Oh, how I use to look forward to much awaited winter vacation
during my childhood. Usually, they followed daunting half yearly exams and meant
a week of break from waking up in chilly winter mornings, savor on special
winter delicacies, which extended family and neighbors obliged us with and enjoy
the warm sun few hours of the day in open , before wrapping ourselves in warm
rajais and call it a day .The festivities meant relishing the special chulha
rotis which my father use to happily
roll and invite the neighbors and relatives over . The angheethi use to overwork those special days,
doubling up as our room heater in the morning and replacing the cooking top in nights.
Share long conversations with nani and more nanis’ over dal
and dhoklas dipped in desi Ghee . Little
did I realize at that time, that they had more of life’s wisdom than all those self-help
books. Those were the days when deciding the next day’s menu before ending
today’s dinner with gajar halwa didn’t border on the thin line between gluttony
and pleasure.
The vacations meant multiple trips to Tibetan market and
clad ourselves on warm fuzzy good things. This also meant finding “Supatra” for yearly
donation of warm wear and linens, to make space for the new ones. The quest to
find something special in those big steel trunks was one activity I use to look forward to.
It was like a treasure hunt , to find something special admist the knick
knacks,the old year dairies , the hand written letters , some old jewelry box
and what nots .The pleasure which hand- me-downs bought during these activities, far exceeded having the new clothes. I do remember feeling on top of the world,
wearing one of my masi’s half jackets come overcoat with all possible colors . Some
memories are special.
Another funny incident I remember, is one where in I acted
totally smug, in front my convent going cousins, planning to celebrate Christmas
while decorating the Bougainvillea tree .
I not only spoilt the celebration but gave them a lecture on how this is all
western influence and how I plan to celebrate Indian new year instead which is
called Chaitra Shukla Pratipada ,by the way J
.
The phase continued for a long time as I studied in a Hindu philosophy
school and I continued to refuse to accompany my parents to the new year get
together they planned to go . I still
remember the irritated look on my Papa’s
face wherein he didn’t know how to question my actions as I was following what
I was taught at school . Somehow all the kids know how to give hard time to
their parents. We are born with that
skill and now I can vouch for it .
While I moved away from home, the meaning these winter days
carry has changed. Angheethis are now
only special sights , may be replaced as barbeques in some houses . I still
yearn to have one someday. Long conversations
still happen over the phone but pauses do not convey the same as they use
to. The impatient me breaks them with
hello hellos to ensure that the line is not disconnected.Its strange how our mind makes the memories feel so special. We are able to cherish them better this way . Strangely , it was the nip in the air today morning and the adrak wali chai which bought back the above memories and this write up :)
While I dont get to relive all of the above , I still am looking forward to make most of this time of the year. With this being the end of the year and less load of work I am getting to do what I love the most. Who knows my hour and a half lunch break of today with long conversations with my office friends would become a cherished memory sometime down the line. After all it had all the elements to be one with all the discussions on love relationships , family and yummy food .
