Sunday, December 23, 2012

Home Is Where The Heart Is



Good morning beautiful world! Winter in Delhi has been kind, and it's somehow possible for us to wake up early. There's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. A number of my friends live by themselves here, away from family. For some, it means more freedom and adventure, while for others it  means having to find their own way around. This story I wrote is dedicated to those who might make the most of their life, no matter where they may live- but at the end of the day, always miss home. After all, 

*Home is where the heart is.*   




A gust of wind blew across her face as Tanya hurried down the deserted street, her head down, a bag of groceries in her arms. The sky had darkened and it had started to drizzle. She managed to get home before she got soaked to the skin. She pushed open the back door, stepped inside the house and sighed deeply. Although she’d been anxious to return home, now that she was there, she felt lonelier than ever. Tanya looked miserably at the kitchen table, where lay one coffee mug, which seemed to remind her that it had been a long time since she’d had company. She shut the door and was about to put the groceries away when she realized that she’d stepped on something.

A scarlet envelope lay on the floor, addressed to her in familiar script. Her heart suddenly racing, she stared at it for several moments before picking it up, blinking away her tears. She didn’t rip it open. Instead, she walked into her bedroom, put the letter on her desk and went back into the kitchen. It was raining heavily by the time she sat across the window, her hands cupped around a mug of coffee for warmth. Eventually, Tanya opened the envelope and pulled out a pink sheet of paper with words written in shiny purple ink.

Dear Mum,

I know you must be very surprised on receiving this letter- but probably not as surprised as I was when I found myself writing it. We both know that I’m more of a cell phone person. But I recently realized that talking on the phone can sometimes be very unsatisfactory when you have so much to say, and it’s hard to put your thoughts into words. I’m sure you’re thinking of the exasperated look that I used to get on my face whenever I’d see you writing letters to Dad and waiting for him to post a letter in reply, all the way from New York. I do hope that you’ll be just as happy on receiving my letter. I think I’ve finally started appreciating the joy that letter writing gives you.

I’ve been missing you and Dad a lot, of late. But I guess I’d kind of gotten used to Dad’s absence, what with him being abroad most of the time. I love you both with all my heart, but going away to college in a different city has been hard on me, and the one I miss more than anyone else is you. Sure, I miss my friends and teachers, the neighbors and our relatives- but they’re not the ones I think about when I return to my apartment every evening after a tiring day at college. I miss home, Mum. I miss the way you took care of me. You raised me to be independent and responsible, and I am able to survive by myself in this unfamiliar place. The people here are nice, even if some are not. And I’ve found friends who mean a lot to me. But I miss the best friend I have- you.

I wish you’d be here to wake me up gently on cold winter mornings, to walk with me in the park as I’d tell you how my day went, to cook meals for me, and to see me turning into a mature adult- just the way you’d told me to be. I miss the times we spent together, but I know that- no matter how far you may live- you’re always going to love and protect me. I love you, Mum. Thanks for everything you do for me. For reminding me that there’s someone who will always accept me the way I am. For making me strong. And most importantly, for giving me numerous reasons to smile.


Yours,
Sneha

Without much ado, Tanya pulled out a sheet of paper from her drawer and began writing, as she continued to smile through her tears.





*Where your treasure lies, there lies your heart also.*








19 comments:

  1. That was a lovely story, love :) You always manage to make me smile and shed a few tears with these tales of yours. Mwah :*
    And I would like to add a little change to that line...."Home is where mum is" ...she is the best thing that has every happened to us :)
    P.S.- The Sneha bug continues!! :P

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  2. thanks swarnali, you always make me smile with ur encouraging words and adorable sense of humor! and ur so right- home is where mum is! :D

    PS- oh god, what is WITH that name?! :P

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    1. Madam ji...aap reply bhi karna bhool gayi hain?? :P And yeah...Sneha is the standard name for all our heroines!! :P

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    2. ah, crap! :P *facepalm* i dnt know where my mind is these days. i think we should thank all d sneha's of d world. :D

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  3. @Arpita: This was such a beautiful tale...especially the letter was so real...touched my heart! :) Love this! <3

    @Swaru: I've forgotten neither of you. I miss you...but these days I am not in the mood to write at all! :/

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    1. thank you sooo much, MSM! it's so good to c ur comment. ^_^ and i know u won't forget us. we heart you! *hugs*

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    2. @MSM_Yay...you are back!! I know you haven't :) we love you too...i miss talking to you and reading your stuff....take your time and be back with a bang :D hugs

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  4. Replies
    1. i haven't lived on my own yet, but i appreciate home enough to know i would rather stay with family than otherwise. thanks for leaving a comment. :)

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  5. Beautifully written...very touching! Could relate to it as I have stayed away from home for a long time :)

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    1. thank you, me. ur appreciation means a lot to me. :) i've only ever stayed away from family for a short period of time, but i know how much i missed them, so i can totally relate to the homesickness my friends feel.

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  6. lovely little story .. I know the feeling Since my 6th class I have always stayed away hostel etc, then the first job i took .. SO yeah i have missed my parents a lot of times .. Did i tell them i missed them Now that is something i regret , I did not say enough

    Bikram's

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    1. thank you, bikramjit. :) when u love someone very much, no matter how often u may tell them so, it just never feels enough. but i do know that every gesture matters. whether or not u'd have said it in words, ur parents must have sensed ur love n devotion- and that's what's most important.

      i know so much people who've lived in boarding schools and such since they were little, and they've grown apart from their families to the point of not being able to connect with them anymore in spite of livin together again.

      i truly appreciate it that u still care for ur family so much. :)

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  7. Oh yeah...Home is where ma is, just like Swarnali said!
    I'm definitely NOT one of those can't-wait-to-spread-my-wings-and fly people...I'd rather stay nice and warm with ma feeding me!

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    1. haha..i am EXACTLY like that, tal! i'm better off being the pampered one. :D

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  8. e-mails and cellphones can never replace letters. we could express so much through letters.

    lovely post!

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  9. ur absolutely right. i'm someone who writes handwritten letters to people i met over the internet. so i can say i completely understand what u mean when u say that emails n phones cannot replace letters. :)

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  10. the letter s vry touching..
    reminded me of the time when i was in hostel..:)
    ntng compares to mom's love n care..:)

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    Replies
    1. thank you, jemina. :) i'm so happy that u liked it. merry christmas!

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