Romancing Old Age

This is another guest post by my Husband in his Romancing series. Even though, a prolofic writer,he refuses to maintain his own blog. I 'steal' some of his articles which  impress  me and share them with friends.
Romancing Old Age

At last I have been woken up from somnolence. I would like to pen some thoughts on a subject that is upper most in my mind.That pertains to old age. Has age got any significance in the modern age? It has been reported that by the  year 2030 India's young population would be about 95 crores,ie. in a short while we can reach the billion mark!!Old people no longer behave like old  people. Even in their dress and attitude they  mimic  the younger population.And why not?Improved  health care and health consciousness  coupled with a rigid exercise regime have to some extent  delayed the onslaught of the advancing age.I would  not call it a reprieve  as I   some times feel that age( I will not say old age) relentlessly pursue its prey  and frustrate  all  efforts to keep it at bay.
      When does old age begin? That is a debatable question as the marauding forces of age attack different  people at different time  keeping in view the health of their mental and physical faculties and emotional and psychological  propensities.It is no longer  rare  to see centenarians standing upright and  walking in swift strides. My opinion is that age is a matter of attitude.  A person with a pleasant demeanour, non complaining and contended nature and ever obliging will  go far in life  smart and healthy  despite the ravages of age. 
    My first brush with old age  was when I was hardly  23 years of age.I was travelling  in Delhi Transport Corporation bus. A smart girl got into the bus and addressed me 'Uncle, will you please move?' I felt that a thunderbolt has struck me and the ground under my feet was slipping. See her temerity!! Uncle indeed!!  I hardly  became a youth  and suddenly metamorphosed  into an ageing Uncle. I then realised that in Delhi all men are uncles and all women are  aunties whatever may be their age or status. I counselled and consoled myself that since this is a regular if not acceptable practice I should pardon that impertinent girl.  But what  took the cake  was  when  the bus conductor addressed as 'Lalaji'.' Lalaji where will you go?'   Sorry, even though I had  a corpulent figure, I should not be assigned to the category of  lalaji. I was just 22 when I landed in Delhi and was completely ignorant of the ways of this historical city. I expressed my  agony to a local friend. His reply was comforting though not very satisfying.  He looked very serious and like an oracle  pronounced  that wealthy people are known  as Lalas. I was confounded. A stripling has entered a higher social bracket without sweating or swearing for it. Years later after I entered  wedlock  and  me and the apple of my eyes were on  extended honeymoon,  a vegetable vendor knocked at our door. When I opened the door to my utter consternation he said that he had brought some special vegetables ordered by 'your Mother.' My mother!! Gosh!!  The ignoramus meant  my wife , who still had  dreamy eyes. To this day  I have not revealed  this unsavoury episode to my beloved wife who still treats me as her eternal Majnu. She refuses to acknowledge my age in spite of all tell tale signs  of a crumbling physique  if not spirit. I am on the  threshold of becoming  an  octogenarian.I  am a host to various ailments, some not very serious and some life threatening. My daughter and  son-in-law, who are eminent doctors, have so far succeeded in thwarting all attempts made by fate  to snatch me away from their midst and I am reasonably hale and hearty. My daughter-in-law does not spare  any  effort  to keep my old age at bay.She went to the extent of shepherding  me to a stylish beauty parlour, got an awesome haircut  and  special treatment to  bestow on my dull and dark skin some brightness which may not last long.The sun God will ensure that. All this while my son was viewing this drama with an indulgent smile.Thus there is a combination of forces  which keep me at a safe distance from the rigours and ravages  of a senile and decrepit old age. The moot question is how far  and  how long  we can fend off  the inevitable. Man is an evolutionary and  evolving being. Right from birth  he evolves and changes. Infancy, childhood, youth,  old age and the ultimate unspeakable truth are his characteristics.. But as the old saying  goes ,old age is second childhood. I see God's beauty all around  and a sparrow or a butterfly excites me. No wonder Somerset Maugham  observed that"old age has its pleasures, which,though different, are not less than the pleasures of youth". My message, therefore, is  so long as  the show goes on, let us enjoy it.