Letter to Yashasvi

This is my new article-does it address the new generation?

Dear Yash

You are about to leave the protective precincts of your prestigious school and join college. And we are trying to locate a college just as prestigious as your school. IITs are tough but we still hope you can make to its hallowed portals.

These seventeen years have been one of sacrifice, patience and determination. Sacrifice of food, water, sleep, petty pleasures and job opportunities. Patience in waiting for you to arrive from school, finish your various meals of the day. And job opportunities. Though your mummy had a management and NET qualification in a booming economy, she acquiesced with a humble teacher’s position to be able to give enough time to you.

You are everything for your mummy. One day she sneaked out for a karnatic music recital and you gave hell to the your ‘history congress peddamma’. She was called so because she kept on participating in history congresses all over the country. You will be surprised your mother can sing very well too—she can beat any rock or classical star given a chance.

I envy her patience. She can wait for hours while you nibble your breakfast, lunch and dinner and kill a cool four hours in the process. And milk, well, you know that the temperatures of its reaching the table and that of your drinking have to be perfect, without the ever irritant malai. Like the golden brownness of your paratha and toast. And the right cake from the right shop on your birthday.

Premlata was engaged to chase you from room to room to feed you. But you managed to fool her most of the time.

I still remember you drove our driver Viswanath nuts giving him no time to reach school. But he managed to reach you. So could I, though in the process I had to get a few knocks on the new maruti 800. I got it painted after the school bus was arranged, but nevertheless we had to chase it often as you missed it.

Nowadays we are unable to sleep at night. You want loud music, a crashed computer due to overgaming, dirty adidas, low hip jeans and the ultimate IPOD. We are petty government servants and though we could not afford these, we pushed for all of these.

Of late, you are also irritable. Is it the genext trait? We cannot satisfy all your wants, but you cannot understand it, with all the peer pressure from materialistic environs. You throw tantrums, speak loudly and rudely. We grin and bear it.

We hope you will be able to get into a good college. If not the IIT, something close to it. After a good degree, you may get into IIM and get a job with a multinational.

But we are more worried about the quality of your life. Where are the simple pleasures gone? Why this loud, brusque behavior? Are mummy and daddy mere providers? Can’t we spend peaceful moments together, respect each other and nurture our family values?

I hope you will emerge as a complete gentleman, not just a successful man, earning dollars. Dollars are easy to come by, but daddy and mummy don’t come back again.