Home sweet Home

Four years and a few months ago, I had rushed after work to the eastern part of the city to house hunt. We were planning to get married and one essential part of the plans was to have a place of our own to start with. Till then both of us were living with respective parents.

It was an attempt at trying our hands at setting up home a second time having tried our best and failing the first time round with other partners. Everything about this second attempt had a bitter sweet tinge. The bitterness came from already knowing that marriage is not a ‘happily ever after’ and the sweetness from the fact that we had grown to love and respect each other and were expecting to remain friends above everything else.

He had checked out a couple of places already, some too dingy, others way above what we could afford. The property dealer took us to the gates of a corner house late in the evening. The landlord an elderly Kashmiri gentleman asked his man Friday to take us around the first floor which was to be let for rent.

( our first lily!)

We walked up the broad stairs not expecting much. Till the guy opened the front door and we walked in. I do not exaggerate when I say that I had straight away walked into my own home. It felt so right. Big rooms, terrace and a kitchen that ran on. The house in all honesty was probably too big for the two of us. But we couldn’t refuse it.

The landlord was waiting when we walked down and asked many a question and also couldn’t help asking what just the two of us would do with so much space. We just grinned and said we would find our uses.

(our all faith Puja place)

That’s how we had found the place that has been home for the past four years. I still remember moving in our few belongings and then planning and saving so that we could slowly put together a home and a few creature comforts. Since we couldn’t buy expensive wall paintings we found old calendars with nice pictures and got those framed in an attempt to enliven our home. The few close friends who visited exclaimed at the size of the house and am sure also inwardly wondered at why was it so empty, though they were too kind to mention it to us.

Together over years we managed to build a home we were happy to return to. Years that have seen tremendous upheavals and also brought huge happiness, all shared and experienced in this home.

A home to which we have welcomed our friends and family to share in our joy. A home to which we introduced our children Janvi, Buttercup and Aarini.

Our landlords Kaw uncle and aunty have also come to mean a lot, not interfering in the least and actually bearing quite a few troubles they have been a huge comfort and support. Will miss them much.

Now that it is time to move on, much like the gypsies we keep romanticizing so much and want to be like, I am in two minds. On one hand is the excitement of moving to a new place, doing up a new home on the other is the regret of leaving behind the home I have grown to love.

We may move on to many places but I think this place will always be special to us and bring a smile whenever remembered.