Kids - The most important K of my life…my KIDS. My son and my daughter….their names start with K too….so yes, undoubtedly the most important K of my lives. My son’s summer holidays started about ten days back and yesterday I was telling my husband…..My throat hurts because I am talking all day! Yes, talking all day…..to my kids…..who are a curious and talkative twosome…..they are full of questions and they will share every little thing in great detail. So, I am either answering their many questions or listening to what they have to tell me. Now, while I am listening, my seven and a half year old son loves it if I ask him questions about what he has to say because that proves to him that I am not just hearing what he has to say…..I am actually listening to him. On the other hand, my three year old daughter hates being interrupted while she is talking…..and will tell me…..quiet Mamma, don’t talk now, it’s my turn……but will make sure I am looking at her while she is talking……her way of ensuring that I am listening. And if she asks me something, my answer has to be a clear ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or in words….she will not accept a nod of the head or a ‘hmm’. My 2 kids…..My 2 Ks…….carried by me in my womb for 9 months each…..yet, as different from each other as day and night……each already a unique individual in their own right. And so while they tire me out and make me complain about my throat hurting…..I absolutely love every minute of it. There is infinite joy and happiness in all my interactions with them. And my kids….if they feel even slightly that they have upset me…..will come, say sorry, hug and kiss and say….Mamma, we can’t see you upset…please don’t be angry…..precious moments all. They fill my home with noise and laughter. Sometimes, when they are in bed fast asleep, I go and watch them sleeping…..that sight gives me a calm and peace that I cannot explain in words. And then when I think that in about 10 -15 years….they will be all grown up and not living with me anymore….it gives me a sinking feeling in my stomach….makes me feel empty within…..because they so much comprise my world right now…..that I cannot imagine a scenario where I won’t get to see and talk to them every day. But that bridge will be crossed when I get there……for now, life which revolves around my 2 kids….that life is simply perfect.
Kerala – I was born and raised in Mumbai. But since my grandparents lived in Kerala……my summer vacations were spent in KERALA. And the memories are abundant…..the mangoes, the jackfruits….ah! the smell and taste of these fruits, the well from which you had to draw the water, the cows, the hens, the coconut water, the waking up in the mornings to the smell of idlis being cooked by my grandmother, the breakfast of hot idlis and coconut chutney, the dry fish fry, the sitting on the porch in the evenings gazing up at the open sky and watching the coconut trees swaying slightly in the breeze, the banana trees, lunch served on banana leaves, the fresh tamarind plucked from the trees, standing outside the home and seeing green fields everywhere, the visit to the temple in the evening, the temple lit with lamps, the pond, the unbearable summer heat forcing us to take afternoon naps, waking up from the nap to tea and parippu (dal) vadas, the trip to Guruvayur temple, the bus ride to get to the temple…..the driver driving the bus so fast that I remember holding on to the sides of the bus for dear life….coming from Mumbai I had never travelled in a bus that went that fast. Yes, the memories are abundant and rich. Many years ago, just months before my marriage, I made a trip to Kerala with my friend and her mother…..and saw another side of Kerala that I had not seen before…another side definitely but equally beautiful…..Kovalam beach, Ernakulam……parts of Kerala I had never seen before….and what can I say, I fell in love….with beautiful Kerala. My husband and I made a few trips to Kerala again (both our families are in Mumbai, so trips to Kerala have been few)….but we have wonderful memories of the place…..the beaches of Cherai…..the waterfalls of Athirapally….and of course, our most favorite place in Kerala…..the temple of Lord Krishna…..Guruvayur temple. It is one of the few temples where no matter how crowded it gets, no matter how many people are around me, no matter how noisy it is…..when I stand in front of Guruvayurappan with folded hands….at that instant, I feel I am alone in the temple….just me and my God…..and that feeling is sublime, indescribable and beautiful. My husband and I frequently talk about how we would like to spend our retired life there…..and whether that happens or not….one thing is for sure…..Kerala, my beautiful Kerala, aptly called ‘God’s own country’…..will always….always remain…..close to my heart.
Signing off ‘Knowing’ that life is like a ‘Kaleidoscope’….you never know what beautiful colors await you at the next turn and this quote by Karl Marx
‘From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need’
No comments:
Post a Comment