Vacation Time
My trip to Mumbai reminded me of the summer holidays back in school. I remember how we awaited summer holidays. It mean vacation time. Families went on trips to a different city. And back then, it was about doing things together and having a good time. Not about taking photographs to post on facebook, or to update status messages or shopping.
I would look forward to the 15 day vacation my mom and I would take to Mumbai to visit my grandparents. We would have a great time. My nani would pamper me and spoil me with chocolates, and cold drinks. We would both walk down the road and wait for the "channa wala" and buy lots of chana from him for 25 paise. When he died, I would sit under my building waiting for the chana man to come so I could buy chana from him. I was sure my grandfather would be smiling down from heaven. I remember looking at the sky and eating it because my mom had told me that he was a star.
Coming back to my point, (Yes I have one), those 15 days of vacation were all about meeting relatives, and eating mangoes, heavy lunch and dinner. And if I had sufficiently behaved myself at their houses, mom would reward me by taking me to the beach. I remember the feeling- sand underneath my toes, cool water to fall into (it was cleaner then), lots of toys, coconut water and ice-golas. And if I was lucky, I got to share it with my brother. After I went back home, my aunt would take me to her parents house. And the whole routine would start over again. I knew I was the luckiest person in the whole wide world. I had two sets of parents and three sets of grandparents.
And now when I visit Mumbai, I hardly visit any relatives, or even go to the beach. My mom says I am old enough to decide what I wanted to do. And sometimes, I miss being a kid again.
Coming back to my point, (Yes I have one), those 15 days of vacation were all about meeting relatives, and eating mangoes, heavy lunch and dinner. And if I had sufficiently behaved myself at their houses, mom would reward me by taking me to the beach. I remember the feeling- sand underneath my toes, cool water to fall into (it was cleaner then), lots of toys, coconut water and ice-golas. And if I was lucky, I got to share it with my brother. After I went back home, my aunt would take me to her parents house. And the whole routine would start over again. I knew I was the luckiest person in the whole wide world. I had two sets of parents and three sets of grandparents.
And now when I visit Mumbai, I hardly visit any relatives, or even go to the beach. My mom says I am old enough to decide what I wanted to do. And sometimes, I miss being a kid again.
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