My Little Red Box
Meena emptied the contents inside a red box made of fabric. She was facing the balcony, with walls painted in her favorite shade of yellow. Accessories, hair clips, earrings, chains, pins were all spilled on the floor — as she began assorting it.
“I have held onto this for the past 12 years” said Meena.
“Why? What’s so special about it?” asked her husband, sitting across her in the floor of their apartment, playing with their five year old son.
“Umm…my dad gave me a perfume. This is the box that it came in. I don’t know why I am holding onto it. It’s special, I suppose” replied Meena lost in her own thoughts while organizing the items in the box.
12-year old Meena loved perfumes, she used her pocket money to buy perfumes at the fancy store down the lane. She loves sweet-smelling fragrances. The first perfume cost her like two-hundred rupees, and she wore it sparingly and used it for as long as she could. Whenever, relatives visited her family from abroad with gifts, she scans through the package to see if there were any perfumes. Her heart jumped with joy, whenever she saw one. Her brother eyed the chocolates, so it was quite easy to get hold of the perfumes.
“What are you planning to ask dad to bring back for you?” asked Meena from her brother.
He grinned and told about all the endless things he planned to ask dad, starting from chocolates, clothes, games etc.
They decided it was best to prepare a list and give it to dad before he left to Singapore for a business trip. He doesn’t travel often but whenever he does, he brings back suitcases full of lovely things. He was travelling overseas again after 8 years, so the kids spent the whole week thinking through and dreaming of all the amazing items they would like to own.
Finally, the lists were handed over to the father. He browsed through it, returned it back.
“Pick one item from here” he said.
After the kids pleading, “Ok, maximum of only two items”
So Meena, crossed clothes, chocolates, stationary, earrings etc. out of her list.
“I really want the perfume. I want a branded one, its Tommy something. You ask the shop keeper from a good shop, they will show you. It has to smell really awesome” said Meena, vaguely recalling brand name and the scent of perfume used by one of the girl attending her tuition class.
“Also, watches. You can get it from the small shops along the roadside — I want many colorful ones. It won’t cost you much” she added.
As Meena stood up, after neatly organizing, her mind was also as clear as the items in the red box. She closed the lid of it, seeing the words imprinted on it “Dreaming — By Tommy Hilfiger” before placing an important piece of her childhood away in a corner.
She looked at her husband and said “I think I know why it’s special. It reminds me of my essence, whether I am in alignment with my bliss”
He looked confused.
She kept the box on a rack of a wooden cupboard, next to two barely used perfume bottles which she received as gifts from her friends.
The bottles remained full, barely touched.
“Perfumes aren’t just random fragrances. It inspires and reminds me of my essence. I need to make it a priority in life to have my little moments of bliss” she added while looking at her faded dress, smelling of curry powder.
