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A mother recounts the day her daughter's best friend, moves house for a new city, which brings in memories of her past. A simple heart melting story.
A mother recounts the day her daughter’s best friend moves house for a new city, which brings in memories of her past. A simple heart-melting story.
I am sure many of us have experienced moving houses. If you haven’t moved yourself then maybe your neighbours have. When I was in class 6, my parents decided to shift from a comfortable and a friendly colony set up comprising of innumerable friends, to a place with upcoming infrastructure.
Though I knew moving was inevitable, I consciously avoided thinking about ‘The Day’ knowing it would be an emotional one for me. But time just passed by, construction of our house was complete and within few days the final date of moving was finalized. With a sinking heart, I broke this news to my friends (10-12 of them and yes, we were a big gang). Knowing this news, they were disheartened too as my new house was far and it was impossible to meet with them every evening.
Finally the day I dreaded arrived. It was our last day in that house. My parents were happy as there was a sense of pride for them in moving to their own house. They arranged for the movers as during those days, packers were not readily available. I saw everything getting loaded on to the truck. That day, lunch was arranged by one of our neighbours and snacks by my friend’s mom.
I sat there thinking about how everything was so cozy, familiar, trustworthy and loving around me. The thought of an unknown place suddenly made me feel lonely. As the last piece of luggage was loaded up on the truck, we finally bid adieu to our neighbours, aunts, uncles, and then my dear friends. My friends were all in tears and so was I. More than my friends, I was leaving behind mixed emotions, many memories, experiences, secrets, and many more complex feelings. Carrying this bag of mixed emotions within, I saw my known faces fading away and off we were on the new path.
Given that friends are the integral part in that age, adjustment time for me was longer than any other member of the family.
Given that friends are an integral part at that age, the adjustment time for me was longer than for any other member of the family. It took me a long time to make friends as there weren’t many people staying around in our new neighbourhood. Though I made some friends, the quality of the friendship was never the same.
A few days back, I was reminded of the same situation. My daughter’s best friend was moving to another city. They have been best buddies since they were 1-year-olds. This was the 5th year of their friendship and today it was ‘The Day’ for my daughter’s friend. He was at our house since morning playing with my daughter as the movers and packers were busy at his place. They played together as if there was no tomorrow. Surprisingly, there were no arguments, no complaints. They were playing and talking peacefully.
Though they were merely six years old, the emotions were the same as that of any grown up parting ways with his or her buddies.
While doing my regular chores I passed through their space and overheard their conversation. He was telling her, “I won’t be there now, so behave properly, have breakfast and milk without any tantrums, don’t go alone in the elevator but take the stairs, and if any one of us feels like talking to each other, call on each other mom’s number.” There was the pain of parting in that conversation. The pain of letting go the very first friend of their lives. Though they were merely six years old, the emotions were the same as that of any grown up parting ways with his or her buddies.
In the evening, they both sat near the truck watching the last piece of luggage being loaded. I looked at him and suddenly, my old feelings came to the forefront. I was able to empathize with him. With teary eyes, my daughter hugged him and said goodbye. At that moment, I felt the same pain as I had when I left my friends.The only difference was, this time our faces faded away for someone moving on to a new path.
Moving house image via Shutterstock
I am a simple person always in search of new things to write about. Complex human emotions and the study of various behaviors interests me. I am a non religious person, but believes in one read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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