My Writing Space?
Did you say space?
A real, physical place?!
A place where a writer could sit in peace, contemplate, then spin a yarn that binds his readers?!!
I have a writing desk with a computer and a comfortable chair, so I have a writing space you see. And yet, this space is seldom mine.
It belongs to wifey‘s hair clips, her diary that I am not allowed to touch, and to a wobbly stack of novels that she so voraciously devours.
When Mom and Dad come visiting, it also belongs to their reading-glasses, mom’s Shiv-Chalisa and Hanuman-Chalisa, and Dad’s dentures.
Of late, the dog has begun to demand her rights as a family-member – she wants a 6″ x 9″ space for her chew-toy.
If this has made you wonder if mine is the only table in the house, I’d like to submit that on my last count our house boasted of 8 tables of different heights and sizes. And then there’s a lot of storage space in form of cupboards too. In fact, wifey has her own desk that’s twice the size of mine. And yet, my writing table can always be found groaning under the weight of my entire family’s possessions!
Why?
I had dared to ask the question once.
Wifey was hurt.
“I am always picking up after you – and this is how you treat my things?!”
Mom was flabbergasted.
“I spent years carrying your diapers and your milk bottle in my bag! And you grudge me a little space on your desk! Puttar, yahi din dekhna reh gaya tha!” (“Son, why did I live to see this day!”)
Dad couldn’t care less.
“Keep them somewhere else. And wash the dentures before you put them away. Aur beta, jagah dil mein honi chahiye!” (“And son, remember that it’s the space in your heart that matters!”)
The dog listened to all this, then she wagged her tail, licked my face, picked her drool-soaked chew-toy and dropped it in my lap, then signaled me to pick it up and put it on the table.
Translations:
- Puttar (Punjabi) = Beta (Hindi) = Son (English.)
- Shiv Chalisa: A booklet containing 40 couplets sung in praise of Lord Shiva.
- Hanuman Chalisa: Another booklet of similar kind, containing another 40 couplets sung in praise of Lord Hanuman.
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Haha! The cartoon is awesome 🙂
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Yes…my desk looks somewhat comical, doesn’t it? This is why I had to sketch it out.
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It is! And I loved the lizard. We have so many of those in our house and they prance about like the own the place
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Yeah they do – and so do mom, dad, wifey, and the dog 😦 I might be the only outsider.
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Well, that’s what Indian homes are like I suppose. The word privacy doesn’t exactly have the literal meaning for us. 😀
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Privacy? Mom and Dad flip their lids at the mention of the word.
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Haha. My mother too!
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I bet they were like this when they were young. I think it’s the “why should they get what we didn’t,” mentality. I had gotten used to it – what really got my goat was my dog’s decision to join them.
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You think the dog is conspiring with the rest, or the others gave the dog more of the doggie-food to put its chew-things on your lap to be put back on the table?
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You have an analytical mind. I should consider the dog innocent until proved guilty, and I must look for clues elsewhere. Perhaps if i started with the premise that mom and wifey are bribing her for siding with them, and found evidence supporting this premise, I would learn that my dog was being set against me. Thank you, for pointing me in the right direction, Arpita.
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Haha, or maybe it is just a passing phase for her. Maybe, the dog just wants you to remove your attention from the computer screen (too much of Writing 101, eh?) and give her some undivided attention. What do you think?
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Arpita, I think she’s communicating with you – on a higher plane of consciousness. I will immediately remove myself from the computer and have a one-to-one performance appraisal session with her. Thank you.
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I bet she’s smiling now. 😀
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I like the caricature, and enjoyed the post as well. 🙂
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You are gracious. To like that desk you must have the temperament of a saint 😀
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You are the picture of tolerance! I can’t even stand my own stuff on my desk. How lucky that I live alone!
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Maddy, it’s not just me. And in fact, my desk must carry the burden of Mom-Dad’s personal-effects only for 2 to 3 months in an year. I have a friend who lives in a joint-family. He with his wife and son, his brother with his wife and son, his mom and dad, and his grandfather and grandmother. Can you imagine his desk?
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Excellent, Thank you for the silly grin I have on my face now. Loved it. Am just about to head of to a long boring staff meeting so will re read this in my head and every will think I am smiling because I understand what they are talking about in Japanese!
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You are welcome, Leanne. When you are back from the meeting, laugh and write about it. You are going to find some interesting material for your next post.
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back and was not too bad this time!!!!!
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Oh wow. That was quick. I presume you understand Japanese.
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Yes but at times the meeting get a bit convoluted and I kind of lose track as I am in my head space thinking about a post instead of grade averages, and disciplinary action for students caught on cell phones etc.
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Multitasking isn’t easy. Wifey says women are born to multi-task. I don’t agree. I think we are all forced to acquire this capability…
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Oh My God… I couldn’t agree more with your title!! Believe it or not, my sister’s friend came visiting this morning and found the perfect place to leave her kurti, her toothbrush and paste, her chain, her glasses on – my table!
Love the cartoon as well and the house mouse is the best! 😛
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Kurti, chain, glasses…they’ve all been on my desk. Glad you like the house-mouse. He and I are pals. We connect at a higher plane of consciousness.
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This post made me laugh a loooot! My personal desktop at home is full of ‘mess’ too! I can relate! 😀
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Loooot has a nice ring to it. According to mom and wifey, it’s their affection that’s piled up on my table…Rosema, you must change you perspective.
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Okay then. 😀
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Mess mesmerizes when you change your perspective.
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True! 😀
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Oh hey, would you like yourself some blogging award offered by a fellow blogger? I have nominated you for the Infinity Dreams Award. I’d love if you accept it! 🙂
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Thanks Arpita. I’ll try to accept it – I want to accept it – but I am terrible at receiving awards, may be because of the rules. Tried it once with the Liebster Award. Thank you so much for thinking about my blog and including it it your list.
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That’s okay. This one took me about a month to complete, because there was so much to do. I’d respect your decision.
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Thanks Arpita. Glad you understand. I know I’ll come around to it – after this course is over and my work-schedule gives me some breathing space.
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Well, Anand, we do use our desk as a desk here, but it too contains piles. Bills here, pens there, ‘work to finish’ over there. Sometimes hubby tries to help, but then I can’t find the right pile! 🙂 Oh, well. Thanks for the smile!
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Aha. Your family is then the right candidate to learn the Indian way of piling up stuff on your desk. They must now add to the desk their own personal effects, with a goal to hide your mouse and your keyboard from view. The next step would be to hide the monitor…be patient and you’ll get there.
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You goof! I certainly hope not! Lol
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The beginning are always subtle…
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At least you have a semblance of a desk at which you can write.
I do not even have a desk at which I write (!). The vagabond that I am, I am forced to find a 1×1 to seat my shapely self in and punch away at my phone. Sometimes, I grab a bite or nibble something while I’m typing too.
In other words, I am the house mouse.
P.S. I have a desk at work. Let me assure you NO WRITING GETS DONE AT THAT DESK. Only deleting. And yelling. Sometimes both at the same time. Sometimes yelling at someone else to delete something. Sometimes yelling at someone else BECAUSE they deleted something. Sometimes deleting something because I dont like the things they yelled at me. (You know where this is going right…?)
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I can imagine, Ms. Rockz. I’ve spent a part of my life in a job that was somewhat similar to yours. I can imagine the desk and the yelling – both.
Wishing you a calm and peaceful day at work.
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I don’t have a desk but it would probably be cluttered living with a hubby and 3 kids. Lol😊
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Still I’ll win the clutter race: Two Punjabi Parents equal Six kids on their worst behavior!
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Lol!!! You win😁
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Thanks. I’ll be there for the award ceremony.
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But of course:)
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That desk seems accurate. My computer desk at home also doubles up as dining table some times (true story!). And the last time I asked my parents for privacy, I got this “You don’t need to have anything private. All your stuff are belong to us.”
So I escaped to Chennai and live on my own now 😛 I have a desk but it can only accommodate my laptop! No more.
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Wait until you get married. It will begin innocently enough. First a pencil that belongs to her, then a hair-clip, then a scarf; you’ve got the nip that behavior in the bud – or you end up with a desk like mine.
Enjoy your uncluttered status as long as it lasts 😀
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Haha I’m aware of that happening. I guess I gotta be stern and call it off-limits from the get-go. 😀 But I’m worrying about the kids now, maybe by that time we’ll have outgrown desktops and went completely mobile!
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Kids you can handle, parents you can’t. You can’t scream at them, can’t make them stand in a corner, can’t threaten them with a freeze on pocket-money!
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Lol you’re right!!
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siblinguu your desk is superb… especially that yukky lizard..
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Shilpa, I’ll be happy to send it to you as a gift. One lizard less to haunt me. But I won’t want him to separate him from his family – so I’ll have to round them all up. It could take some time.
Glad you liked the desk – does it resemble your husband’s desk?
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Nooooo…I don’t like such creepy gifts..
My hubby’s desk is more organized kind… He is a neatness freak😉
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Lucky you. Wifey is a neatness freak too. Her desk is always neat – and you know why.
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Did you sketch that desk illustration? It’s awesome!
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Thanks Cheri. Words couldn’t alone handle the task of describing my writing desk groaning under the load of my dad’s dentures, wifey’s stole, and mom’s overflowing love for our gods. My desk had to be seen to be believed, so I sketched it. Glad you liked it.
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I went and looked at this nonfiction yeahwrite thing. Voting for this week does not even open for another 2 days and some hours. So, it’s too soon to support you in your efforts. I hope you get loads of new readers from entering the contest.
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Thanks so much. Just learned that first there are going to weed out some of the entries, then they’ll set up a voting grid with the ones that survive their weeding effort, and then the voting will begin. I’ll remove the voting request and add it if my blog entry survived.
Tim: Thanks so much for trying to vote. I appreciate it.
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This made me grin from ear to ear! Your comic voice is perfect, and the cartoons are brilliant. An inspired and excellent post!
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Thank you Vijaya. Welcome to my space where mom and dad must permit dreams to fly. It isn’t bad actually, just a matter of finding the right permission-slip…
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Haha! Clever snark!
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Snarky Malarkey is my forte.
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As I noted. I look forward to more of your inspired nuttiness.
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As always, I’ll try my best.
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Classic Anand style humour. Loved the sketch 🙂
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Thanks Shailaja. You like the desk? I’m willing to swap 😀
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This is hilarious and so true! You’re a great humorist 🙂 Please write more, especially with these kind of Indian “flavor” 🙂
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Thanks Nadya. Can’t keep the Indian spice out – life is bland without it 😀
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