Home or Love!
“What’s the name of the bus?” I asked my Mom as soon as I finished my annual exam. She said “Super deluxe”. “Oh super super. Does it have push back seats?”. There were many such questions I asked my mom continuously. She would have answered one or two. These were the beginning of my 90s life.
Ammi (Dr. Vijetha), my sister, was not very talkative like me but she always used to share her stories with mom — on the other hand, like, “Naane bere, Nan kathe ne bere”, I was different and my stories always stayed with me. It was never meant to be shared during my childhood days. I used to play in the streets of Chickpet with my friends. I always used to get hurt on my legs, hands and sometimes even on my head etc. After getting hurt I used to come home crying. Instead of consoling me, my mom used to beat me with a wire or a belt or even with a kitchen spatula (Sautu/Sauntu in Kannada/Tulu). She would shout at me saying “who asked you to go out and play like this? Idiot fellow.
Why do you trouble me so much?” etc etc. Within no time, I used to come out of that agony and again go out to play with my friends. “Nayi bala donke” — my mom used to shout from inside. Galli cricket, goli (marbles), buguri (top), joot aata or kannamucchale (hide and seek) were the common games during 90s. These were the days we used to spend from June 1st to March 31st of every academic year.
From 1st of April to 31st of May was all-together a different life. I used to wait eagerly for the April month of every year. Not only me, it was the same story with most of my classmates and my cousins. As soon as the exams were over in March, I used to keep asking my parents “When are we going to ooru (native)? Are the tickets booked? Did my cousin’s family also book their tickets? When are they traveling? What’s the name of the bus?”, many such questions.
Udupi — It is my mom’s native place and my birth place. Near the Diana theater, there is a small area called Kukkikatte. Even Sandlewood Movie Star Rakshith Shetty is from the same area. She used to take us there every year during summer holidays. If you ask me even now, I will say “Let’s go” and I will be ready with my backpack. It brings so much happiness in me. It still makes me blush and talk to myself. It is more than an attachment; it can be termed as LOVE. I love you Udupi!
During those summer holidays, I used to spend time with my cousins and their friends, playing cricket in larger and bigger fields. We would fish on the sides of the farms that belonged to Shreedhar Shetty (Rakshith shetty’s father). We would search for tasty “Karande puli” in the woods and bushes (not sure the exact name in English. It is like a blueberry) and tangy “Bimbli” (Averrhoa bilimbi). We climbed the cashew trees to pluck “Gonku” (Cashew fruit), collect those cashew seeds and sell them in exchange of Campco chocolates from Ganesh Stores, which was 3 houses away from our home.
We all cousins used to sleep together in one big hall. Sometimes sleeping under the vast sky looking at twinkling stars with bright moon out of the house was more than what I could ask for. We swam in the back waters and in the small ponds or wells called as “Kedhu” in Tulu. It used to be my home than my mom’s or my grandparents. Literally, it was a heaven for me. A gifted one, especially from the God.
Whatever, I can vouch I have enjoyed every bit of it.
This enjoyment lasted until I found a girl in Bangalore, whom I fell in love with. All my attachments and LOVE for Udupi immediately shifted to Hassan. Yes. Hassan was her native town. I could rather say the love was not for Hassan per se, but it was just her. This is where the heart took me. Talking to her everyday and being with her gave me same kind happiness and love similar to the belonging for Udupi. This love did not last very long. After she got married, my heart again leaned towards Udupi and then I found my life partner Divya and she gave me 2 precious gifts in life — Diya and Aditya.
Today, for me, love is no more a limited company. It is an unlimited, unconditional, demo-graphical and multi-location one. What I have towards Divya, Diya, Aditya, Ammi, my parents, friends, past girlfriends, Bangalore, Udupi, my job, my knowledge, science, math, language, animals, birds, everything that is god made, every element of this universe, is my Love.
Home is where the heart is.
When it comes to choose between Bangalore and Udupi, I always choose Udupi. When it comes to Karnataka, it’s Udupi and Bangalore for me. When it comes to India, it’s Karnataka. When it comes to earth, it’s India. When it comes to space, it’s Milky way and my solar system for me.
If you think your heart can occupy more space, then even the space is your home.
Keep loving your home from the bottom of your heart. You will see your home everywhere.
by Yashaswi J
