The 'fall' - A Letter to Sister Ruth*

O’ dear Sister,

tell us

how can one not

fall

when things such as these happen-  

I was in search of my supplementary  self

he was in search of his complementary  self

when our eyes met,

the selves struck a chord

and a smile marked

the shortest distance between us

a whole universe rose

and

we fell!

(addendum:

we girls rise only

when our universe falls!)

Well, it  is a bit of fun – a memory from high school  years, when one of my friends had to give an explanation as to how she had fallen in love with a boy in the nearby school. According to the Convent rules, ‘such things’ should not happen- Fallings and failings of any kind invariably called for ‘explanations’!

And in the words of Sister Ruth*, girls should be ‘tough enough’ to discard such ‘distractions,’ focus on studies, rise in life, create her own world which she would love to live in, and then think of finding a partner to share the life-- No ‘frailties’ anytime before!..Yes, sounds like Anais Nin’s, ‘How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself.’

Well, Sister Ruth*  was right in her own way, though some of us didn’t agree too much with her at that time…Now, I often sound like her to the young girls around me…well, the tunes we get to play as Time, the Master Conductor, composes the grand symphony called life.

As regards the girl,  the nuns were too strict about it all,  the matter turned serious and  finally her parents were summoned and she was warned to keep off. I do not know the happenings after we left school, but came to know later that the two got married finally.  And there were a few other stories, explanations and warnings, where it didn’t end too well…but no one stopped falling in love nor could anyone stop, so to say! Consequences and endings –well, that’s another story…stories.

And, because of the ‘call for explanation’, in those days,  in our circle we had many explanations in circulation as to how ‘ it’ happens.  How could one not fall (in love) when such things happen was our question to the Sisters  – but no one dared to ask them!

Written and posted as requested by two of my old students - Sakshi and Neha, who wanted girly stuff. 

As I was writing, I was thinking of how writing and reliving good memories is so vitally different from writing and relieving oneself of the stress of tough phases in life.  I guess ‘Letter to Sister Ruth’ mostly brings the child/teenager in me –happy ‘she’  is still alive…despite me feeling a 444  year old at times!.....though the verse is kind of non-sense,  writing it gave a fresh feeling... Should be doing it more.

By the way, some of my readers here known personally to me said they like to read the PS  more than the post itself…at one point in time, I wanted to get rid of the PS, but if someone loves reading the background,  fine then…

And yes, some said, they loved reading whatever I’ve  written here – trash or otherwise.  okay, then…

*Name has been changed, if some ‘Sister Ruth’ shares the same idea as here, it is only coincidence.

Photo courtesy: as per original copyright at:
http://www.123rf.com/photo_1319379_deep-red-heart-shaped-morning-glory-leaf-with-stylized-grunge-wave-reflection-and-drop-of-falling-bl.html