Pea Pod - A taste of everyday life

With a heavy downpour last evening, some school moms had started talking about the weather bureau's prediction that it would rain all night through. Some had even started praying the school declares a holiday today. But you know how our weather bureau is, right? They never could predict the 26/7 deluge, how can they predict this? So the school was on. One mother voiced her angst saying,"Where have the good old bad weather holidays gone?" My answer to this was - "They are under the El Nino effect!"

At last the train pulled in at Vile Parle station and for the first time in two years I opened the door to exit. Vile Parle looked oblivious to what had happened just a few hours back in the city. I climbed down the staircase to the west and started walking towards home. Everything around was as normal as could be. I was at peace at last. The train ride had been full of fear, apprehensions and doubt. Will we reach home safely? Will we get hit by a mob? Will we be subject to a stampede? Why didn't I listen to my grandfather in the morning? He had advised me not to go to college. But I did, only to be sent back home.  Four of us walked towards the Grant Road station with many other students and hundreds of strangers. No buses, no cabs. We had to walk. Somehow, we managed to get into a crowded Borivali local and women were shouting, asking us to shut the door to the compartment. Mumbai was in a frenzy. Our train was being pelted with stones at some stations and there was roari

Parents. I wish they never grew old. Losing my father suddenly 14 years back has made us all insecure about losing the other parent. My mother is back from the hospital and recovering well. My sister and her family from the other part of the globe were here. All of us were together and took care of our mother in our own ways. The house of full of action, responsibilities and fun. With oblivious kids singing in one room,  mummy sleeping in another and someone cooking something in the kitchen, we really had a good time with all the added stress. But now, my sister is gone. Kids are lonely again. There and over here. Silence in the house and it's time for me to go back home. It feels like a storm that has blown all of us into different directions. Hope mummy copes well. Hope God looks at all the good deeds she has done. Hope we all reunite next year and continue having fun with mummy around. To next year, then.

As I was going through some of the photos on my online album, I saw a tree trunk that I had photographed some years back - with concentric circles on its bark. I have labelled the photograph accordingly - "Windmills of the Mind". Well, I got this sudden urge to listen to this theme from The Thomas Crown Affair. I went on to Youtube and heard both, the theme and the song. And it took me back to the times when we would listen to the famous Hollywood movie themes on an LP player with my father enthusiastically talking about all these films. A time with all my siblings, together sharing laughter and joy...A time that will not come back. I can only rewind it in the Windmills of my Mind.

I am in tears. I can't help but cry. My child has started formal school now. They look so young and innocent in their new uniforms. Seeing them with these school bags, lunch boxes and water bottles, my heart can't help but weep. Their childhood is going. Indian schooling puts too many responsibilities on tiny shoulders. Today was the second day of school and the last day that the parents could leave them till the classroom. As I made him sit on a chair, he waited for a familiar face to sit next to him with his eyes wide and searching. The class's naughty boy came and sat next to him and he went quiet. Suddenly, the naughty boy got up from there and went elsewhere. Just then, my little one's best pal came and sat next to him. and he smiled and looked up at me and waved me goodbye. With moist eyes, I left.

Nothing is free in this world. I've never taken anyone for a ride. I've never cheated anyone of a single paisa. I never wanted anything for free. There is nothing free in this world. Everything is paid for, even the freebies in a store or a supermarket.

I've taken a sabbatical from Social Networking. Even if it means temporarily. I like this old world blog. Need to get back to it instead of posting on FB and having an unknown world peeping into my life.