Warmth

Years one to ten of my past were spent in a village named Khakharia, Gujarat. As winters came, that meant diwali vacation and a visit to Ujjain. Though my grandparents from both sides lived in Ujjain, I would be excited at the thought of meeting up with my cousins at Nani's house. At that time, there were no children or friends to play with at my paternal grandparent's house, and I must have found it boring. 

We would usually take the Sabarmati Express in the night from Khakharia and it would arrive early morning in Ujjain. From there an auto rickshaw would take us to Dadaji's house. There would be mild fog, a few people on the roads wrapped up in shawls, a gathering around a fire maybe. The air still seems fresh as if it was yesterday. All the hatred for the big homework to be finished before coming back to school was forgotten.

Soon my calculations would start revolving around when and how would I get to Nani's house. There were no telephones then, so somebody from their house or mine would have to pay a visit. There would cousins to play with, especially the youngest one. There would be sweets and namkeen mami and nani made, there would be games, there would be firecrackers to be bought with Mamaji. 

After a couple of days at Dadaji's house, my parents and grandparents, willingly or unwillingly, would let me sleepover at Nani's place. All cousins would sleep together in the night, in the hall. I would have already gobbled more gulabjamun's than anyone. The youngest and I would be shouted at for not going to sleep and chattering after the lights were off. We would turn each other and then the other cousins over to see if they were really asleep or faking. Eventually, sleep would come naturally.

Morning would be a ruckus. Mami would be busy making Chai for everyone. Other elders in the family would be numbering for morning motions and a bath. We children would be the last ones, although I would come out of the rajai before the others, for the chai. Sometimes, one or two of us would go back to sleep, and then we would be given ultimatums; before 8'o'clock everyone has to be done with a bath. With so many people in a small house, and the youngest and I running around, it must have been difficult to have some order. So the culprits would be made to take a bath, their heads dipped in oil, hair combed and would be sent out.

We would sit out for a while, looking at other people, chattering, planning something, maybe how to get a coin out of Nani to buy chocolate, or wafer fingers. I remember vividly. It would be chilly, the morning sun would fall on the skin, and there would be a feeling of warmth.