Palat vs. Salt

For all of us who've watched DDLJ, the word 'palat' rouses memories of SRK, banjo slung carelessly over his shoulder, eyes dilated with breathless anticipation, lips quivering as he mouths the word, repeatedly. Bloody hell, the moment Kajol turns to look over her shoulder, the theater erupted like a restless volcano.

As a cinematic effect it's been used prolifically in both Hollywood and Bollywood, remember Ingrid Bergman as she walks away from Humphrey Bogart in 'Casablanca'.

Life is supposed to be a lot like movies right, perhaps that's why most people long for that look, the shoulder check/ the palat.

Interesting, having failed the driving test three times ten years ago in the UAE, while desperate for a license, my instructors would tell me I failed 'cos I didn't do the shoulder check which is a mandate here. I could never explain to them that I'd driven for 15 years in India and dared not take my eyes off the road to do a shoulder check or any check for that matter, except eye candy of course for the ever present threat of landing into an auto rickshaw or under a bus. I remember practicing this until I cleared the test and I'm glad I did, this has saved me more times than I care to cite as I change lanes.

Ah, the shoulder check now, mandatory while driving, necessary at goodbye's, is mired in disgrace. Permit me to introduce you to Lot and his lot.

Lot was Abraham's nephew and the poor sod had a raw deal I guess, not only did his wife turn into a pillar of salt but his two daughters seduced him when he was in an inebriated state and had babies too. Lot's fate has not been lamented upon as much as his wife's is, well her fate isn't really repined except used as a warning. Why did she morph into a pillar of salt? Well, she looked towards the city of Sodom and that shoulder check sealed her fate. The city of Sodom was immured with impenitent sin and yes buggery, in case you were wondering why the name sounds familiar. Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament.

Back to the poor salt obelisk, apparently her venial desires spurred the palat and she paid for it and how.

Dilemna is, now what, should we or shouldn't we? If you think carefully, all the shenanigans with the shoulder check/ palat have been concupiscent from then to now. Is this terribly wrong then?

A friend of mine keeps repeating, there is no reverse gear in life and one should always look forward. Being the frail, faulty and frivolous individuals we are, a peek over the shoulder is part of who we are. Rather than view the action as flagitious, I'd like to use it to thwart dangers unseen. A recce of past actions and outcomes are vital. Doing a shoulder check may also prove to allow us to see beyond a twenty twenty vision, a wider periphery then, a panoramic view. We should learn from mistakes, eh?

Oh yeah, now if your eyes beam licentiously while you're doing that, go right ahead. It's better to be sagaciously salty than sickly sweet.

So go on... and palat...

You’re guilty, yes you…

When I ponder over my actions and my thinking, I’m predominantly assailed by pangs of guilt over the things I did and didn’t, said and shouldn’t have, over feeling happy and satisfied, over unbridled laughter, at achieving something , basically over things that have brought much joy. Immediately guilt comes calling along with a sense of foreboding.

As I gouge a little deeper into the recesses of my mind and memories, I’m certain that these insidious thoughts are a reflection of the coalescence of religion, family values, upbringing, environment and people who have influenced me. No this isn’t remonstrance nor is recrimination against anyone, just thinking out loud, this blog my confessional (in my defense).

The society and faith that I grew up in somehow ingrained it into us that we had no right to enjoy the pleasures of this world since we were reason for the cross on Calvary and every nail and thorn that pierced the Lamb of God was our doing. Oh and this world is a passing fancy, the real McCoy was Paradise and we’re better off suffering in this temporary dwelling since infinite joys await us yonder.

What stemmed from this thinking went deeper and touched almost every aspect of our character, from being treated differently according to our gender, the norms on what we could and couldn’t do to and in our roles as we became spouses and parents. Even now, when we do something solely for ourselves and spend that extra penny on a simple pleasure we feel like we’ve committed a grave sin. I’m not going any further with this, I’m pretty sure each of us can identify.

Is this a bad thing then, if we didn’t feel remorse would we be a fractious and unruly people who lived without morals and values and let our base instincts get the better of us enabling a violent society. If all of us lived by our own norms would it be anarchy?

Would we on the other hand be more creative, open, vulnerable and human if we didn’t?

Tell me what you think… I love a good debate... guilty as charged!