She Wants a Pet Lizard

 

“Didi, today, I’ve realized what this generation gap really is!”  said Nilanjana laughingly.

This was after having spent half an hour trying to get Pakhi (11), her daughter and Shilpi (45) her relation-wise niece to change out of their salty, wet clothes full of sand.

Nilanjana was 40 years old. Technically, I am her sister-in-law, though I’m older than her Mother. Shilpi, though her senior in age, is a generation ahead. And there by hangs a tale …..

We had all been on the RORO to Mandwa and then driven down to Kihim Beach I think. It was evening by the time we reached Kihim and Pakhi was all set to get into the sea. Equally enthu about this was Shilpi. She made a pretense of rolling up her pants and both had a gala time playing in the sea. We had to travel all the way back to Mumbai; hadn’t carried change of clothing so didn’t want to get wet. I was dreading the drive back to the jetty; it was getting dark and driving with headlights glaring into my eyes gave me nausea.

Finally, the two reluctantly came out of the water.

Then it was that someone directed us to the changing area. Nilanjana took the two wet creatures along. The bathroom was pretty big and clean”, she explained to me. “But Did”, she said, “these two were simply not ready to enter.”

There was one lizard in the bathroom. My brave nieces were terrified and held Nilanjana at ransom. They were not going to enter the bathroom with such danger lurking there.

Just imagine a scene where all seniors, in age are urging this woman to hurry up and she, poor thing, is with two characters who would not allow her to move, clinging on to her, literally!

 “I looked around for anything that would suffice as tree, and having spotted one, dragged them along to retrieve it. Coming back to the bathroom I somehow shook them loose, walked into the bathroom and shooed the lizard out. Then I shone the torch of the mobile around. Finally, convinced, the two entered and changed like lightning and were out in a jiffy. Getting Pakhi out of the bathroom is a job, you know. I think, Didi, I need a pet lizard!”

I laughed heartily at that….

[Sucharita]