New Year with folks!

Back to India, reunited with my family I was glad as following the tradition set years back this new year also I would be with my folks...

As the clock ticked we got together crouching on sofas in the living room, which was turned to dinning room for the occasion with the center table full of roast chicken, liver fry, green salads, mint chutney and my favorite Biryani. It was past a week since my arrival but even after days of chatting and catching up there was still so much to talk.

It was my mother tonight, she was filling me with her stories, as I saw her standing by the kitchen platform cooking and a small boy of 10 stooping by her side on the platform keen to listen to his mom's stories, the boy grew up in front of my eyes as his mother got old and he was now not only standing and stooping to listen but also talking and helping her as she got slow, and then I saw the boy disappeared as she stood there alone, my eyes prickled, the boy was back!

I heard my father laugh out loud and I looked intently as he started to fill me with his part of stories, his hair showed streaks of gray, and he looked tired. This time I saw a kid almost 6 years old filled with joy as after days of persuasion his dad was finally taking him to his office.

I saw the awe he was filled with when he saw the massive building, huge guards, grand war canons and the biggest Indian flag he had ever seen, he was amazed at the grandeur of the place his father worked. The office was filled with loads of people, his father got busy as his peon took the boy around the big building showing him big offices and bigger rooms finally to the very big canteen where he ate chocolates. As the day of treat ended I saw father buying the boy a red fire brigade toy from the shop on the way back home, his souvenir of the day. The boy was filled with admiration for the father who was tall as the building he worked. Days passed again and boy grew now, a bit taller than his father and filled with the mammoth of admiration. Finally, I saw them at the airport as his father bade him bye. I gulped down the last sip of fanta, the boy was back!

As my glass was empty, my younger sister came forward with the bottle to refill my glass. I now looked at her as she stepped back, I remembered the nights when we slept in our room, how she kept on talking till late night, telling me all the stories of the day, till I told her to be quiet and sleep. I saw the time flying back and I saw a five year boy peeping at his new born sister, as she waved her tiny hand and even tinier fingers at him, now I was smiling!

As I was lost in my thought, my sister announced that it was last minute of 2008 and as the new year came I wished my parents and sister a Happy new year!

Happy new year to you all too!