KM is in Kolkata rite now, attending his first cousin's marriage. I was supposed to go to with him but the recent changes did not leave room for me. Finally after 7 long years I am gonna return to Kolkata. Yes I was staying in Bangalore for the last few years but I really can't say that it became my home. Its funny how you think when you come to a new place that it is temporary and you are just going back.Well, that just going back took me 7 long years but in all this while when I look back I never stopped feeling that it is temporary.
I came with a job here and have been here in many places. Cox Town then Jeevanbheema Nagar and then Bellandur. PG with Aunty staying on first floor and the ground floor occupied by 4 of us, to a house that was completely a Paying Guest and then a 2BHK after getting married. From being 4 girls in a PG working in a company that was 10 minutes walking distance to seeing them slowly get married, change cities, have kids and then finally getting married myself. Cox town was what I knew as home in Bangalore for a very long time. Aunty used to chit chat with us often. Four of us used to enjoy talking gibberish to Gandhi to Five Point Someone. Ayn Rand was introduced to me there and I loved it. Live life large was the belief there and I loved it. Don't know how much of it I imbibed, not as much as CB I am sure. CB and I were the ones who stayed till the end and then me alone for 6 odd months when she changed cities and got married. Oh, I still miss those talks daily with her and just her being around. Yes we fought maybe twice in the entire time and also got angry but that seems distant and the happy memories flood back.
Watching a colour less TV as we were too scared to tell aunty that maybe we have screwed it up and then the helping hand just coming and clicking buttons to get the colour Back!!! The TV had no remote and hence CB's favourite place was on the corner of the bed so that she can lean out and operate the channels. Lazybone as I was, I have watched the same channel for hours on so that I need not get up and switch it back and forth.
A cockroach infested refrigerator for few months before aunty discovered it and we were again too scared to tell her about it before that. Cooking Mixed vegetables with mixed spices and mix of all available things at home like butter, tomato sauce pepper powder etc. and it still somehow tasting nice. Longest of discussions on what to order from where for a lunch on dinner not because we disagreed a lot on what we want to eat but all of us agreed on Order Anything from Anywhere. Only if Anything and Anywhere were available!
Taking the utmost care of Aunty's furniture, as, if we spoiled anything it would be the end of us. Yet somehow managing to spill Dal on a sofa and cold drink on a cushioned chair. Then scrubbing with water, soap water, lemon what not, to get the stain off, and then ironing to get it dry and keeping the fan switched on. Coming back late in the nite (our deadline was 10pm else you had to inform her) without informing her in advance and finding the perimeter door locked. Pushing each other to make that life threatening call to aunty to open the door, and being scared the whole of next day as to when the phone will ring with the dreaded scolding. Lining up like school children to get scolded by her and apologizing for numerous things on numerous occasionss.
And yet we managed to have our share of fun, live large and be happy. All of us are now scattered on different parts of the world and a blessed thing like Facebook keeps us united. Our next generation is also already here and I hope we get to meet each other again sometime and tell our young ones all those stories of a carefree happy time :).
I came with a job here and have been here in many places. Cox Town then Jeevanbheema Nagar and then Bellandur. PG with Aunty staying on first floor and the ground floor occupied by 4 of us, to a house that was completely a Paying Guest and then a 2BHK after getting married. From being 4 girls in a PG working in a company that was 10 minutes walking distance to seeing them slowly get married, change cities, have kids and then finally getting married myself. Cox town was what I knew as home in Bangalore for a very long time. Aunty used to chit chat with us often. Four of us used to enjoy talking gibberish to Gandhi to Five Point Someone. Ayn Rand was introduced to me there and I loved it. Live life large was the belief there and I loved it. Don't know how much of it I imbibed, not as much as CB I am sure. CB and I were the ones who stayed till the end and then me alone for 6 odd months when she changed cities and got married. Oh, I still miss those talks daily with her and just her being around. Yes we fought maybe twice in the entire time and also got angry but that seems distant and the happy memories flood back.
Watching a colour less TV as we were too scared to tell aunty that maybe we have screwed it up and then the helping hand just coming and clicking buttons to get the colour Back!!! The TV had no remote and hence CB's favourite place was on the corner of the bed so that she can lean out and operate the channels. Lazybone as I was, I have watched the same channel for hours on so that I need not get up and switch it back and forth.
A cockroach infested refrigerator for few months before aunty discovered it and we were again too scared to tell her about it before that. Cooking Mixed vegetables with mixed spices and mix of all available things at home like butter, tomato sauce pepper powder etc. and it still somehow tasting nice. Longest of discussions on what to order from where for a lunch on dinner not because we disagreed a lot on what we want to eat but all of us agreed on Order Anything from Anywhere. Only if Anything and Anywhere were available!
Taking the utmost care of Aunty's furniture, as, if we spoiled anything it would be the end of us. Yet somehow managing to spill Dal on a sofa and cold drink on a cushioned chair. Then scrubbing with water, soap water, lemon what not, to get the stain off, and then ironing to get it dry and keeping the fan switched on. Coming back late in the nite (our deadline was 10pm else you had to inform her) without informing her in advance and finding the perimeter door locked. Pushing each other to make that life threatening call to aunty to open the door, and being scared the whole of next day as to when the phone will ring with the dreaded scolding. Lining up like school children to get scolded by her and apologizing for numerous things on numerous occasionss.
And yet we managed to have our share of fun, live large and be happy. All of us are now scattered on different parts of the world and a blessed thing like Facebook keeps us united. Our next generation is also already here and I hope we get to meet each other again sometime and tell our young ones all those stories of a carefree happy time :).
