Today is a national holiday, but unlike other holidays I wasn’t in a good mood since morning. The day after tomorrow is my parents’ shraad, so my wife was also inquired as to what would be the menu. Those of you who don’t know about ‘shraad’ it’s the day on which a  person has died, according to the Indian calender. Every year on that day, elaborate and favourite food of the deceased is prepared and the priest is invited home to enjoy this hospitality in memory of your loved one. But my wife’s very question set me thinking, as I travelled back in time, remembering those days when they were alive.

You see that they were foodies in the truest sense. They were very fond of a variety of food. They only needed to know what was famous and at which place it was available. I don’t remember a single day when they came back home without a bag of goodies or fruit, even though they might be returning from a walk. Something good was always cooking in our kitchen as my mom was an excellent cook. So it was quite difficult for me to answer my wife and I have been thinking since then. My wife too regrets not meeting my father and spending very little time with my mother as she passed away after a
few years of our marriage. I am so depressed, therefore, I sat down to write this  blog to ease off the constant reminder, for this day emphasis the fact that my parents are not alive. I do not believe this because for me they were NEVER GONE! My day begins by wishing them good morning and ends only after I have said good night to them. This will continue till I exist in this world.

I can’t seem to stop my tears which keep coming back unannounced. Since I have written so much, there is something I want to share, the answer to a question asked often. Whoever comes to our house or office asks us why there are no garlands on their photographs (another Indian custom). I have never shared this with my sister or brothers also, but I never think they are no longer alive. For me they were with me and will remain so till the end of my journey. The other thing is that we have many photographs of them in our house but again where both of them are not together. This is because seeing both in the same photograph gives a jolt that they are both not with us anymore. People say that when on this particular day you invite a priest to eat at your home, you are inviting the deceased that day and it is not the priest who eats that day, but its your loved one. This is again something I cannot relate to because before every meal I keep the first morsel on the side of my plate as an offering to my parents. And at the end of the meal I don’t feed it to the birds or throw it away but consume it myself, so it gives me a feeling that I am always eating with them. Each and every corner of our house is enlightened with their presence.

Sometimes when I question their presence, my soul gives me the same reply, “They have gone abroad and will be coming soon.” Till then,dad and mom, your love and memories will keep me going, overcoming every hurdle and fulfilling your and my dreams – no OUR DREAMS!