The Last Summer

The only reason I would manage to bear the brunt of Final Exams back in school was that I knew that the summe holidays were around the corner. I would look forward to Nimbodi, Mangoes and guava at home, the Paratha - Jam/Sauce combos for an 11 o'clock breakfast, the innumerable carrom, ludo, cards sessions with kids in the neighbourhood in the afternoons and the heated and fiery "Sitoliyan", Cricket, Badminton and "Gadha Maar" in the evenings. Summers was a time to read good books, learn different arts and spend hours on the bicycle and in the locality swimming pool. I couldn't care less about how much I was tanning or where my hair was going. Those were the days of abandon.

As I grew up, the concept of a vacation changed drastically. A two week sabbatical is now a long vacation. Curling up with a book and coffee is all one needs. Partying at night thrown in makes my life happening. Shopping more of a chore for me, so that's off the list.

Graduating out of B-school in March brought in a pleasant surprise of 2 months for me before I started work. Time was the gift I got. The time that I would never get again - lazying around at home, catching up with school friends - dinners at the usual restaurants, late nights at Sarafa and Johnny Hot Dogs with Maaza, spending productive time in the kitchen, pretending to be useful at home and fighting with my parents over mundane things - just for the heck of it. I even ended up playing Nursery Rhymes on my guitar for toddlers at a friend's playschool :) These two months have been a blessing - a reward for staying away for so long. I got to spend time in the beautiful house my father created for us - the cosy nooks and crannies in my sunshine flooded room - the new house that we call home.

I don't know for sure when I will get to go back and do all of this ever again. But I'm glad that I made the most of it now and I'm thankful for this Indori Summer.