A Walk Down Memory Lane-Calcutta

I am going to start with my evening and then move forward with the day. One of the last things we did last night was visit my Nani and Nana’s home with the kids  (my grandparents and where my mom grew up) . We stood outside the entrance for a few minutes and I closed my eyes and memories flooded me of my visits to Calcutta as a child. Ashram was holding my hand the way I used to hold my mom’s hand and he was listening attentively to my memories as a child. Even though the first floor has been converted into offices, the kitchen, the bathrooms, the bedrooms, dining room, balconies, living room areas are still in the same place but used for an office with desks and storage. Of course some updating as well but not too much. I was still able to see the way it used to look and explain to James and Ashram how we spent our time in this special place with my cousins. Somehow they knew I had a strong connection to this home. They followed me through the house and listened to me tell stories. I felt like I was walking through the house with those virtual reality/360 goggles on and watching myself run through the house as a child. They loved the stories about the balconies the most. They looked down from the balcony and I could see there wonderment and soaking in what they are seeing. In so many ways so much has changed and at the same time not much has changed. 

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Now going back to the morning and afternoon. We of course started our morning with a traditional Sindhi breakfast—Dahl Pakwan.  Even Ashram enjoyed it. James tried it. While the kids played with Snoopy (their dog—who by the way we got attached to too) the adults chatted about general everyday stuff—life, work, kids. Really so easy and enjoyable. It felt like a gathering that happens on a regular basis. We all kind of helped (Anju mammi did all the cooking and preparation) we just helped put it on the table. We sat, passed the food, enjoyed each other’s company and talked about the plan for the day. I even got some good tips on how to get my blouse made for the saree I bought in Jaipur. We quickly visited other family and then went to a pool they belong to for the kids to swim. The kids swam for 2 hours and me, John, Sahiba aka Hunny and Anju mammi sat and chit chatted. The time passed so quickly. Then of course we got something to eat and everyone joined us. It was the eight of us around a small table and just making it work so we could all be together. As we were sitting there I could imagine us living in Calcutta and how our gatherings would be and just loving that idea. We even talked about Hunny coming to the US for her graduate studies. We are definitely going to keep our eyes and ears open for good programs that would yield a good job afterwards. 

                          

We also promised to attend Bunny and Hunny’s weddings when the time comes and making sure they plan it around our Christmas or February break. I had to put that plug in to make sure we can make it😊

Ending our 10 day tour around India with family that you share a deep connection with really touches your soul. Even Ashram on the way to the airport said “Calcutta is my favorite city!” Our whole family feels it whether it is spoken or in our actions. ~Phir Milenge Calcutta!