After the first 8 days of learning on wheel… wedging the clay… making the slabs… I fell sick… I was to take part in the Kala Ghoda Potters’ Market… made a hip of things… & was running temperature….
Now I think… I was just an infant of 57 years … & my teething problems had begun….….
My left foot ligament ruptured… I was operated… & everybody … including me too… thought that’s that for my clay venture…
My back & neck problem would not allow me to sit on the wheel… & my left foot would not allow me to work in standing position for long….
Sallu (Salma) & Sulu (Sultana) were with their hands soaked in mud all the time.. & would tell me to make miniatures of their big projects… sometimes I would … sometimes not…
Days were not so funny… my calling was different …
& one day I came to Sulu’s saying I am going to make a sculpture… described to her how I would do that….
& before I knew I was onto it…. ‘War & peace’ my first sculpture….
Then next day I made the ‘Wounded soldier’
& it continued… my milk teeth had fell off & the permanent teeth including the wisdom tooth were fast emerging….
Touching clay would shape my imagination … my brainwaves passing through my fingers… all my senses could feel the clay I am shaping… I could hear nobody… would say nothing… Tranquil moments… vibrating… never still… hours would pass by like moments…
