Thursday, August 15, 2019

And, the fragrance of the 'Rajnigandha' lingers on....


End of an era of quintessential Indian beauty.... The innocence and coyness of the character she portrayed on screen, was a true representation of the times then. Although I was very young to grasp the essence of her films 'Rajnigandha' and 'Chhoti Si Baat' at the time of their release, repeat viewings on television, made her someone we could relate to. Neville was also drawn to her films, and each time it was telecast, we watched them, sitting hand-in-hand. 

Many years later, Taarini and her daughter Janhavi became friends. We got invited to their family Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. During one of the Janmashtami celebrations at Vrindaban Gurukul, she too visited. She was very fond of Taarini, and even cooked her a few meals. One of Neville's favourite actresses, he and she even shared their birthdays.


Today as we bid her a final good-bye, I offered her long, fragrant stems of 'Rajnigandha'.




I was overwhelmed when Janhavi said, 'these are the most apt ones'. 

The song that ripped my heart after Neville moved on, tugs at my heart-strings yet again....