Second year in succession we have been with our parents in Jamshedpur for Diwali. All are excited. The atmosphere at home would not have been different had we travelled at some other time of the year. Diwali may be just an excuse.
My mom is busy cooking and planning for the very next meal. For me it’s too much to eat and very difficult to say ‘No’. All that she cooks and I eat is tasty but then I have very few new words to express it differently every time. For my parents, I am still in 20s and looked upon as someone who is deprived of good diet when away– milk and ghee makes one strong and healthy is a belief that is not changing with time.
The conversations happen while moving around the house busy with their daily chores. At some times, we all may be sitting together except my Mom who is busy in kitchen. Her questions and responses are loud enough to over-ride the whistles of pressure cooker and noise of exhaust fan.
My dad is ever ready to step out to shop anything falling short in kitchen. For instance, today morning he went as far as 10 km to get the best paneer in town. At other times he is always on the move to clean the house and puts things in order.
My grandmother is all ears to the buzz at home. She is now 100 years old and cannot move around the house with ease. So she opts to sit on her bed and continues to contribute to conversations.
Our trip will end in next 3 days. We will feel sad but then the talk of next re-union will keep our spirits alive. On return to Delhi, we will soon forget about this re-union and get lost in our daily routines. However, same will not be true for our parents. For them it will be akin to a pause in their life.
On Diwali we all are more inclined to wish rather than reciprocate the same with a simple ‘thanks’. I do not know how else I can make Diwali special for my kids. Hence, I just say, “Thank You Mummy ji and Daddy ji.”
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