3 months, 3 thousand images and a million memories!

Apart from the extra kilos around my waist, and 6 kilos of excess baggage (that’s all, really), I came back from India with three thousand photographs.

When your trip is a long one, you tend you forget a lot.  That’s why when R asked me, ‘so, what did you do’, I really didn’t know what to say. Three months (well, almost) is an awful lot of time to spend in any place that’s not home. No, even if its your parent’s, in-law’s, friend’s, grandparent’s.  Its 1/4th of an entire year, spent in  places living out of suitcases, meeting friends and relatives- some close, some odd ones, eating oil and sugar rich food, sleeping on different beds, using different loos, AND, spending most of your holiday going up and down like a ping pong ball between the fourth and first floor, in an antique lift.

But, this was only to say that, I DON’T REALLY REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED IN INDIA! At a glance I remember that my charming old Hyderabad would shut down every other week. I witnessed a total of 7 Bands all because of the Telangana- Andhra issue. I’m in no mood to debate about this absolutely preposterous subject, and that’s the most I can remember going back 3 months.  

And that’s exactly why I am so kicked about the 3000 odd images sitting in  tiny yellow digital folders . They stare back at me and narrate to me, little tales, moments and all that I so easily forgot. They tell me that I had an insane amount of fun travelling to Bangalore, Bombay, Kolkata, Cuttack and exploring Hyderabad like I never ever did.

You know, I feel ashamed to say this, but I will. I so played by the book. I was being so typical. Like  over enthusiastic firangs, who want to ‘see’ India. I behaved that way too. Something that I thought I never would. I think living abroad does that to you. You appreciate all that you always had around you but never cared to experience. And once you visit, you want to do it all!

To think that I woke up early and literally coerced a friend to tag along, just to photograph Charminar and Chowmahalla palace, is in itself an achievement for me (16 years in Hyderabad, and I did it only this time around. Tch. Tch.).

But that gave me such elation! We spent an entire morning checking out Charminar and then Chowmahalla palace. Only when my D60 stopped clicking any further because the memory stick was full, did I realise how much I really enjoyed being there. I loved the images I captured.  Here, take a look at a a few:

I went as berserk in Kolkata and Cuttack too. And what a joy the City of Joy brought to me.

But but but- that deserves a different post altogether.

For now, am more than just glad to be back. Am so so so glad that I don’t have to take another piece of clothing out of those ugly red oversized suitcases, and neither do I have to fold it and put it back in. Sure, I miss people. And miss those people who I couldn’t manage to meet. That’ll be my biggest regret.

But for now, it’ll have to be just this. Because KG these days has to help with ‘homework’ from school. A terrible pursuit, which she thought she had left behind for good, many many years back.( Am sure with the advent of homework Mishmash wishes a thousand times that she was back in the warm, fuzzy and thoroughly spoilt care of her grandparents again. )

But listen all, KG will be visiting friends and neighbours in the virtual space, soon. Please keep her pot of cha and biscuits ready.

(Erm Rose, thanks gal, but just the cookies will do. Can’t stand plain milk. Care to spare some chocolate in it ?)