1.That Summer

This dates back to a few years earlier, when I was in the second year of MBA. During the semester exams, I decided I am going to take the much awaited break I had been planning on. A solo trip to our ancestral home .

As the summer descended , I packed my bags and took a train straight towards my destination ! To steer clear of any unnecessary drama from home , I Informed my parents after I boarded the train. To be honest, they were furious for only a couple of minutes ! They have been asking me to do so for a long time , for I never had been to that place since we moved out of there, some 15 years or so. As the train was approaching the station , my patience grew thinner and there was suddenly a rush of feelings . Apprehension of how things must have changed ? How different would everyone was gonna look at me. The fact that I can finally run along those narrow lanes in my neighbourhood , run down barefoot on the field and many such things that comes to mind when I think of her came rushing down my veins as if it were yesterday.

Finally as the moment came, I got down on my station . Went over the bridge to the other terminal and out through the gates. It was around 3 in the evening, the place looked like it hadn't changed a wee bit . I take by the odd hours there was only one rickshaw standing ! And the man who had just lit his biri seemed in no hurry for another customer. It didn't take much time considering the option for a walk home, I had to pick up some groceries anyway. And like a ten year old , with coke in my hand I started walking down a closed railway line which leads in to the evening market. For me , the experience was the most I can get close to time travelling . I mean the town which I once left was filled of hustle and bustle had now been tamed down to paved streets with branded showrooms and departmentals .For a person used to these city norms for years this was nothing new to me but to see the old timers( shop owners from generations) sitting on their empty counters selling hand made crafts that never made to the bigger markets, my heart sunk. I didn't want these things to change, I wanted to buy stuff from the vendors off the street ! The people who knew each other and greeted each other everyday, in a town where everyone knew everyone. But , it seems we all grew up with time.

At sundown , I reached home ! The smell ,"AAAH" I screamed after making sure nobody was around. Its the feeling which can never be expressed in words even if you try to! its some feeling you get when you've been yearning for someone so long and you finally get to hold to them in your arms times hundred ! Even better, you get to live in it ! To bring back the memories , the happiness and laughter which at that point of time was really something I was in need of.

As I walk past the gate and try to open grill gate of the verandah ! It jams , I have tried a couple of times now and its almost dark now . I switch on the flash light on my phone, and try again when I get interrupted by a shrill voice of an old lady lady as she says, " Tomar ki aapis(office) jawar tagada ache bujhi, Na karon shondha neme akhono khanikta shomoy hoi ni toh ! Churi korte gele ar ektu pore ashle bhalo hoto nki ?" and I cracked like a firecracker.

P.S. "Hey , this is nowhere near the end of the story. Its just the 1st page, if you're interested to read the whole thing just subscribe , I'll mail you the links as I will upload them in the upcoming days. Or you can just follow me on instagram, I will keep you updated. Ciao :)