!-Day

Today when my friend's maid - Rayeema who is in her 60s - came in for work, she greeted her with an Independence Day wish and asked her what did she do special on the day.

Rayeema, with a perplexed look on her face, asked my friend: "What's special today?"

My friend told her: "...we got independence"

She said happily: "Oh, is it? When? Is it showing in TV?"

My friend initially thought she was referring to DD's live telecast of the parade in Delhi. It took a while for her to realize that Rayeema actually thought India got independence today!

Startled over the fact, my friend said: "Rayeema, this is our 67th Independence Day. It happened in 1947."

Rayeema's face dimmed. She said with a sigh: "I thought something new will happen at least now."

It pains, but it's a fact... that 66 years on, the spirit of independence is still elusive from the lives of many.