Its HOME SWEET HOME!!!!!!!

A gush of cold wind hit me as I alighted. My fellow passenger had warned me.” Wear something warm. You don’t feel inside because of the a/c”. I just smiled at her. She was young. She wouldn’t understand. I had been longing for this ever since I retuned from USA. It was an animal instinct. They recognize things from smell, sights and sounds. For me it was the whiff of cold breeze every year the plane hit the tarmac that screamed ‘ Home’.

I love traveling by train when I am in India. My friends often question the wisdom. There are two reasons. One Gwalior is not on the Flight map. So I have to land in Delhi and then run to catch a train. The whole travel thus becomes rush rush , wait wait. There is another very deep reason. This is the only time when I am totally removed from the world. I do not carry a mobile phone, a watch or even a pen. I spend these twenty odd hours in the company of my thoughts alone. I don’t talk to anyone nor read anything. Its splendid bliss as thoughts jostle for space with memories.

This time I took this experience to a new higher level!!!! The girl on the lower birth slept all the way. I had no option but to be on my upper berth.
It felt like I was a rishi meditating on the Himalayas.

I remembered Tanmay tugging at my heart strings as he hugged me good bye. His eyes brimming , he promised that he will be a good boy but come soon. His Environmental science subject (God ! what happened to the simple old fashioned civics!) had taught him about joint family and it left him confused that we didn’t all live together like one big joint family! his constant refrain is " why do you have to go."

It tickled me to remember the evening before. it was a dry day and the bar was closed on account of something. I thought we shall have to skip our drink. But the Indian businessmen are enterprising. The bar owner had kept a bottle for us. He arranged an impromptu seating in the garden behind and left us with the keys.

I don’t know if it was premeditated or at the spur, but friends started chiding me for worrying too much about my future. They assured me that they were there to help. One of them stood there giving me a big lecture. I suddenly giggled. A glass in hand another hand on his waist, he appeared to me like Lord Krishna exhorting Arjuna. After all this was my Kurukshetra. needless to say, all serious talks vanished once i painted this imagery to them

On reaching home I got the news that Sandeep has finally left IIT. He is joining his new job from Monday. I called him up. A lot of water has flown under the bridge. He was a 19 years old neighbour, my first teacher who taught me how to use our first computer. MS Office had still not arrived and it was the age of cumbersome DOS. C: popped up when you booted the computer. It left me baffled as to how did c arrive before a and b.Sandeep explained why. He was a student and a teacher.we owe him a lot.
He brought knowledge and virus in our life!!
Now he is a Doctor from the most prestigious school in the country.
Good luck Sandeep. IITs loss is the Corporate gain.

There is no substitute for nature. The cold water from the fridge can never really replace the refreshing and cool water of the river Ganges. Visit Haridwar and you will know what I mean. As I waited on the platform and felt that cool breeze I thought that A/C is no substitute either.

Suddenly I saw Dada , my elder brother waving at me. Sister was waiting on the other side of the bridge. I had forgotten to give them my compartment and seat no. and they were left scurrying.

It’s not easy being my brother.

We laughed happily as we hugged each other. Friends are something you can decide. But brother you just have to tolerate.

No words form in my mouth as I grin from ear to ear.
It feels great to be home.!!!!!!!