My Santa Claus is a Muslim

Like most kids and every adult, I never quite believed in Santa Claus. The reason is simple. He never stuffed my stockings with goodies or lined my window sill with reindeers; and since we didn't have a fireplace at home, Santa didn't bother to climb down our chimney either.

When i turned seven, i began to hate Santa. This old man had time for all my friends (who didn't have a fireplace at home) and even kept expensive gifts under their christmas tree. But he seemed to be ignoring poor me for no reason i could think of. It wasn't the gifts that bothered me for i got more than plenty from my parents and cousins. What really hurt was listening to my class mates' tall tales of Santa bringing them this and that and all things nice!! I just couldn't stand being the only child Santa never visited.

"Why don't you write Santa a letter". That's what mom said when she saw me returning home all red and teary-eyed.

I did. I wrote the most horrendous 5 page letter to Santa Claus, crying out the pain he caused me and his totally inconsiderate attitude towards a young child who just longed to be in the good books of Santa. Still crying, I ran to the roof-top of our 15 storey apartment and stuck the letter on a tall pole, to be carried away by the winds to Santa's place in the North Pole.

Two days later was Christmas Day. No, as it usually happens in movies, Santa didn't succumb to my threats and bring me gifts to boast of. And i didn't care either. After all, Santa doesn't exist and my friends are dumb enough to believe the gifts they got are from Santa. After the usual round of traditions on Christmas morning, i ran around the house and played with my cousins. The door bell rang. No, it wasn't Santa. There was no one. Just a brightly colored envelope on the door mat.

Wow! Got one more card to hang on my christmas tree! Hey wait, it wasn't a card but a letter in beautiful handwriting.......signed by none other than Santa Claus?????!!!!!!!!

I thought it was a prank but the letter was genuine and had all the answers to my innocent queries to Santa. How could that be??? No one saw me sending that letter. It must have flown off to another neighbourhood but who could be so sweet enough to reply with the most inimitable charm that only Santa Claus is believed to have. I showed it off to my family and they were happy to see me smiling at least.

For every christmas, new year and birthdays after that, i received long loving letters from my dear Santa. As i grew up, i began to feel the letters were being send by my mom or friends. But i liked the mystery element and enjoyed every bit of it. On my twelfth christmas, i didn't get the usual letter from Santa but a huge gift, wrapped in shiny red paper and colored ribbons.

Now my parents eyes started to pop-out. Who on earth could be behind all this? I didn't care and soon proceeded to open the gift. It was a life-size Santa Claus doll that sang "Jingle bells, Jingle bells, jingle all the way". Oh, i just loved it. Suddenly a man appeared at the door front and smiled at me. "Aslam-aleikum", he gestured. It was our Muslim neighbour, Mohammed, who stayed on the penthouse atop our apartment. Seeing me still clung to the huge Santa, he beamed "I'm glad you liked it; it took me 2 years to find such a doll in the market?"

"You bought this????" i gasped. "And the letters?? Did you write them???? But why??? Why did you have to go through so much trouble for me????" He just nodded and smiled.

"I read your letter to Santa", he stopped nodding and spoke. "I felt i had to do something to stop the hatred that was growing in your little heart for a legendary saint who exists only in our hearts. This is my way of saying, 'Never hate anyone; love is what makes life worth living"

Thank you Mohammed. You are my Santa. Wish everyone could have a heart like yours. A Muslim heart, perhaps!!

Naam mein kya rakha hain?

For those of you who thought the title was in French, please be enlightened by the rough translation, read as "What's in a name?"

I'm definitely full of harsh, sour words for parents who christen their children with multiple names. These days, the name of a child is subject to change based on locality, people and emotional state of mind. What may be a decent, 3-word long name at school will soon transform into a 3 letter abbreviation fit for a pet, the moment a child reaches home. The parents and grandparents each have their favourite names for the kid while the neighbourhood aunties try to figure out a new name they find appealing.

My own cousin's daughter has a lovely name. Nisari.

It is a combination of the saptha swaras Ni, Sa and Ri. She was named by her Dad hoping the child would follow his footsteps and grow up to be a fine singer. But as luck would have it, Nisari does not even sing in the bathroom and has little interests in any of the art forms except, body-piercing, of course!

Her Dad regrets that he named her Nisari and now calls her Rin. Maybe after RIN Supreme Sakthi detergent powder, i'm not quite sure! Her mom (and my cousin) calls her Niri, which during the course of the day, has every possibility of changing into "Naaaarri" (translated as @@****@*@%) , thanks to Nisari's naughty deeds at home.

The other week, i was invited to Nisari's Annual School Day Celebrations. She had won the second prize in the Fancy Dress contest. Good girl! At least she has inherited her mom's bad style of dressing and put it to good use as well.

Imagine my surprise and pain, when the Chief Headmistress rumbled out the name Ms. Bethsheba Alphonsa Clive from the jarring mic system and in walked my niece with a smile, giggle and frown, all rolled into one strange expression. I looked at my cuz and asked point-blank, "When did you change her name?" 'Oh, that's her official name in the school', was the expressionless reply i got from cuz dear.

We are often concerned that our well-brought-up children are growing up into multiple personalities (or schizophrenics). Well, how will they not, when you give them meaningless names to suit your whims and fancies???

A child should be called by a single name and taught to live up to the meaning of that name. Nisari may not be a singer in her life. But she is artistic and appreciates music. She could be moulded to listen to her Dad's songs and may be include a few of his background scores for the next fancy dress contest.

Believe me, there is a lot to a name than what meets the ear. It is the child's first identity of being a part of the world, community and family he/she is born into.

I still haven't recovered from the shock of discovering that my niece had a totally alien name i didn't even know existed. And to add more salt to misery, my cousin is deep in thought trying to name the new kitty that walked into her home a few days back. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed she doesn't call it Mickey Katrina Paw!

Stopped searching?

We all search, don't we. It's become almost like a habit.

We search the net; we search the drawer, the cupboard; we search the discotheque; we search for partners; we search for road signs; we search for literally everything except our heart.

You can justify that something that's so close to you and is the reason for your being alive, needs no searching. It is evidently there, all safe and sound, within you. Okay, i'll buy that theory.

What if you have become so used to not searching for your heart that you kinda become blind to what's happening right in there. Oh please! I'm not talking about the complicated circulation system. You know what i mean. Guess you're not stupid enough not to understand that. (If you are, then please leave this blog right NOW!!!) Just kidding! Even morones are welcome.

Well, where was I.......ah yes, about searching our hearts. When was the last time you actually took some time off to SEARCH www.yourheart.com? I know when i did. Last night. While i was waiting for a certain someone to tell me i look great. The wait seemed forever and my patience, as usual, was waning! I searched my heart for something.....anything.....! I think my heart was right! Told me to get up from the couch and make a cup of tea for the certain someone. I did. And whoa, i got the compliment i wanted and much much more that is outside the guidelines of this blog to be posted here. No, no don't even imagine it! :-)

Happy searching! Let me know if your search for your broken heart, hurt heart, happy heart, anxious heart or just blank heart was fruitful or not. Okay? See you soon!