Meet The Modern Family

MEET THE MODERN FAMILY: technologically fully connected , emotionally disconnected.

Welcome to the new generation of the Badlawat family and to the hype and madness of the new  technologies. As I leave today, I’d like to leave behind  a few  things  you  could  think upon,  I’m handsomely , round, and chubby, perhaps   a little  old fashioned  for  this new  hi – fi ,wi – fi home. I’m going to miss my  family to death  for  today I’ll  be replaced  just like my other friends, to mention a few – the  elderly lamp-stand,( replaced with what looks like a tall ,starved English lady standing in the corner  with her  bonnet on fire) Mrs All India Radio,( replaced by this silvery square–ish  young  fella’ who belts out hundred rhythms at the same time) and Mr wooden rocking chair(with some sort of a road like  walking chair (treadmill). Recently , my  old  friend  TV had to leave, the family was in a frenzy–trying to fit the new one. The only possible place I thought  for  a thing of this size and shape was – the ceiling. If nothing else, it  would  keep them a step ahead of others in high – tech  living!! And also, enable them one excuse to relax and stare TOGETHER;–For it  looked  like the  mega – version  of the very same thing (smart phones) they  stare  at, day and night, BY THEMSELVES with hunched – backs. Anyways  they  did  what  they’re  best  at – the  grand  family  photo frame from the wall  above the  old TV table, was removed. In place was the Lady in black – all glossy, insanely stylish –awfully BIG flat–screen LCD TV! Yes, their ‘new’ name well suggests their  impulsive ability of thoughtlessly changing treasured memories for the latest  fads. Oh! I owe to introduce myself, I’m the good old khandani  table – clock   and have been in this home from way before they turned into Badlawats .

Not  very long ago, they’d  cheer  over  cricket  matches,  or  savour  on their  favourite movies – Daadi  trying hard to suppress her  excitement upon the entry of her  college day favourite Amitab ji,  Daddu dozing off every  few  minutes  only  to  wake up by the tan – ta – ran  sound,  those priceless moments of Mr and Mrs silently listening to their kids, endless chatter  while watching Tom and Jerry.

Unfortunately,   the hall  which was alive with the laughter  and excitement of the family, lazing around waiting to  watch TV – is  no more, now  the TV waits to watch the family , for  everyone’s  busy  by  themselves  watching   Netflix or any other  hopeless thing.  Mrs of the household has  switched to online food delivery apps, she  now  prefers  cooking up fresh gossip  on what’s app  rather  than food. That’s not all , Mini  Mad’ame spends hours  draining  her  brain on snap-chat and so on, while 10-year old Chintu  sahib is  forever  engrossed commanding and  demanding inanimate miss Alexa , that I fear  the kids might  loose their  God – given ability of human  reasoning.

Sad to say but my replacement, is here : His highness Mr flawlessly good – looking clock ,slender, sleek, superior – boasting  of solar GPS, low – light  visibility, ultra–scratch resistance, and much more : with a clock so advanced , who knows   – you  might wake up to find yourself  having Koffee with Karan! With a heavy heart,  I was imagining my  left –over  future amongst  piles of raddi, when I felt   Daadi’s  loving hands placing  me beside my late Daddu’s picture in her room. I remember  something the kind old man always said: ‘‘new things come with  fleeting glamour and attractive promises attached, but old treasures stand with a beauty unspoken a purpose unmatched’’

– Shanthi  Virginia Barla