1. TIME OUT! 

Tirus, 6 years now, asks me a lot of questions. Questions which make me actually sit up and think. Every time he asks me a question, it’s like I am bound to put on my thinking cap and just pray to God that I have a logical answer! And it’s very interesting about what he thinks! The questions come most often when we are watching television together and the anchor or news-reader says a word, which Tirus has never heard before or maybe had heard it but stored it to ask me later.

So, this time Tirus, while riding his cycle around the house asked me, “Mom, what is the meaning of duty?”

I got him close to me and gave him a kiss on the head. I sat down on the cane chair in the verandah and pulled Tirus onto my lap and hugged him close.

Tirus insisted I tell him. So I started. “Duty is responsibility.” “What is responsibility?” he asked. “Responsibility is something that we have to do in spite of everything. We have to complete the task that is given to us.”

 So, I went about and explained what my duty is right now towards him. “My duty now is to love you, take care of you, feed you, send you to a good school, teach you good manners, let you do the things you love; all in all, make you a very good human being.”

Tirus looks cute when he thinks and his eyelashes curled up when he rolled his eyes and looked away in a contemplative mood. He was thinking. He shot back at me again, “So Mom, what is my duty?” with a lot of stress on the word ‘my’.

“Kiddo, your duties are to study, eat healthy food, be good to others and love everyone. When you go to a bigger school, your duties will be to study harder, respect your teachers and elders, show concern for the environment and love everyone. When you become a little older and start working, you will have a lot of duties towards the society, your state, your country, the world, which will include safe-guarding women and children.”  

Tirus listened wide-eyed all the time, soaking in what I was saying. “Mom, all this is pretty simple,” he said. “I know I can do it.”

All said and done, I have told Tirus about his duties. But what have I done all these years? What is that one special thing that I have done for the society? Have I gone to any lengths to make my city a better place to live in? Have I done anything to makes the lives of the lesser privileged a little better? I had thought of a home for the under-privileged but what have I done so far to make that thought come true? What about the garbage? Have I even taken some action to clean up the streets? And then how can I even think of blaming the government for not cleaning up the streets? It is I who has made a mess; thrown garbage all over and then what right do I have blaming someone else for it? What have I done for my country? I say I am an Indian but what Indianness have I shown so far? And what about the environment and the world? Who’s going to take care of the world? Isn’t it my bounden duty to make the world a better place to live in? But what have I done so far? Nothing! Only lip-service!

There were these voices which constantly whispered inside my head and I was going berserk trying to pacify them. But to no end. I can quieten them only till I have done something significant; my duty as a citizen of the world. And everyday, this frustration, this urge, this need is getting the better of me.

Tirus says his present duty, apart from his studies is to get my mobiles, tab and lap-top charged. How responsible! Being a little child, he knows his duties well but what about me? Isn’t it already too late? Am I not being totally irresponsible? Irreponsible towards my society, my state, my country and the world. One thing I know for sure! I am not asleep. So  what is it that I need to get me started. Am I waiting for that moment in time when someone is going to say, “It’s too late now! Nothing can be done anymore!”

So Tirus has now shown me the way. I am already getting started. Thankyou my dearest son, you have shown me the importance of doing my duties and I better do them fast! Mine are not simple, like you say your duties are!

Tinat Atifa Masood