Der aaye durust aye

Farah Naaz

What would you say of a writer who keeps changing her desk? Impulsive, innovative or reckless. Well turns out that this writer has as much writing desks as her ideas.

No not really. Just a couple of them.

My sofa, my son' s study table (for its practicalities or when I am missing him), my office table, my bed, and my daughter's table (for the ac and the view). My latest is this. It has been my partner for some months now. It's steady ,rock solid and is near the window where my stray cat visits me. Simba, Chimbu and I are a team when writing drafts. Oh you can say the same for Frida Kahlo. I have invoked her spirit to help me write. She did help me when I painted her to get over anxiety during the dreaded Covid waves. That was a surprise to me- the paint bit.

The desk was gifted to me by my parents. The same piece exists in their home. It is teak wood and lovingly custom made some years ago for holding knickknacks,. The other day, I found a ghunghroo and flute inside it. Remnants of my children’s interests. I let them be. It is here where I write my pieces. It is where I dream as I write. Some days I cry, some days I write as if I am possessed and some days, I just watch the world get by.

This desk has been for me for the past 25 years. As they say - der aaye durust aye.

*****************************

Objects of Our Affection is a series exploring our connections to the furniture and objects that make our spaces home. Through stories of tables, chairs, and that odd-shaped thing only you love, we celebrate the inanimate pieces that hold memory and witness our lives.

If you'd like to contribute your own story to this series, we'd love to hear from you. Micro-essays, poems, reflections, and fragments welcome. Write to us at hellothadi@gmail.com. Word limit 400.