When I met Gulzarin the eighties he was cordially separated with Raakhee and Meghana was used to scuttling between the neighbourhood bungalows of both her parents on Pali Hill, Mumbai. I remember that afternoon vividly, when I was in the middle of an interview with Gulzar and Meghana, aged 7 probably in braids and band on her head, bounced into the room and demanded money out of her father. She wanted to buy Smash Tee Shirt and Gulzar wasn’t giving into her demand, so she disappeared in his study for a while and then stomped out of her room in a huff!
It was after she had left that Gulzar discovered a poem on his writing desk where she complained about her miserly father. Gulzar was amused with the poem and happy that she chose to channelize her anger through poetry. I remember it because I featured Meghana’s poem in her writing as part of my feature on Gulzar. Perhaps, the seed for writing in her was sown that early.
To be continued