I have seen a future and its name is .....

Ever since Alma and Sitab became aware of things around them, the question that was put forth to me by them most often was “Why is my name this ?” It was hard to answer this at first, but became easier as they grew up.

The names, 'Alma' and 'Sitab' were not my ideas, but my mother’s. Just before each one was about to be born, she suggested me some names, each one sounding more exotic than the other.

‘Alma’ was my choice among the three names she suggested. I liked the sound, the feel, when one takes this name. I also liked the fact that it has just four alphabets. I did a google search on this name, and was quite excited to see the results that came up.

Alma is a name which became fashionable only after the Battle of Alma which was fought near the Alma River in Crimea, South of Ukraine in 1854. This was the war in which the Franco-British alliance achieved victory over the Russian army. There is a poem “By the river Alma” written by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik. According to Wikipedia, the exact origin of the name Alma is debated, but it is most likely derived from the Latin word almus, which means 'kind' or 'nourishing'.

It has been most familiarized by its use in the term "Alma Mater", which means "fostering mother", or "nourishing mother”. It has been applied repeatedly for the title of goddesses, namely Ceres and Venus, as well as other deities of the earth, light, and day. The name Alma appears in various European languages, and has different meanings in each :

Italian : The Spirit Soul ; Hebrew : Faithful Maiden ; Latin : Gentle, Loving, Bounteous One ; Spanish : The Spirit Soul; Hungarian : Apple.

There are many places in the word called ‘Alma’. There is a city called Alma in Michigan, USA. There is an Alma College in France and another one in Ontario, Canada. Lake Alma is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. There are several Alma Hotels and Alma Roads all over the world.

Then there is an Alma Bridge in Paris (Pont de l'Alma) which crosses the Seine. It was named to commemorate the Battle of Alma. However it became famous for another incident altogether : The bridge is close to the Pont de l'Alma tunnel where Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car accident. The Flame of Liberty at the bridge's north end has become an unofficial memorial to Diana.

‘Sitab’ was also suggested by my mother. I loved it at the ‘first sound’. It reminded me of… I could not remember it at that time, but later I realized that it reminded me of ‘Sitara’ (star).

I was not too off the mark.

‘Sitab’ does mean a bright, twinkling star. It also means someone who is ardent, agile, eager and enthusiastic. A few years down the line, ‘Sitab Diara', a village in India became famous overnight. ‘Diara’ is an African name which means ‘gift’. I still do not know what ‘Sitab Diara’ means together, but sadly, I hear that this beautiful name is going to be changed to be made into something more ordinary.

Sitab is also a name of a herb (Ruta Graveolens), also called the Herb-of-Grace, which has a star-shaped flower and blue-green leaves.

Alma-Sitab went through phases when they did not like their names, though now they love their names fiercely. I went through pains when I had to tell people to pronounce their names the right way. Alma was asked by curious people if she was a Christian ? Sitab was asked if he was a Muslim ? When they told me about this, I felt very proud. I had not chosen their names in this context, but if people were confused about our religion, then I am happy that I chose these names, since I abhor anything that is strictly regional, casteist or religious.

So Alma-Sitab, the strange people with foreign sounding names, which reminded me of Arabic stars and European rivers, became a part of me, and since then, I feel alive. Finally alive.