Dear Cheeku,
U remember when we were kids, we used to talk so much about other places. Delhi seemed not only very far but also something as a promised land. We had so much talks about how we’ll leave school, got to college in Delhi and have a whale of a time. Delhi, Bombay meant independence, we thought we’ll go there and we’ll be happy and do what we wanna do with our lives, and how great it’ll be.
I also remember you coming back to Jaipur in your first vacations from college and telling “Delhi is great when you have people around, when there’s nobody it’s the most ‘Thakau’ place”. And we used to think, “ya ya. Khud to aish kar ke aaya hai aur hamein lecture de raha hai”. You know, I was just thinking of the past few years, Gaurav and Sunny no longer live in Jaipur, Deepesh is in Belgaon, I have not been to Jaipur properly since the last 4 years. All of us have lived in different places in this time, and none of us live full time in Jaipur now.
However, all of us have realised just one thing, wherever we all go, we belong to this place only, this place, this city. The roads, the houses, the air, the smell, everything seems so familiar (although you’ll be surprised to see Jaipur now, it has changed a lot). I long to return to Jaipur. There is so much there, so many memories, so much love, so much masti, so many tears and so much fun. Sometimes the phone rings, and Sunny asks “Where are you”?. I search for an answer, for “home” cannot be a right answer. “Home” is always where the heart is, and “Home” will always be those streets where we all grew up. St. Xavier School and Bhagwandas Road, Gopal Sadan, Ashok Marg, Sunny’s, Gaurav’s, Deepu’s and my place, our alpha, beta points, Yadav Dhaba, Statue Circle, Jal Mahal IceCream, MI Road, Ashok Club, Golf Club, the list is endless..That was home, the best thing is, it still is……
Someday, sometime, we’ll all go back together. We’ll sit in your room with our wives and kids and all near and dear ones, and we’ll party, just the way we used to…Just happy to be together, and happy to be home. For we’ll know that you’ll also be there. And all the boys will be home….as men.
Take Care,
Soumya