A nip in the air in the month of October heralds the most beautiful time in India. It also revives the most beautiful memories. As a child it was a signal to get the smart winter uniform ready, it started the run up to my birthday, and closest to my heart, it was about visiting my grandparents and celebrating the festivals with them.
Every night during the Navratris, covered in shawls, we would visit the Parade Ground around 8 pm, buy moong-phalis, and find our space in the crowd to watch the Ramleela. This culminated on the evening of the 10th day when we watched the effigies burn. There is no memory of pollution or noise, only of the warmth of my family around me.
Growing up meant somewhere this ritual got lost, running from one stage of life to another. Hostel life, changing cities, grandparents saying their final goodbyes. And that is how I discovered the beauty of memories. They remain imprinted, deeply embedded in my soul, making me forever grateful that I had the privilege to live those moments many years back.
Not all dreams got realized, not many plans saw the light of the day. But yes, building a life in Ghaziabad meant making new Dusshera memories! It the same simple Ramleela, the aroma of chaat and the thrill of the jhulas, just a walk from home. The kids must be inheriting an emotional gene as well. My daughters push me every night to the mela for ‘one last time’, and this year I ended up going every day. It can get exhausting, but I am definitely not complaining. With sleep in their eyes, they eagerly sat through ‘Ram Baraat’ and ‘Kevat ki Nav’.
Many times during my early professional life I was asked, why I didn’t go elsewhere for studies or practice. I wasn’t sure then but I always said, ‘Iss desh ko meri zaroorat hai….’ Now I am surer. I need this country more. I need the mele ki tikki, I need the Ramleela, and I need to be around my families during festivals. I need to hear the annual roar of Raavan. When his laughter echoes loud and monstrous in the air, I am comforted that no matter how terrible a year has been, it is still a good life.
#chandigarh
#littlethingsthatmattermuch
