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February 24, 2013

Fatima!

I got attached to this name when I was reading 'Songs of blood and swords' by Fatima Bhutto.

Her emotions touched me and never mind, the topic of our not so loved neighbor hood cracks me, still  I feel all characters in that book are very close to us. Why not, the region is an estranged part of our own soul. Fatima Bhutto's each word described her emotions for her family, her dad, her life and her country and the book which actually made me attached to the people of Pakistan, some where, may be a little bit. Each page of that book , brought me closer to the writer, Fatima. She had captivated my mind for many days after finishing the book. I realized her name also pours emotions in me, a few days before.

A young girl of my age came with a little, may be a year old baby on the bus station where I was standing clueless, in the state of being no where. I looked at her. I was feeling emotionless and disturbed.Of course I did not know why I was going to take the bus which will bring me to the only near by mall. The young girl came forward with her baby and sat beside me.

I observed the girl, she was too young for a baby, may be. With a cotton sky blue duppatta and kajal in her eyes, of course she looked like any ordinary Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. She smiled at me which made me smile back. Okay, so over here in Singapore the whole act of smiling at a stranger is a luxurious phenomena. Suddenly her baby smiled at me too.

Two tiny blue eyes called me. The smile actually lifted my mood which was just no where in the picture. She is going to be the most beautiful girl of her age, I thought.The baby jumped on me, Just then!Her mother readily gave me the baby and I played with her for some full ten minutes. Again one more luxury. No,you can not smile at babies here, even if they appear extra cute or they themselves smile at us.

While playing I asked the young mom how old the baby is. She answered me in Hindi with Bangla accent and all political issues between our countries never worked in those fifteen minutes for sure.
The baby was trying to talk to me and she kept on jumping in my lap. I realized I did not know baby's name, and so I asked.

The mother answered, 'Fatima'.
I told 'No doubt she touches me', to myself.

Some names bring emotions back in me, irrespective of persons they belong too!

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