Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Nostalgia!

Am in Hyderabad for a workshop ..... on my way from the airport to the city, suddenly realised that its already been a decade since our brief, one year stint in this city! Time indeed does fly, and at the speed of light! Had some unexpected time yesterday, and went for a jaunt into the city, revisiting lanes and corners that I had long relegated somewhere in the dusky cobwebs of memory. It was a beautiful experience, as it rekindled so many memories of not just our time here, but most especially of Krishna’s first year of Life.

This city is special because this is where Krishna spent the better part of the first year of her Life. All her early milestones have been achieved here – her first social smile, her first teeth, the first time she crawled, stood up, walked. Her first illnesses, her first mischief. Her first birthday. It all just flashed in front of my eyes yesterday, so many little things of her babyhood, and all the experiences me and Nilesh had as new parents, bringing her up in a new and unknown city.

I remembered the countless times I had to take her to the hospital because of her frequent bouts of diarrhea. All by myself, in the burning heat of Hyderabad summer, in late evenings in the rains, hunting for an auto. And those were the days without mobile phones, and I smile now at the memory of how we used to manage our lives without one! To think of that today seems impossible. Indeed, at such times, it makes me wonder whether technology really sets you free or in fact ties you down, making you so dependent! I never gave it a second thought, travelling with a baby, in a new city, without such a thing as a mobile!

Also remember the times I used to take her down in the garden every evening, and how much she enjoyed it. Krishna was lucky in that I was completely with her for the first 10 months of her Life, every minute of the day. In that sense, Aryaveer has missed out on that, and in the fast paced, mad life that I lead today, taking him to the garden is a rarity! For Krishna, back then, out here, it was an everyday occurrence, as it should well be for kids.

I leave this city today, with a sense of fresh gratitude, for being the place where I spent my first year as a mother, and which has given me so many unforgettable memories for Life!