Reopening

Today, Mehra uncle’s two grandchildren were getting ready to board their school bus to attend their first day at school. Two adorable darlings, the kind that anyone would want to squeeze and cuddle over, the picture was so endearing…..   

They looked like two new cute army recruits ready in neatly starched colourful uniforms, ready to face the new frontier (THE SCHOOL) which seemed to be on the other side of their border called HOME.The satchels they were carrying on their small but straight backs seemed loaded with their best friend - TIFFIN BOXES - what they thought was the only thing worthwhile in this whole training. Yes, what else was more important than finishing their boxes, which radiated the aroma of freshly cooked aloo tikkis by the general (the MOTHER).Little did the two freshers know that enemies would take free rides on their backs in the years to come, in the form of textbooks, journals, notebooks, etc.

It was innocence at its first, shimmering like clear blue water, unrippled and unpolluted by knowledge, so blissfully unaware of the perils that lay ahead in the march.  But in the present, they portrayed the simple love of wanting to face the real thing called the world in all their eagerness.

The elder of the two was feeling more excited since he was a veteran by a year  and the younger looked more doubtful at leaving his mom's hand, the only connection to security and sanity.The general was, as usual, giving out orders to the two recruits: do’s and don’ts , which brought a sign of fear on the little ones face. He couldn't fathom what all this fuss was about, for he was told he was only supposed to finish his tikki (which he undoubtedly would) and play.  He remembered his best friend Tina’s advice, “Grownups always talk serious stuff, but that is not supposed to be for us…” Tina’s warning made him hide his fears with a brave smile.

Mehra uncle, his wife, his son, his whole family were waving out goodbyes to the brave toddlers in such a way that a passer by was confused as to whether they were sending their kids to U.S. for further studies or to kindergarten from where they would be back in a couple of hours.The bus arrives, and there is the whole lot of new recruits pushing their faces out of the windows curious to greet the new arrivals, so sweet was their curiosity shown on their little faces, as to who their comrades at this game would be.

The whole thing had an air of amusement to it, that it felt that this moment which lasted not more than ten minutes was just the little pleasure we all would want to savour in our daily grind.

There is a Mehra in each one of us, having gone through this same journey, but somewhere along the way forgetting to cherish these moments…moments that lose their way in the maze of life.