Cool Summers!

I opened my eyes to find the whole world shaking around me, a small window to my left overlooking a bright morning sky and a silent humming of an engine. I realized I was on my way to Bangalore to do my summers. The sun had just risen, the air was cool, the highway was not so crowded ; Bangalore seemed the same as it was 7 years ago. But right now I seemed to be somewhere on the outskirts of Bangalore with scantily populated shops bragging their Kannada name plates. Wonder why globalization hasn’t got to the masses in Bangalore!!

I saw the world around me snoring away to glory and realized that I must be very far from my destination. But somehow I couldn’t try to catch anymore sleep. Was it the excitement to lead a part of my life in a new city all by myself? Nopes… it was the just the pressure on my bowels! With every moment, the desperation started increasing and time started moving slower. Everytime I peeked out of the window the scene was same…. Cool breeze, red sun peeking from behind the skyline, a shop or two besides the highway, electricity wires waving up and down, trees whizzing by and a truck or two overtaking us. If ever all of this was to test my patience, I have a lot of complaints against God.. esp because the last night I had under eaten for the journey.

As a hour and half passed by and as landscape changed to town & then to a city I started feeling better. When the stop arrived I was preparing myself to bargain with the auto drivers but I was neither in the physical nor mental condition to do any bargaining. So I took the first ric home.

I found the way without much difficulty. When I came home I was amazed to see dada’s own house. It had a gate, a 10x10 court yard, a big living room and a storey above. Dada was brushing ketuli’s teeth while she ran about helter-skelter. I said a feeble hi and rushed to the loo. I came out feeling better and said a HI to vahini and her mom. I called her kaku. Everyone seemed happy to see me and the feeling was mutual. However I realized a muffled tension in the house. Must have been because of the new born baby & his chores. Dada started with his world-famous PJs. He told me way of dealing with ketuli and her whims. I befriended ketuli immediately by playing with her and I guess she started liking me too. I got a place to dump my luggage which till date has been mine!! I called up office & confirmed my project starting date.

I announced that I am looking for an apartment and started searching for some. Me and dada visited a few only to find them disgusting. Dada was encouraging me to stay in his house which I tried to avoid. Finally I got fed-up of searching and decided to stay when vahini urged me to. I tried not to burden the people in the house by eating in office as much as I could.

My project was not so challenging and I spent atleast some tome everyday chatting with friends from college & from Thane. Everyone still thinks I have no work at all!!

As days passed my, the baby had his naming ceremony and I had to help out lots of guests with lots of things.

I met the GIM gang at IIMB one weekend. They do have a FINE campus there. Lots of trees, good facilities and nice ambience. I visited quite a few places and pubs. Met sunny-pri one eve. They looked like a nice happy couple. I saw a good side of these people for the first time. The MBA pressure does bring out a bad side in you. I guess everyone really can’t take the pressure.

Had a weekend with Sonu & her hubby. They are fun people. They taught me bowling and treated me with nice chicken. Had a fun outing with them. Had a good lunch with Manu-taai one day. I was happy when she started being so friendly with me. I always used to feel a great gap between us which I was not capable of filling. It was nice to be with her. Its good to have elder “friends” taking care of you.

There a lot of things that dada’s family taught me. Dada’s willingness to keep me in his house for 8 weeks; his temperament to tred the RIGHT path and do the RIGHT things, his willingness to adapt to surroundings, his persistent care towards his family, his non-complacency and willingness to re-mould himself; vahini’s temperament to look after her kids, her way of easing people into her company, her care and concern for every detail; I am shocked how I missed noticing all this in my parents. (Ghar ki murgi dal baraabar).

I liked the life dada is leading now- a good job with good growth, access to the best facilities, a good family and an income to support them, his own house with a choice of his own trees to plant and happiness everywhere.

If I miss this place I will miss the home food, dada’s jokes & his occasional gyan, vahini’s concern for me & my life, playing with ketuli and most importantly the awesome whether here. These 2 months have made an impact on my life.