Thursday, December 3, 2009

Maika*!

*Parent's home for a married Indian woman


There is no place like maika for any Indian woman. It is better than candlelit dinner with the husband, gossiping with friends and even shopping for shoes! And thats the place I made a trip to on the 21st of November. It was an impromptu decision. There were lots of push and pulls. One push was my parents were getting immensely lonely with both the kids out of the nest. But one major pull was I had a go-live in December. I could not ask for leaves. One push were there were flights from Chennai to BBSR!! While the counter pull was K was not able to get leaves and I would again need to go alone. Finally I gave in to the pushes and booked the tickets :) I did not manage to get any leaves and had to keep working from home. The project was in a decent enough shape, so I was not so worried about it.

The flight which should take 2 hours uncannily made it in 1hour 40 mins :) So even before my parents had reached to pick me I was already there. Coincidentally I met a colleague of mine who was on his wedding vacation. He was supposed to have started the previous day but ticket problems stopped him and he ended up taking the last moment flight. Chit chatting with him in my mother tongue, feeling the tinge of chill in air as I stepped out and seeing the good ol' Konark Chakra motif at the entrance, I could not have felt more at home :)

To top my joy was the shiny new black dad's Swift Dzire! After getting home and dumping my stuff, I did what I do best - slept!

Next day was a trip to my granny's place. Meeting up with the whole bunch of cousins and aunts and uncles. I still get celebrity status there, being the eldest grandchild and the now being the only grandchild married and that too in a Tam family, I am till date questioned about my daily routine and stuff like that! None the less its fun. Food that followed was simply out of the world.

This time being at home was a bit different, with sissy not around. The house was a bit more silent. I also saw mom and dad having gotten involved into separate routines, one involving their own books, their own tv shows and their own household chores. How much change children bring to a house! Since it was a bit quiter, I was a bit more observant of things. I noticed K's first perfume bottle , a gift from UK still being there (though empty :) ), my best friend's long given gift - some 9 years old, posters and novels, as old as the hills - seriously only ones maika will have these treasures. There is a memory attached to every simple thing that one does. While sitting and talking to K on the balcony I was reminded of how we used to talk some 5 years ago. Things were so different then. While taking out the blankets for drying in the sun, I was reminded how sis would always insist on taking out the thicker blanket even if it was not that chill. While seeing some old clothes, I was reminded, I used to wear them for college some years back! Which in turn brings in a fresh flood of memories.

The most unexpected part was, I was to attend a wedding of a distant cousin. His father also happened to be my dad's colleague. So there were a lot of old colleagues of my dad invited. There, everyone was so amazed to see me! Many uncles had taught me in college! Some were neighbors when we stayed at Rourkela long time back. I had changed a lot since those days, and everyone was pleasantly surprised to see me. Even I felt top of the world meeting so many old faces...And attending a proper Odia reception is something! I was too used to the Tam style of the normal food being served in the traditional way. But here we had pani puri, chicken tikkas, fish fingers, and the entire array of veg, non veg and Chinese dishes! That too spread over a sprawling lawn with corny Hindi movie numbers like Bole choodiyan and Tujh main rab dikhta hai in the background. Hehe it was some fun.

I was enjoying to the hilt..... But then some things are too good to last :(


10 comments:

.. said...

I don't know why it felt so good to read!!

:-)

Satish N said...

Nostalgia :)

Hey I was told that you were not feeling well by Shylu ? How are you now ??

WritingsForLife said...

interesting... I cant relate to it but I can imagine :-)

Ashma said...

Hehee.. I completely agree.. a maika is a maika.. it will always be "The" home :D So u enjoyed a shall i say northie kindda wedding.. :D do get well soon.. take care sweetheart!!

Renu said...

maika..this one word brings a smile to all women's faces.All of us have this habit..my MIL who is 90 yrs old, ad after min. 70 yrs of married lid=fe she still says..hmaare yahan to( hamaare yahan means maika only:) aisa hota ha.

those lavish parties I miss here.and that food and songs:)

Salomie said...

What a wonderful read!!! Its so amazing to go back home & meet family again, especially if there are occassions to celebrate! I hope to experience it shortly, going to my maika for Christms.....yaaaay!!!!!!!!

Amrita said...

@Shylu - really u liked it so? :) Good to hear
@Satish- Am recovering... thanks for your words :)
@Ashma - Thanks dearie
@Renu - seriously nothing can beat the feeling of being here
@Shalom - Oh have tons of fun!!

Chan said...

Felt like a home coming for readers like me too...for a moment i could feel the aura of entering our HOME!!!

The Furobiker said...

all post shaadi stuff - so no comments :D

btw i assume it must have been a real great feeling sitting in the same balcony and talking again for hours!

I'll try 2 be truthful said...

i really liked this one , padke hi acha lag raha tha , congrtas on your dad's new swift :D

ending bhi itna achha tha , btw your nu pic is also cool cool.