Monday, September 13, 2010

The One with The Delhi Trip

I think I've never done a one-day trip to Delhi ever before. I considered it blasphemous almost. At least 3 days had to be spent... of course, even 3 days is not enough to be spent at home.

But that has changed somewhat since my parents shifted out from Delhi last month. So, to attend A's wedding I flew down on Sunday morning with a return flight booked for Monday morning so that I wouldn't miss work.

How was the trip? Too many thoughts running through...

So, first things first, the wedding went off very well.. didn't meet as many people as I thought I would, but it was worth making the trip just to see how pretty A looked :). Back when we were young girls of 14-15, the subject of how we would be an integral part of each other's weddings was discussed. Of course, like all plans made at that age, this one also did not really materialize. I guess, too many years intervened. But, I know people who stay close in spite of the distance and the years etc.. but I guess I'm just an abject failure at maintaining relationships.. something I've come to realize about myself after much introspection (not!!)..So, in spite of the lack of girl bonding over sangeet and mehendi and all of that, I was really glad that I was able to be there on that day just like she was there on mine.. It feels great to connect to one's past - was absolutely lovely meeting A's mom and realizing that A's sis-in-law still remembers me well..

I could say that the wedding was the high point of my trip, as opposed to my earlier trips to Delhi, when the event that I had come for would be just a by-product and the stay at home would be the high-point. Not sure if I liked this turn-around.. No, I'm sure I didn't actually..

Stayed at home only... and I went thinking that its a good idea because its a familiar area and I could spend my time in the market around etc. Bad decision, actually.. prob would have been better if I'd stayed with relatives at South-ex. It is a very weird, not-so-pleasant feeling to see someone else live in your home. It is weirder to feel like a stranger in your own home. Although I have known the M's for donkey's years now and usually joke and chat with them, this time didn't feel like doing so. I almost kept expecting my mom to be in the kitchen every time I walked past it..

Their daughter has kept a lot of knick-knacks in my bathroom - the one I've spent years in chatting secretly on the phone, dressing up in or crying quietly so that no one would know.. How does it suddenly become alien..
does a house remember its occupants? Do the events that have happened in those rooms - big or small- leave a permanent imprint...It was all very surreal, compounded by the fact that it was raining and gloomy outside, making me feel even more melancholic.. I told this to S last night, but he didn't really understand.. which is ok.. cause I wasn't feeling that way either till I actually stepped inside the house..

As I got on the flight back yesterday morning, I was actually happy to be leaving Delhi for once..
a) cause it wasn't the same without my family there.. and

b) I'd become so tired of saying goodbye to someone or the other - either my parents, or S, or both over the last one year...

So, as sad as it felt to not be greeted by my dad at the Delhi airport, nothing beats the ability to drop-in at my parent's place on the way to and from office everyday and to have S by my side every morning...

So, everything's a-okay !