Home, sweet home..... ~ From a Nomad's diary

And after living like a hippie for about two months, am back home, sweet home for a hiatus. Sometimes, one needs a little stability. A fauji wife needs it too, albeit her flexibility in adapting to the different climates, places and people. With hubby away on work, and with my son missing his grandparents terribly, I thought it won't hurt much to stay with parents for some time. At least until the time we get quarters in the new station. A lot has happened for me while I stayed in the new place and here are the things I missed badly:

1. I MISSED idli, coconut chutney, arache utta sambhar, sevai, adai, poriyal, rasam sadam, avial,kal chatti kootu (kerala style) and all south Indian cuisines. You can take a south Indian out of South India but you can never take South India out of a South Indian, so says my hubby who likes any cuisine but south Indian. Well, he is 110% right! I have had recurring dreams of the above mentioned cuisines in the past two months. That explains, why home, sweet home brings a big smile on my face!
2. I MISSED the familiarity of my place. Every time I visit Bharuch, I am engulfed in a wrap of nostalgia. More so, it is the belongingness here that gives me an assurance of sorts. I love the people here, I love the temples here and I totally love the weather of Bharuch. Extreme it is, but I love it! And it is now that I noticed that small towns have a royalty about them. I grew up in a neighbourhood of educated people where uncles and aunties were more like friends and where, academics and sports were a priority always. I grew up with people who were simple no matter how rich and influential they are. I grew up in a town where I was well chaperoned by the Convent Sisters at my alma mater, Queen of Angels’ Convent. And that explains, why I am amused when people from cities have their noses pointed towards the sky, as the cities have malls, amusement parks and international schools. Well, I have nothing against the cities. But, just because a city has a a costly school, an airport or a mall doesn't make it any ‘cool’ or ‘kewl’. It is the attitude towards self and the humility that matters. In that aspect, there is only one city that bears my hometown’s humility and that is Mumbai. Of course, I can never match the city’s pace and hence, can never stay in it and yet, it is the best city I have visited so far. However all said, Bharuch is an emotion for me and not a place, merely and hence, it shall always be my first love. Always.
3. I MISSED long conversations with my mother, the endless shopping trips with her and her loud opinions on politics and women empowerment. Did I forget to mention, my mother is a highly opinionated and a strong willed lady who hates to lose arguments? My father instigates her on many occasions just for fun by claiming to support a political party she despises! Well, they are one funny couple and they totally deserve another post!
4. I MISSED my neighbours a lot too. N Aunty and P Aunty. N Aunty has been my best listener all my life. In those days, when I fought with mother over the many issues (all academic centric), I would instantly run to her and rant about not being understood. Aunty who is elder to mother and has a son who is way elder to me, treats me like a daughter she never had and so, would happily lend a patient ear to me, trying to figure out ways to bring my mother and me on a common page. P Aunty on the other hand who is younger to my mother, is more like a friend. I could share secrets with her, which I may not have felt comfortable sharing with anyone at that age. And the fact that she understood me, made me feel so good then. She has a son and a daughter (both younger to me), for whom I am like an example on how to be and more on how not to be :P These ladies along with their spouses have watched me grow from a difficult toddler into an even more difficult teenager and then into a very impulsive young woman who would blow her top at the drop of a hat and later, into a mellowed down mother to a naughty little onida (my son). After my parents, it is my neighbours too who have been with me through the highs and lows of my life and I can’t believe that time has flown so fast. Apparently, it has.
5.  I MISSED playing games like badminton, chess, business world and cards. When mother had come over to visit me, she had got with her three packs of cards. We were all ready to play rummy when my chirpy son jumped over and decided to play too. My mother was only too happy to include him in the game as she started teaching him about the clubs, the artins, the diamonds and the spades! (I have pinched myself every time I see her talking to my son. She is as patient as the hours with him. It was only me with whom her strictness knew no bounds!) Well, the game did not last because it never began in the first place as our room within a few minutes resembled a book of Black Jack with every card flying in the air. It took us more than two hours to regroup the cards and pack them up. Lessons learnt. Playing cards has to wait! 

And while I am catching up on the many things I missed, stay tuned for some interesting posts on grandparents, parents and their wars of leniency vs discipline and much more!