1-Jan-2016 New Year's eve. Our home was bustling with laughter and chit chat. Our cousins had come down and we were discussing good old days. Eldest of us started telling the kids (next gen) about how we used to celebrate New year during our childhood.
In sometime, we had our dinner. The food tasted so good. Then we started playing charades and Antakshari. Every now and then someone would come up with an anecdote about someone in the family and it triggered a series of stories.
It was nearing 12 and we were all sitting together singing some of our favorite songs. And then the countdown began.
Party popper, cake, lights all set and then 'Happy New Year' in unison. Photo session, cake smearing and a bit of eating and then back to talking talking and talking.
Everything was perfect and I was loving every moment of it. But there was something which was silently watching all this. Something which probably felt left out. And yes I'm happy we had ignored it. I had a Happy but evil'ish' smile and I looked at it and thought life is better without its existence. We all had talked like never before. The 'Idiot box' had no work for the day. It controlled our evenings, but today I felt more powerful. I was not being controlled, I was the controller. I turn around and look at my family and wish that we keep talking and be together. I wished that the cable operator had frequent snags.
Silence of the Television turned out to be a boon, an opportunity, music for ears, magical.... RIP Idiot Box( hope to say that soon)
Most of the time while getting back home I join a friend of mine who drops me at a metro station. In my second or third visit itself I noticed a bhelpuri wala. This man is not like other local market tapri wala. He was clean and seemed well organized. He had 4 plastic covers, each containing onion , tomato, coriander and green chillies (all uncut). Highlight were the fresh lemons. He had papers folded like cones. A box with masala and a cover with loads of mixture. Like any office goer returning home, I too was slightly hungry for some munching. What better than bhel. I liked the way he customized my bhel by checking for the quantity of chilly and lemon. I liked it so much that I got one more for my sis. Thus began the love for bhel. One day it so happened that my husband was about to pick me up and I was waiting just next to the same bhel guy. I was an observer that day. In a span of 20 mins this guy served around 8 customers. Interesting! I began talking to him(shhh...it was me
Loved every bit of this blog! I also want to say RIP smart phone....watsapp, fb, twitter, snap chat....
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