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Monday 16 May 2011

Small Town Girl !!!



Nature & Peace
Everytime I leave this place, everytime I depart from these people I feel nostalgic. I see from the window as far as my sight supports to get the last glimpse of the gigantic tower which is the representation of the place. This is the tower with which I recognized the threshold of the place each time I visited it when I was a kid. The tower, whose stories narrated by my maternal grannie meant lullabies to me. What makes this place so special??? What is it about the people, leaving whom my heart skips a beat. Welcome to the place of Fun…My Fun…

Play and Play and Play...
Miles away from the busyness of the city, kilometers away from the lifestyle and grandeur which makes it difficult to identify the true self, is a simple village in which I spent all my summer vacation’s most memorable days. This place meant the summer camp for me, this was my rejuvenating mantra for the tasks year ahead. The countdown would begin months before the time table for final exams arrived.

I come from a nuclear family. My mother too belonged from a nuclear family before marriage but the gathering it commands now every year is, if not more but equivalent to a joint family. My maternal grand ma and grand pa’s Four daughters and Two sons, each now having a family ranging from 1-4 kids each, I am one of those kids. Every summer, no matter where we all are, it’s a promise in which everyone finds common time in this span of 2 months summer vacation atleast for 10days. Irrespective of the, problems in in-law’s family or suffering of husbands with no food(like my mom’s) -  commitment is a commitment.

Our own idea of fun...
Whether or not calls where exchanged during the year, contact was maintained or not, the affection that these brothers and sisters share is remarkable .We as kids had a gala time. Our days would become longer and nights shorter. Waking up early in the morning to watch people sprinkle     water outside their homes, put rangolis in amazing fashion is a rare site in city. Unlike our city homes where we are blessed with a provision of 24*7 drinking water, people here keep waiting for hours together and store water in every possible utensil. Scramble would begin for one bathroom to attend Natures’s call and we would take combined showers in an open place. Holding each others hands, marching towards temple meant another 2 hrs of time pass. We would play and play in open spaces in temple till our stomach’s groaned for food. Junk food, daily ice creams, day wise special menu for food on demand made us kings and queens. Playing gulli(lane) cricket, street light badminton, terrace dumb charades, over boarded carom competitions, watching scary movies in a closed room and horrifying each other and getting horrified at nights are the most cherishable memories I shall be carrying for ever. And not to forget playing cards. I learnt and re-learnt to play cards very summer. Each time I go there I forget the basics and my cousins enjoy teaching me time and again and I relish learning again and again. The best being the joyness of sleeping under the open sky, watching moon and counting stars. And each year we would depart with an indispensable faith of meeting next year.

Gulli Cricket !!!

Twenty years have passed and today I left the place after a near to hardly stay of just two days. And on my journey back I am here sitting in a bus, recollecting how times have changed. All mumma’s kid have grown up . The place has changed from being a very small village to a well developed town. The thatched house which leaked and called for collecting water every time it rained has been modified into one of the most lavish styled house. Still it gives immense pleasure to visit this place and nostalgia when leaving – for only reason known to us that people haven’t changed. We still do the same stuff we did 10years back and enjoy in the same fashion. No matter where time takes us, this is a promise to be continued and we shall share the same bond as our parents do. Dedicated to all my siblings missing me there. Love you all. 

 




4 comments:

  1. Perfect story of a perfect small town gal...
    competition chalra ab to full 2 dono(u n vj) ka....
    ek sher to dusra sawa sher...
    good work...

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Khushboo - Aaahhh!!! Perfect comment..!
    Competition to nai han inspiration for sure..:)

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  3. Perfect moment for comment- Going to my village after Long time...
    Firstly glad to see this post after DOWNTURN,
    these memories will really help you in your future... Leaving in a real Indian home, Sharing everything including One Sky at night, Sleeping with sounds of cattle, experiencing everything god has created to its fullest.
    I still remember asking my grandpa about our Oxes on phone when I was a kid.
    It doesn't matter who you are and what you are doing or how much salary you get at the end of the month.
    Here life is measured with totally different things.
    I have lived in villages more than you did but still when I leave it my feelings(Plus guy part and minus girl part) are not much different than yours.
    You have perfectly picturised a small town life, that too without sounding boring to someone who has never been there. I really think I have underestimated your writing skills and personality. You really have the skills of taking the reader to the world you are writing through.
    I am sure this will be the post, you will like to read for yourself in future...

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  4. @Nits - I am glad i am able to connect with people..:)I agree with the last one for sure...

    ReplyDelete

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