Zaari, gold thread

Time was when zaari-sarees formed an essential part of every bride’s trousseau. Brightly coloured silk sarees with patterns woven in gold thread. Not gold coloured thread; but thread made by drawing pure gold into wire so thin it was almost as pliable as silk.
Zaari-sarees were precious, because they were so rare. And then gold-coloured synthetic threads came into the picture. Though purists would have nothing to do with it, you could get rip-offs of zaari-sarees at a fraction of the cost. Anyone could afford ‘zaari’. 
Any wonder that the modern bride prefers Swarovski crystals embroidered into her bridal ensemble?! 
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Yahaan, here

“Main yahan hoon/ I’m right here”, she told me when I called to check if she was keeping her appointment or not. Half an hour later, I was still waiting for her at the coffee-shop. When she finally turned up, forget apologising for being late, she actually made me feel guilty about arriving on time. 
She had a point. I should have known better than to presume that ‘yahan’ meant ‘here’, when it actually meant ‘somewhere within a radius of roughly an hour of travel time, not accounting for traffic jams, and other distractions’. Distance are not absolute, are they? 
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Xulf, hair

A long plait snaking down her back, swaying seductively in time to her movement, the free end bouncing off her hips. She turns around, draws her hair over her face, and gives a wide-eyed stare from above her “xulf”. If Bollywood is to be believed, long, lustrous hair is the ultimate fantasy of the Indian male. 


When I was growing up, it was commonplace to see women with hair extending way past the hips. Indian women wear their hair much shorter now- it is rarely longer than waist length. But even in its shorter, straighter, more chemical avatar, "xulf" rules.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Watan, motherland

In the original Arabic, “watan” merely means ‘country’; to refer to ‘your country’, you used the word “watani”. But by the time the word entered the colloquial Indian lexicon, after being used in a song by a popular Bollywood playback singer, it acquired a whole new identity- it came to mean ‘motherland’. Strangely too, for a word that is essentially Islamic in origin, it acquired patriotic overtones of the kind Hindu fundamentalists love to exploit. 
“Watan” is now almost a call to action. Sadly, the only time people really think of it is when the national team wins in cricket.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Vasanth Ritu, the Season of Spring

Considering there is an entire festival devoted to commemorating the advent of "Vasanth Ritu". Considering there are over a dozen unique names for the Season. Considering "Vasanth Ritu" is much celebrated in music, dance and literature. Considering all that, it’s strange that for all practical purposes, India doesn’t have a "Vasanth Ritu".

The brief interlude between Winter and Summer is just that- an interlude. One day you notice it is getting too hot for sweaters, the next day, you are sweating in a sleeveless tee-shirt. That’s how short it is. And yet, we persist with the myth of "Vasanth Ritu". 
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Ulloo, an owl

It may be the favourite mount of Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, but the only thing more derogatory than being called an “ulloo”, is being called an “ulloo ka pattha”/ son of an owl. An “ulloo” is a person who is not just foolish, he is totally devoid of any intelligence. 
It is a curious dichotomy – in school you are taught the English simile ‘as wise as an owl’, but the reality that you live in indicates that an “ulloo” is anything but that. Like many other things, I suppose the status of an owl’s intelligence is complicated.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Tengai, Coconut

No part of a “tengai” is ever wasted, or so my grandmother used to tell me. You can drink the coconut ‘milk’, or use the ‘meat’ in your cooking. Coconut oil not only adds flavour to any dish, it is a great hair conditioner, and I massage my legs with it after a long run. 
Husks are used for scrubbing dishes, and for making rope. The leaves are used to thatch huts, and the trunks make resilient beams. You can even climb them for fun. 
Any wonder that people from coastal regions will never want to give up their ‘tengai’?
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Saas, mother-in-law

A mother-in-law is always a much maligned figure, but in the Indian context, most of it is justified. Long after he’s grown up, his mother remains the most influential person in a man’s life, and almost every saas feels it is the duty of her bahu to defer to her on everything. 


The saas is often the prime instigator in cases of bride burning and bride harassment, and even when not that overt, the saas often tries to dictate how the bahu dresses, and how she ‘behaves’. 


Yes, there are exceptions. But you wouldn’t find them in movies or soap-operas.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Raashi, signs of the Zodiac

So much of your life is governed by the “raashi” that was on an ascendant at the time of your birth. While there was a time when nothing auspicious was undertaken without checking if the stars were aligned in favour of your raashi, that is no longer the case any longer. The only time raashis really come into prominence is while checking the compatibility of raashis before solemnising a marriage. 


But if you thought belief in raashis was dying out, think again. Many are the parents who choose to have a child by C-section, so they can control the raashi.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Qyayamat, Judgement Day

You would think ‘Judgement Day’ would come but once in all time, but so popular has the word become that some people experience a ‘quayamat’ many times a week. 


It was the Bollywood flick that popularized the term- “Quayamat se Quayamat Tak”/ “From Disaster to Disaster” was a love-story that Romeo and Juliet would have felt at home with. 


And while in real life, you rarely have a chain of events leading to a couple dying violent deaths in each other’s arms, you can now experience a ‘quayamat’ every time your car develops a puncture, making you late for work.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Paani, water

When you visit someone, the first thing they do is offer you a glass of cold water. For long, I used to refuse it, because while water is my drink of choice, I do not like it cold. But then I came to realize that the glass of water was not just a glass of water. In a nation where potable water is scarce, it indicated that the family has water at home, and you are important enough for them to share it with you. You honour them by accepting the water, as they do by offering it to you.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Odhani, a traditional long scarf

Plain, printed or embroidered. Silk, cotton, chiffon or synthetic. Matched to the outfit, or contrasted. Covering the torso, or draped over one shoulder. 


Odhanis come in many forms, but have one thing in common. It is not an accessory- it is an integral part of the outfit. There are conventions to follow when you pick the particular odhani to wear with a dress, and even if you bend the rules, you do so only in certain ways. 


With Western-wear gaining popularity, odhanis are fading out. And for all that I consider them difficult to manage, I will miss them so. 
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Namak, table salt

If you thought “salt” was something you added to food, you couldn’t be more wrong. “Namak” is one of the most loaded concepts across India. To taste someone’s ‘namak’, doesn’t just mean you have partaken in their hospitality; it means you are in a subtle way indebted to the person. It even describes people- “naman haram” is a person you cannot trust, and “namak hala” is one who is true to your salt. 


Any wonder that in many parts of the country, the first thing that is put on your plate at a wedding feast is a pinch of salt.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Maa, mother

Maa.
The Mother. The most important person in a person’s life. She who’s given birth. She who’s nursed her child. She who’s spent her life caring for her children. She who often remains the dominant influence in the child’s life even after the child is no longer a child.


Maa.
The Mother Goddess. Worshipped in almost every Hindu household. Celebrated in song, dance and poetry. She who protects and nurtures. She who is Supremely Powerful, the Destroyer of all Evil. She who bestows knowledge, good health, wealth and happiness on all her children.


Is there anybody quite like a Maa?
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Lantain, a oil lamp

Can you imagine a situation where life comes to a standstill after night falls? Where you cannot cook, or sew, or read or do your homework after sundown. But that is the reality in the millions of villages across India where electricity has not reached. 


Unless you fancy a garnish of insects on your food, dinner has to be had before it gets dark, and all you can really do after that is to sit around in the moonlight and talk or sing. 


It is any wonder that a lantain is one of the most precious commodities in village homes?
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Kutta, a dog

When you think of a dog, the words that come to mind are loyal and faithful. But ‘kutta’ is an an insult that is used to great effect in the language.

To be honest, as with most similar insults, I haven’t yet been able to figure out exactly what ‘kutta’ means. Surprisingly, given the predominant qualities of the animal, the word ‘kutta’ seems to imply someone who is utterly untrustworthy.

All I know is that when someone refers to another person as ‘kutta’ in my presence, I turn around and ask them why they are insulting the poor animal so.

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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Jimki, dangling bell-shaped earrings

I remember well my first pair of jimkis. Gold they were, set with a blue stone. When I was allowed to wear them, which was not often because they were too heavy for my still tender earlobes, I remember shaking my head just to feel the weight of the bell shaped danglers oscillate to and fro. 


Much later did I learn they were also called jhumkas, and that they were the favourite of a Mughal Empress. That nothing complements Indian clothes as well as jimkis do. In my life, I’ve owned dozens of pairs of jimkis; and loved them all.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Izzat, honour

For a traditional Indian family, ‘izzath’ is one of the most important things. More important even than basics like food and shelter. The ‘izzath’ of some households are compromised when a woman goes out to work- they would rather do without a few frills than have their womenfolk supplement the family income. 


Izzath needs also to be protected in other ways. No short skirts, not the slightest display of cleavage, and definitely no fraternising with members of the opposite sex. Domestic violence, bride burning, mental abuse-they are all permitted by unwritten social conventions. None of them compromises, izzath, after all. 
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Hawa, air

For all that we cannot survive without it, Air is something we all take for granted. Which is why it is surprise that ‘hawa’ is seldom used to mean what it is supposed to mean. 


Yet, when the person changes because of changed circumstances, ‘hawa lag gaya’/ ‘air has touched (him)’ is the slightly contemptuous way in which it is described. Though, why it should be so, I fail to understand. If you go through life without allowing the places you live in and people you live with to change you, isn’t it a very narrow life you are leading?
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Ghar, a home

The ultimate aspiration of any Indian- four walls and a roof. And rightly so- in a land where the population is high and land is scarce, real-estate prices are unrealistically high. 


Those shelters made by stretching tarpaulin sheets over bamboo poles might look like makeshift accommodation, but families have often been living in them for years. 


Slum housing is little better. A labyrinth of open drains, no running water or sanitation facilities, illegal electricity. Precisely enough floor-space for the eight family members to lie down at night. A plasma TV on the wall. 
It is their own Ghar, Sweet Ghar. 
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Firang, a foreigner

Technically, any ‘non-Indian’ is a firang, but the word is actually reserved for people of the Caucasian race. Mention the word the image that comes up is of tall, slightly unkept, partially suntanned tourist in their version of “Indian clothes”, doing their best to politely ignore the crowd of ‘locals’ trailing them. ‘Firangs’ bring out the best and the worst in Indians- people go out of their way to help, but the attention often borders on obsequiousness. 
They may be residing in India for years, but once a firang, always a firang- you cannot change the colour of your skin. 
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Ehsaan, a favour

For a word seemingly positive, 'ehsaan' is seeped in negativity. “Do you think you are doing me a great ‘ehsaan’ by......”, is its most common use, followed closely by “you seem to have forgotten my ‘ehsaan’”. Of course, there is the third use too- “I will never forget this ‘ehsaan’ of yours”, but when it is uttered by a Bollywood actor, you can be sure that he will soon betray the person to whom he is indebted. 


Personally, I do not believe in “ehsaan”. When you decide to help someone, it should be a conscious choice, not as a favour.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Didi, elder sister

If you thought ‘didi’ denoted a filial relationship, think again. One of the first lessons you learn is that any female acquaintance of the previous generation is ‘aunty’, and anyone not old enough to be one is ‘didi’. The lines often blur- even a very young mother will invariably be addressed as ‘aunty’, but an older woman might remain a ‘didi’ till she gets married. 


Outside the social circle, ‘didi’ indicates perceived age. Vegetable-vendors, plumbers, cab-drivers; they will all address you as ‘didi’ even if they are several years older. Revel. Because the day they stop, you become an ‘aunty’.
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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Chai, the cup that cheers

The world may know it as “tea”, but in it’s country of origin, chai has a tradition all its own. None of that “light-tea”, or “black-tea” nonsense. The only way to prepare chai is by boiling a pot containing milk, water, tea-leaves and sugar on a high flame.

Want to make it extra special? Throw in cardamom seeds, ginger slices or basil leaves (or all three) into the masala chai before bringing it to boil.

From the guy selling vegetables from the footpath, to the ladies gossipping after finishing their chores, chai is the closest thing to heaven for everyone.

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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

Baniya, the businessman by caste

His ancestors have been traders for thousands of years. Whether it was genetics that put them in the “trader” caste, or if it is generations of conditioning that has made them so, ‘baniyas’ are born businessmen. When they are buying, they’ll argue that a quarter-dozen of something should cost less than three of the same, and insist that 18 is not a dozen and a half when they are selling. 


There are people who use the word in terms of disparagement, but I have nothing but admiration for the baniya’s business acumen. Modern society is built on trade, after all. 


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There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.