WHY I LOVE INDIAN SUMMER !

                                                   

It is that time of the year that I love and cherish. Among all those who dread the Indian summer with its water scarcity, infections and power cuts, here I am, looking forward to these long and hot days. I can already smell the newly burgeoned mangoes, feel the April sunshine and see the excitement on children’s faces. How familiar it all looked! The summer was casting its spell on me again.

My love for Indian summer began with the earliest memories of our annual visit to Trivandrum. Summer vacations were a break from the monotony of school and taste freedom with visit to our grandparents’ house. I still remember the train trudging along the paddy fields and backwaters of Kerala with the smell of burnt wood drifting into the compartment. My sister and I used to be glued to the window ledges drinking and breathing the magic of god’s own blessed country. When the train neared Trivandrum central station, our excitement would take different form and we would vie with each other to catch a glimpse of our favourite uncle who never failed to meet us at the station and regale us with his unique brand of humour. The sight of our grandfather in his crisp and cotton veshti with vibhuthi across his forehead, waiting impatiently  in the Verandah for our arrival were moments that were imprinted in our minds. Thus every summer, we would join our grandparents, uncle ,aunt and  many first and second cousins in Trivandrum. Those were happy go lucky days with family function, picnics and indulging in games like Antakshari, Cards, Word building etc.  And as we grew, our interests shifted from indoor games to pop music, movies and handsome heroes and heroines. But in the midst of all these, what we never missed out on, was the little stories and life experiences that our grandparents shared with us and which shaped our personalities  to some extent. Soon each one of us got married but those warm sunny days with occasional hail and thunder storms , odd pitch dark nights with only uncle’s jokes for company and the delicious cooking of our grandmother were forever etched in our memories.

I thought I would never again experience the magic of Indian summer with our grandparents passing away and all of us living in different corners of the world but I was wrong. Life is a cycle and with every generation passing away, the next generation takes the mantle.  People go away, ships sail away and seasons fade away but the cosmic truth is sun appears without fail and seasons continue with same vigour and the bond between grandparents and grandchildren remain eternal.

My daughter was born during peak summer in the perennially hot Chennai. Being a sunshine baby, she soon became the toast of the family and her grandparents looked forward to her visits and her aunt who pampered her to bits. She soon started school and along with her I too went as I took up teaching. I never believed in sending children to summer classes and felt that the wisdom and life experiences that elders shared with children were more valuable and wanted my daughter to learn those wise words of the experienced.

My next phase of Summer magic began with our vacation. As soon as the school closed for the long break, we would pack our bags and head to the hills to spend few days and then land in Chennai  in the sweltering heat to enjoy as the carefree.. Both her maternal and paternal grandparents lived only a few yards away and my daughter was the uncrowned princess who loved every bit of attention that was showered on her. If one grandfather taught her chess then another helped her with holiday home work and if one grandmother instilled in her the joy of classical music, another showed her to appreciate the languages. Both my daughter and I enjoyed books and used to visit the nearest library to devour all the books and comics that the library housed. The long nights were spent in finishing the books as quickly as possible so that we could complete the collection before the holidays got over. I guess this is where her love for reading was born. Now I can proudly say that she considers her collection of books as her most prized possession. Then there was our visit to her favourite aunt and uncle in Bangalore. The cool weather and hep outlets made us freak out completely. Summer was also special because her birthdays were spent with all her favourite people in the world and it became a routine to have the annual family gathering on her birthday.

Time flew and now she is an adult, staying in hostel and managing her own life in a new city. While her grandparents are looking forward to hear about her life in college, her aunt is busy planning a newer and novel gift for her birthday. And I, well am thrilled to bits that another summer is here to treasure and collecting tips to give her on traditional cooking. I realise that now it is not a one way process. If I give tips on traditional cooking, she gives me tips on baking and mixing exotic mocktail to quench the summer thirst. 

And I am sure , like every time, when the summer ebbs away, she will have a treasure trove of unforgettable moments and tales close to her heart to tell the progeny.