Skip to main content

Home is a house without loved ones!

Home is a house without loved ones!

It was September 24th 2005 when I left my home and since then till now I have been to home like some far away relative staying out of town, visiting our family once or twice in a year during diwali or New Year or some ones wedding. A guest in my own home!

I joined this software industry on 26th September 2005 in Mysore, then I travelled to Pune in 2006 for a year and then to Bangalore in 2007 for one more year and then to London in 2008 for roughly a year and now in USA-2009. In all these 4 years, I have been busy. Busy getting adjusted to life outside home, for the one who has never stayed out of home, in even a hostel before – to handle this freedom yes definitely thrilling J, seeing new places, making new friends, keeping in touch with old ones. Professional career, half yearly appraisal fights, CRRs, freaking and idiotic managers, some stupid colleagues, some shrewd ones, and some of your own frequency.

All this while, I did not really miss my home. What I have overlooked over time is that my parents have been living without me for these 4 years. While I have been doing so many new things and learning and living life newly-daily, my parents did not have any thing NEW to do. All these while; they have just been trying to live normally without having me around. Sitting and typing out this piece of write up, I cannot gauge the pain, the effort they have been and are putting in daily life doing this. I cannot judge the happiness they get speaking to me for 5-10 mins out of the 24 hrs day that I spare myself to give them.

I have never permitted my mind to think, how would they be feeling in that big home, where they have spent 24 hrs with me for last 21 years and now they have to wait at times for couple of days for my call to listen to my voice. I have given liberty to myself to believe that this is how life is and life moves on. Whatever I am doing is for them – yes – I want to earn big sum of money to buy them all that happiness that I can. But lately I have realized the expense at which I am trying to do this is a little too costly. Not that I am cribbing – I know one can’t have a pudding and eat it too.

These 4 years have been eventful-wonderful, I have grown to be mature – at least mature enough to walk if not to run with the world. I have become the financial backbone of my family – i.e my Papa, Amma and Sister. All my onsite tenures have helped me clear the outstanding debts – clearing off tension from my parents mind. As I grew up, I dreamt of being independent, able, earn my livelihood, support my family, and travel around – just like my papa. I dint know, that my day dreaming would come true like this. Today I am whatever I dreamt of with my math or science book open during exams.

But the irony is, I am loosing on things just like my Papa. He gave us everything except himself. My papa was a businessman, which made him go around places and give enough time to just pay visit to us for few days. A guest in his own home! He did lose little happy moments with his 2 little kids and wife, the daily gossips and updates that we brought back home from school, our fights and cries and laughter. We shared all this with our Amma. When papa got retired, we had grown up to college going girls. Long time huh!

I am missing life at home too. I miss chit chatting and fighting with my sister, she misses me not having me around to listen to her college updates, Amma’s shouting’s and Papa’s comments. These days, they keep saying that they want me to come back, back Home! For last 4 years, I don’t know if they kept saying this and I did not notice. Yet I am unable to decide, the course of future. They would not come out of our hometown and I have job constraints in working from my hometown.

I feel, I am following my Papa’s footsteps. Home is indeed just a house without the loved ones!!! I miss my Home, But Life is moving on!!!

(Another day with no work and empty mind – out from devil’s workshop-6th Nov 2009)

Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow Saru.... i will really harass u if u stop writing these impromptu write-ups..!! :):)

    In a very subtle writing... u hv brought out a very very painful point! I am touched and happy you decided to write your thoughts.

    It's difficult time for us... but think abt it in this theory:

    1) Every human dreams to attain exclusivity in what he is known for.

    2) Our parents give up on their speed to attain their dream... to make us live up on our own (when we are growing and dependent on them)

    3) But now... your happiness, your self-attainment, your success will give them the exclusivity they desired when u were not born.

    They'll be excusively known as ur parents when u truimph in life! This is the thought that makes them relax in the 24 hrs in 10 min call you make.

    I know this is not an ideal thought... but it makes me go on and not loose my love for them... and my focus on my fight of an identity.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the simple, yet effective way in which you write.

    Growing up is tough. But you have done a good job of it so far!

    ReplyDelete
  4. How to contact with you I'm new here's in this world of bloggers

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Favorite Read - 6 - The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev (and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer)

So, now that I want to get into some serious mountaineering activities, I started with reading books on mountains. When you check for top few books on mountains the one that comes up is " Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer " followed by “  The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev" ; both based on the 1996 Everest disaster which was made quite controversial. I started with "Into Thin Air' and while I was reading, I was continuously in conflict with Jon's views. Mind you, my memory is pretty weak when it comes to remembering details of any story - whether its books or movies. I had watched few documentaries and the Everest movie based on this topic; but that was a while ago. when I started reading this book 2 weeks back, I had no background; you can say I was totally new to this story.  And yet, it was difficult for me to understand some of Jon's accusations or feelings.  But nevertheless, Jon's style of writing was amazing; he knew how to keep reader's...

Ahamasmi Yodha - My First Tattoo

I finally did it. It isn’t a great achievement to show off, but for me it’s one more item on my bucket list getting fulfilled. So I am very happy about it. What did I do? Oh like I said nothing great – I just got my FIRST Tattoo  :) My first Tattoo Artist I had done a lot of research on it since last couple of months. I wanted to get it done on my birthday, but it somehow dint work out.  For all the first timers, I wanted to list out my personal experience, just in case it helps :) First of all, I felt it will be very helpful if you have some friends who would have got it done already. But I dint have that privilege. So I went through lot of blogs and articles in About.com, Wikihow, YahooAnswers etc… Well Google, the new lord of knowledge :) has all that you need to know. So, in summary, what I got from all these sites were First decide on what you want to get tattooed and where. Go over it again and again, since it is permanent, you will have to live ...

Dear Dost

Dear Dost, I know you are dealing with a lot in life. A lot has happened in the past that has changed you. A lot is happening right now, that is forcing you to change. A lot of decisions you have to make that's exploding your brains.  You are multi tasking like some superhero. You have issues at home, in the family, in your personal life, that you are juggling with. You have professional problems that you are dealing with.  A lot - that's what's happening to you right now.  When I met you, I saw "a lot" has changed in you. I have changed too, and so have you. But what I could not ask you was - are you still you? I remembered Gulzar's words, written back in 1995 (atleast that's what the source says, I had listened to Jagjit Singh singing this, and it had registered in me since then).  din kuchh aise guzārtā hai koī  jaise ehsāñ utārtā hai koī  dil meñ kuchh yuuñ sambhāltā huuñ ġham  jaise zevar sambhāltā hai koī  aaina ...

Love, Loss and Father's Day

I have been meaning to write this post for a while now, but somehow words fail me. I started writing, and stopped at the first two sentences, erasing and rephrasing, re-iterating the process every time I attempted to write this.  8 months later, today on Father’s day, I think I finally am able to put words into meaningful sentences.  It’s weird how most of the times, I just need an inspiration, an idea or a feeling to write pages together without any effort; and then there are times, when my mind is cluttered with so many thoughts ,eager to be put on paper that I find it hard to form a single straight sentence. But I feel like writing today, so here it goes. My best friend lost her mom to a health incident few months back. When I spoke to her she asked me how did I handle it when my dad passed away few years back. I could not explain it to her then, I just said you will learn to live through it. That was when I first tried to write this blog. Even after so many years, ...

Zindagi Gulzar Hai - A feast to ones eyes!

Today I am here to make a much interesting comparison of our current Indian TV industry with our neighboring country’s television industry. Interesting because I never thought I would ever engage in watching any of the Pakistan TV series/movies or listening to their music. My disinterest in Pakistan entertainment was not because of the tensed relationship with the country. But I myself am not a big fan of TV serials. The kind of drama that is filled in Indian TV Channels today is just exhausting and tiring to watch. I hardly follow any Indian TV series. When I visit home on vacation, I join my family in watching the program they watch and that’s how I keep myself updated with what is trending in the TV industry. I love listening to music and I listen to all genres of music. I did start listening to Pakistani music since last few years and have admired their music. Strings, Fuzon,  Kaavish, Jal, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali, Parveen Abida, Quratulain Baloch and many ...

Celebrating the Bridge for Friends!

Just like any other bridge, this one plays a role of connecting you and me. Some are brand new, very inviting, clean and pure, presenting to be strong, yet to get exposed to the harsh reality of life. Some have weathered in many seasons, with few bars of railings missing, few broken planks, yet they stand strong, like huge metal bridges.  Some are reinforced with fresh materials every few years, so we stay connected strong and safe for entire lifetime.  Some are beyond repair, standing there rusty and broken. Not because it's impossible to fix the gap, but just waiting for equal support from the other side to mend it. Some were meant to serve one another just once. The need to cross that bridge never arose again, doesn't mean we don't remember how important that bridge was in our journey. To new and old, deep and shallow, strong and weak, connected and broken friendships, I am grateful to have known you one way or another.  Happy Friendships Day! 🍻

Alaska Diaries - Innocence is Fearless

Innocence is fearless. Innocence is free from consciousness of how it gets perceived. Innocence just acts, reacts at free will.  On the Denali National park bus, there was a 6 year old boy, Matt. While driving in the park, there were couple of folks riding the bike, and the guide made a comment " We call them Meals on the Wheels! " ; we all giggled, smiled for 2 secs ; like we did on most of his jokes; and got back to the normal serious self. After almost a minute or two, this kid started laughing out loud. And he told his mom " Oh.. Now I got the joke. Oh that's so Funny. Hahaha.. Meals on the Wheels!! " and he was laughing his heart out. He was the only one in the bus laughing but that dint stop him from doing so. For a full 8-10 mins, he went on and on , reminding himself of that phrase and laughing. I laughed for 4-5 mins with him just because of the way of his laughter; I couldn't control.  This happened in the morning; but now on the way...

A Pink Soap Box

There it was.  I was cleaning my bathroom cabinets and it was hiding in the bottom shelf.   A small plastic pink soap box. I held it and was instantly taken back to year 1999. When I had been in a hostel for the first time in my life. For the first time I was staying away from home, away from my family, all by myself in some unknown place with strangers. Not until 7 years later that I finally moved out of home and started living independently, did I experience that same nauseated feeling again.  But that day, that moment, it was going to be the first time in my life, staying away from my family, and first’s are always special. It’s funny, how this pink soap box takes me on a time travel right back to that moment. The school was just about 15 minutes walk from our home. But that year they had some summer camp, that required kids to stay for 15 days in school’s hostel. I remember my uncle and mom dropping me off near the hostel gate.  It’s...

My Favorite Read - 1 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I have been meaning to write about the books that I have enjoyed reading for quite some time now; but amidst all the chaos, I never got a chance or made time to write.  Am finally starting series of reviews about the books I have enjoyed reading; and although there are lot of them that I have loved, I cannot think of a better one than this to start my series; one that I recently finished reading. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman It's the way this book is written; it's so refreshing, and all the characters, you just fall in love with them. Ove, Sonja, Parvaneh, Rune, the cat, the dog, the Saab - the emotions of a man tied to tool box, radiators and all the other hardware mechanics in the world. We have a famous comedy series in Hindi - Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. For people who know what I am talking about, can you recall Dushyant? The way he gets so emotional about a broken lift or refrigerator or water cooler. Basically, he portrayed a comic version of...