Just :)

We could not wait for the weekends, my sister and I. It meant an absolutely amazing two days of fun, frolic and a little work thrown in as well. To most other pre-teens, the end of the week meant malls, movies, coffee and tons of gossip with friends; to us it was two days of total family bonding; after completing all necessary school work of course; my mother would not spare us otherwise.

My parents would ensure that during the holidays we gave mother a well-deserved break; ordering in or pigging out at a nice restaurant was a definite feature. My father and I were the foodies, my mother and sister would tag along and make appropriate ‘yummy’ noises at all the right times to keep us company. It was a fabulous set up; we loved the meal, enjoyed the drive back with dad’s old Hindi music playing in the background; his off-key singing amused and entertained us. (To this day, every time he sings my face lights up) We grab dessert on the way home. The typical Saturday ended with us either watching television together; or us kids retreating to our room to read, giving the parents some quality time together to catch up and inevitably discuss us.

Sunday afternoons were my absolute favourite- ‘family game-time’. No excuses for absenting oneself were entertained; but that really did not matter, because none of us wanted out of it ever. It was always a post lunch session, after we had helped mother clear out the dishes. Meanwhile, dad would get the living room ready; it was either ‘carom’, ‘spellbound’, ‘monopoly’, ‘scrabble’ or ‘mind trap’. It really did not matter what game we played although we all knew his weakness for a good session of carom; one of the many things in which he was an absolute pro!

And so it would begin, a few hours of high pitched giggling, squealing, chatter, insults and arguments. (Which in hindsight make for some of my most treasured childhood memories and without a doubt my sister’s too)

My mother turned into one of us every time she played; sometimes father complained that she was worse than a teenager- she had this habit of constantly breaking into incessant giggling whenever she missed an easy shot, or one of us did something goofy! Seeing her face scrunch up in delight and eyes fill with tears because of laughing so hard left me glowing inside, that sound of pure glee delighted us every single time; and my father’s mock exasperation only added to the fun! Occasionally, he would see the funny side of the tale and join in on the joke! On such occasions, the four of us- well! It will suffice to say that the neighbours did not have quiet Sunday afternoons for a long time indeed.

Today, I sit thinking of the days that used to be; the years that have sped by at a rapid pace. I reflect on the ‘high’ points of my life- the few achievements and stories of success. It amazes me that though all of these are incredibly meaningful and special, the moments I truly cherish are the ones with no special significance. I rarely even remember birthdays!

It is the times when I have done nothing extraordinary, nothing to write home about- these are tales that might not evoke the any emotion when narrated to or read by someone else; but which define me, make me the person I am on the inside. Times when just like any other family we have laughed, fought, cried and complained; these mean the most.

Those simple moments where I was sitting around doing ‘nothing’- these are the ones that are dearest to my heart; the ones that I will cherish the most: in this wonderful, difficult and challenging journey called Life!