They are victors if they get through this season alive.  

Grateful that we have all the clothes, the quilts, the tea bags, the heaters, the boots, the jackets..et all to keep us warm and safe. Hence, it would be a good idea to share some of our stuff with those who need it.. After all, its the warmth of a sincere heart that can beat the cold, no matter how biting or fierce !