I am soo tired today.We were out all day..DH had taken off for some personal work and then,we had an medical appointment in the city.In the city,we walked around quiet a bit,from his parking lot to the tram stop,then from tram stop to the medical center..and after our appointment..walked all the way back to the tram stop.And it was a hot hot day..
After walking so much,and waiting at the doctor’s office,we were hungry and had a sub.There was Mc.Donalds,right next to it,but we went to Subway..Pat Pat!! Ofcourse it helped that Aadi was sleeping.
Then,we met up with a friend and went to his place..they have moved to a new house and we went over to visit.Had dinner with them..and came back at 10.30.
I have a terrible headache..and I had a drink..Gin with lemonade with lime slices as garnish..was really nice and refreshing..but I think…I am a l..ittle High!! or atleast my head is heavy!
We have a busy weekend starting tomorrow..so,hopefully,there will be no hangover tomorrow.I just had one drink..but my drinking capacity is zero! and people like me should stay off drinks…So,I guess I will call it a night..Ciao my lovelies..be good.more tomorrow.
-
-
Yup!!You guessed it..Its the latest jewel from Aadyaland.
If I say some big english words like “intelligence” and distaction,superstition,frustrated”….she tells me,’Don’t say bad words to me!’
She understands basic Marathi for words like come,go,later,hurry up,etc..but if I talk to her,in marathi,very fast and she doesn’t follow it,she tells me,”Don’t say bad words to me!’
But if I am on the phone,talking in Marathi,then she picks up the key words and asks me questions about it.
Another thing,thats very cute,but annoying at times is her,constant questions..Mamma is it like this?Mamma do u like this?Is Papa in office?and other annoying questions that she asks 10times in a day,all of which have the same answer-YES..I mean you are not allowed to say No..because then,she gets upset and says..I am sad..aap mujhe No bolte ho!!*rolling eyes*..[You say No to me]
So,if instead of saying Yes,I answer,hmmm..she gets upset..”Aise mat bolo na..Achche se has ke,Mooh se bolo!”[Don’t talk to me like that,Say it properly,with a smile]
And if we are talking about something or someone and she doesn’t understand the conversation,she wants to know,”Kaun?”Who?”.as if we don’t understand the first word…Kaun?Kiska??Kyaaaa?? Her questions never stop.We cannot have a conversation without her interrupting us,with her questions.
When we are looking at albums,she point out to every single person and tells their names..and those that she doesn’t know..she just says,”yeh koi bhi nahi hai” (this is nobody) and moves on.And when she is showing the album to someone,she just skips through all the pages,where she is not there ..to the one where she is.One time,she was showing the pics to Friend S and she kept turning pages,till she reached a pic of my sister and DH..and on the table ,in that picture was also Aadi’s bottle.She stopped there..and excited pointed out..”Lookkkk my bottle!!” Any attempts to point at the people in picture were brushed away,saying..first you look my bottle!
Over the weekend,DH and I were dreaming about a whole seafood dinner..I spoke about creamy seafood Pasta and Fish fry.DH spoke about Fish curry and Kappa..He even offered to get some Kappa..Aadi was listening to this conversation..Now,she knows Pasta but,say Fettuchini and she doesnt know what you are talking about..She know Fish..but say Meen and she doesn’t know what you are talking about.She was trying hard to make sense of the conversation..and then DH said,”Ohh I want Kappa..I think she will also like it”..so the little diva,cocks an eyebrow and says..Kyu??Why? But I already wear Kapda!!
And then,we couldn’t stop laughing..And that made her angry…”Don’t laugh at me…its not nice”…she said,with a frown..how ,oh how could we not hug her then!And no we didn’t stop laughing…
Ohh and today I baked this cake and naturally we had to wait for it to cool down.While it was in the oven,Aadi passed time,licking the batter off the bowl and then,checking on it through the glass in the oven door.But waiting for it after it was done,was too much for the poor kid.
She begged and pleaded..not paying heed to my words,that it needs to cool down..Finally she gave up..but not before trying one last time..”Mamma,could I please have a very small piece of the cake?” You tell me,what is a mother to do then..Ofcourse,she got her piece and not a very small one either..She polished it off in no time..saying..yummmmmmmm with every bite!!
ohh..and whenever we ask her something..”what do u want to do/eat?” the answer always starts with “ummm…” like she thinking so much!!
Ummm…I leave you with this….
-
Continued ..
So AuntyM and uncle R took me to the hospital and that’s where my reconnecting started.The hospital is where I went for the first 9 years of my life.This was the company hospital and if I am not wrong,the only hospital in LKE.As we drove into the hospital premises,i remembered walking there,holding my mom’s hand…seeing the doctor on one end of a semicircle and then walking upto the other end to the compounder’s room to get the medicine and meethi goli(peppermint).I don’t even remember there being any medical stores.Now,ofcourse the doctor’s office is right next to the compounder’s room.and next to it is the emergency ward.Which is where I was rushed too.
A bed was waiting for me..I got some oxygen,some heavy dose of nebuliser followed by a shot..and an hour later I was good to go!But Aadi got soo scared seeing me on the bed,like that..she kept touching me..asking me if I was OK,refusing to go outside.
And surprise ,surprise-the nurse turned out to be my class-mate’s brother.
Once the doctor said,OK,we left..but not to go home,but to show Aadi around.Aunty M agreed,on the condition that I will not get out of the car.I pomised and off we went to see- the house I grew up in,the colony,the gymkhana,the old school..everything. And I felt,everything looked so different.Our old house,which was sooooo big in my memories,suddenly looked soo small and the distance from our house to gymkhana which felt like a trek,now felt like a short walk!I think,everything is relative!
We went back home and word had spread that dad is in town..and old acquaintances had come visiting.Everyone was offered tea and invited to stay for dinner,which they declined,inviting us to their place instead.After everyone left,sis and I set up a small table on the terrace and had a lovely dinner,under the moonlit sky…Aaah bliss.
Next day,we went to visit the family temple and returned home with local treats.Then,we went out to the shops and said hello to the shopkeepers that we knew.One of them,had the only stationery shop,when we were kids.He was so touched that we remembered him.He called his neighbours,new shopkeepers to tell them,how we remembered him..I was almost in tears,looking at his excitement.
As we were walking back,thin man in late 50’s stopped me and said,”Namaste..Kaise ho?Mujhe toh pehchana nahi hoga?”[Hell.how are you?Surely,you don’t recognise me] I said,no..and he said,”Baby,I used to stitch your school uniforms..I am Bombay Tailor!” OMG!! I felt so happy,that he stopped me on the way.He saw Aadi and his eyes teared up..saying ki you were a baby when we first saw you and now you have a little girl..
This and so many other small gestures,made me soo happy and I was glad,that we made that trip.
One particular incident that touched me most was- There is an old lady,who runs a tea-stall,next to our house.Part of the house has been converted and rented out to a bank.So,she does alright business.A cup of tea is still Re.1,there. She had seen my dad and uncles as little boys.She was so happy to see us and when we touched her feet,she was in 7th heaven.The day that we were leaving,she came and gave us shagun(blessings in the form of money)- Rs.11 each for sis and me and Rs.10 for Aadi.I still have Aadi’s Rs.10 with me.Mine was in my sister’s purse,so its not with me.But I was so touched that she had it in her heart to give..when they can barely make ends meet. Everytime I think of her,my eyes well up.
P.S.-if you are still reading,thank you.I tried to edit and make it shorter..but this is the best that I could do! -
If home is where the heart is,I have left pieces of my heart,in all the places that I have lived at.My memories of this world,start in Lakheri,a small town in Rajasthan.My dad grew up there and joined the cement factory,as a chemist.Its the one place he considers home..and I spent the first 9 years of my life,there.
When I went to India,in October,2009..dad was really excited about taking Aadi to see his hometown and I agreed.I am in love with the place.This trip really was about reconnecting with the roots.
So on 3rd Dec,we left for Lakheri(LKE) by the night train.We got to the Bandra terminus at 10PM and guess what the train is running more than 3 hours late.Killing 3 hours at home or even in the train or at the airport is alright..but at a crowded railway platform with a toddler in tow..nightmare!
Fortunately,she didn’t think that way..she thought,it was just the place to run away and hide from mom and masi..giving them mini-panic attacks,every 5 minutes.My sister suggested,we go and get some munchies for her,to keep her occupied.But,my dad had disappeared..and we were stuck,gaurding the luggage.Oh and not to mention,bear all the lewd stares..It was sickening.Dad just has to disappear everytime,we are on the railway station and everytime the train stops at a station,he has to get down and look around.No wonder,he doesn’t like travelling by local trains.Anyway,after 3-4 calls,from sis,and threats of abandoning the luggage,he came back,with water and VadaPav.We then,went and got some munchies for Aadi.Somehow the 3 hours passed and the train arrived.We got in,found our seats.Only 2 seats were confirmed and 1 was on wait-list.Dad spoke to the TC and we got the third berth after around 6 AM.This was Aadi’s first train journey..and my dad booked the tickets atleast one and half month in advance..and all the trains were packed..we managed to get this reservation in 2nd AC.
Ohh..in front of us,was a couple,who couldn’t keep their hands off each other and insisted on doing it on the lower berth.I am not a big fan of PDA,but I feel,to each its own..but it just got very embarassing..there was my dad,another old couple,my sis and aadi..and 1 more guy!And the funny thing is,they had a top berth..why not use that for your hanky-panky?Anyway,thank God they got off at 9 AM…I woke up to drink some water at 7 AM and they were ‘at it’ loudly! I almost gagged!
The rest of the journey was quiet uneventful..Only my sister,had to sleep on the floor,till 6 AM.That and Aadi insisted on using the toilet!This girl,refused to use the clean toilet at my ILs and wanted to use the dirty Central Railway toilets!My heart was running faster than the train,everytime I took her to the toilet,because the door of the compartment was always open!
We reached LKE at 3.30 pm and someone had come to pick us from the station.My dad and his family is very loved and respected in LKE.When we were younger,we used to call ourselves,’Princess’ of LKE.So,this ‘uncle R'(everybody is uncle,na) walked past my sister..ignored me,struggling with my bag and a clumpsy Aadi,insisting on pulling a bag,twice her size and went up to my dad,did the bent Namaste to him,and took the bag from him and walked off.Dad went with him,getting updates about everything under the sun..Sis rolled her eyes,and mouthed “Raja ji”..(My dad is like the uncrowned prince there!) .
While in the train,I felt an Asthma attack coming on,but,didn’t pay too much attention.We had to climb up the huge staircase on the platform and I had to stop twice..I climbed up and had to sit down on the bridge before going forward.We got home..and I couldn’t even go from one room to another without huffing and puffing.Uncle R was summoned again and he and aunty M took me to the hospital.Aunty M lives in and takes care of my dad’s ancestral home.Our family and hers have known each other for more than 3 generations and she is a very important part of our family now.
To be Continued
