I Remember When…
Taking a journey down memory lane
I grew up in a house full of people, and there was no such thing as a “my” room. In contrast to today’s situation, where children prefer solitude and privacy to socializing and playing in groups, a part of me still longs to relive those childhood memories all over again.
One of my fondest memories is related to food. Like every other kid, I used to love gulping down food that looked and tasted yum. Who cared about food being healthy at that age? And parents being parents, always curtailed my right to consume tasty and unhealthy food. However, kabhi kabhi chalta hai na.
So here was Daadu, the one who sneaked into my favourites without being noticed. He was the one who was like a second father to me. I’m still not sure how he knew whenever I had a late-night snack craving and my parents tried to feed me those healthy but boring cereals and snacks. And then he’d call me “Mon” (nickname given by him) from the backdoor, holding a food packet. I don’t know if this isn’t telepathy, then what is?
The excitement and joy, combined with the fear of being discovered by my parents, made the experience unforgettable each time. I used to get caught only when I was so full from the evening snack that Daadu brought me that I could hardly eat my dinner. Only then would my mom know about the whole scenario.
And now that I’m older and can get my own snacks whenever I want, I don’t feel the same sense of joy or excitement that I did when he snuck me those little treats.
Perhaps it is not always about the food that fills the belly, but about the love that is infused with it.
That’s a small childhood memory I’d like to share. Thank you for taking the time to read it :)
