Homecoming, Festival, Bengali Marriage and Friends. (Mar 01 - Mar 15, 2015)

As a part of my new year resolution, I am gonna pen down 1 post (min 500 words) every fortnight.

Feb 26 – Whitefield, Bangaluru à Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru àNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Dumdum, Kolkata àSomewhere in South Kolkata

Feb 26 – March 02 – Kolkata

March 02- Kolkata à Asansol, West Bengal

March 03 – Asansol, West Bengal à Patna, Bihar

March 03 – March 10 – Patna

March 10 – Jayprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna à Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai à Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru à Whitefield, Bengaluru

To say that the trip was fulfilling would be undermine the significance of the variety of emotions which it involved. To be able to attend a friend’s wedding, a get together after almost a year, had hearty discussion with a new friend, made some new friends, witnessed the amalgamation of cultures where cocktail parties became part of the Bengali wedding, followed by a full-fledged traditional wedding, was able to observe all that from up so close, met another friend after half a decade, and finally was at home after a marathon 600days.

The list goes on with the celebration of Holi at home after almost a decade, had a gala time with my niece who is so full of energy and nothing matches the feeling of being able to spend time with grand mom making her feel significant and driving the car fluently for the first time.

Saumita’s wedding is significant from the point of view of the bond which five of us shared at Infosys, our first employer (Abhilasha, Karan, Saumita, Simrat and I). Enough had been said about how lucky we were to be able to have each other’s’ company through the learning journey at Infosys. Personally I never felt like I had to work even for a single day with such great people around. We were supposed to be colleagues but were way more than that. I guess the best part of a team is the way its members complement each other and it was the same for us. We brought exceptionally complementary skills in the mix and together were a formidable squad within the purview of Infosys.

We realized how lucky we were at Infy as soon as we moved out to different destinations in search of our individual destinies. But as godsend gift three of us are back in Bengaluru (relatively close to each other). With Simi already in Canada and Karan in a lucrative Govt. Job (limited scope in Blr) this is the best we could have asked for.

Though I went home after a year and a half, it’s not that I hadn’t taken a break from work. With (1) the switch from Mysore to Bengaluru, (2) Sister and Brother in law in Bengaluru, (3) Abhi back in the town, (3) Couple of trip to Bhilai, (4) A trip to Raipur, Hyderabad, and (5) Goa trip; happening around me I felt fresh throughout.

One of the highlights of the journey was to discover a new dimension of someone I have known for a long time but short in terms of depth. It was a rediscovery of the fact that behind the strong and hard shell of human behavior often lays the warmth and emotional thought process. And that introverts (including me) are a force to reckon with.

It was also my first visit to home in absence of my grandfather, a harsh reality which I am still coming in terms with. Spending time with grand mom was extremely satisfying and I know that listening to her unending stories is a cherish able experience for which I thank the all mighty. One of the memorable incident involved clicking a selfie with her. While my niece; who is her Great Grand Daughter; was finding games on IPAD fascinating, so was my Grandmother.

Another high spot in this trip was me driving my family through the city exploring what has changed and what new has come up over the years. Mom always wanted to do that I was glad for the fact that for the first time in my life I was in the driving seat while dad was sitting beside me.

In the end, I amaze myself by the ease with which I shift gears and without going through any emotional turmoil move on. I know it’s not a sign of weakness to be emotional but my alignment with the reality and focus on what lies ahead happens without any conscious effort.

Writing this blog from Bengaluru, raring to get back to the fresh set of exciting ‘Things to do’ I have planned for the year. Hope you guys are having a great time in your respective places and locations.

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