Looking back...

I miss the tickling of Amma’s fingers on my feet every morning...
Threatening me N times that she is making one last(usually futile) attempt
To wake me up before complaining about it to my stern father!
I miss the typical freshly brewed Iyer Kaapi which she handed to me
While I jumped on to the cold stone platform expecting a loving cuddle,
And ended up hearing her chide me for the sacrilegious coffee
That she was forced to prepare to suit my stupid(!) tastes...
I miss the cantillated ringing of the Suprabatham,
That Appa so religiously plays every morning
With the help of which I figured out what day of the week it is!
And the sound of Paati’s soft feet trudging up the stairs
With a bowl of the most delicious, piping hot Arisi Upma
And my Thatha’s sniggering face peeping up
To catch a glimpse of my expression of delight on seeing her.
I miss the sadistic pleasure that I derived from pinching my brother hard,
To see him bolt from his slumber and also the steady stream of cusses that followed
And the sound of my father’s fists pounding on my bathroom door,
Like an alarm horrifying me back to the world from my day dreams...
The panicked process of getting dressed for school – wearing my belt, tie and all!
The yellow mug of steaming porridge just brought to the table
Made with full cream milk and honey, just the way I like!
I miss the repeated honking of the bright blue school van at my gate,
While I tried hard to disentangle my worn out shoe laces,
Amidst the irritated grunt from my dad and the glowering face of my mom
And my brother’s annoying smirk getting back at me for having woken him up,
All of which changed to one big sweet smile when I waved a goodbye, making my day!

The journey to school with adorable little Cynthia, Sneha and Prathuna
And the ‘grown-up’ Divya, Shweta and Nanditha, filling up on all the gossips
And scribbling the unfinished homework, while the van speeded down the streets!
Oh! I miss those lovely school days, when we waited eagerly
For free periods when I could bring out the ‘M&B’s, or play book-cricket...
The short intervals so that we could rush out and occupy the corridors
Ahead of the boys to continue our ‘Hand tennis’ tournaments
And the lunch breaks meant for devouring the remains of the half empty tiffinboxes
I miss getting caught in class for the giggle-riots,
For passing comments about Mrs. XYZ
Or stuffing the Principal’s kid with goodies to get into Her good books!
Oh! Will I ever see those carefree days again?
Those anxious exam moments, praying for that ‘just 1 more minute’ to finish writing
And the scramble for extra marks after the distribution of answer papers...
Hanging out in the canteen where the samosa was far from hygenic but yeah, delicious
and the P.T. periods when I scraped my knees trying to run with my flat feet!!
And trading stamps, stickers and those silly WWF trump-cards and fighting over them...
The Annual Day preps - vying for the smartest partner while rehearsing for the dance,
Or trying to prove my worth for a chunky role in the English play!
And the puppy-loves that kept changing everytime there were new admissions...
I really miss the pure joy of being a totally free spirit!!

Now, when I wake up...I just think ‘God! Again in this lonely city!
No family to complain or no friends to fight with...just new acquaintances everywhere!’
And move on...All the while, I am filled with a monotonous ringing,
Frustrated about the long journeys on the traffic filled roads and the fast pace of life,
Thinking of old school days full of activity yet without a tiny trace of lassitude
And helplessly watching the vigour of my youth rapidly slipping away...
But then...I have a decent job that many just dream of
And have enough to exist, sometimes even with a slight measure of luxury.
Yes! I have to live in a big bad world, but I am thankful nevertheless,
For having bestowed me, with a family worth missing and friends worth feeling for
And happy old days to look back on, when I feel blue deep down...
I feel like the luckiest being in the world!