Shobhana Rao (Mini Krishnaswamy)

As I sit at Cinnamon Cafe

An oasis in the heart of Bengaluru

Listening to ‘Hotel California‘

Sipping a Kashmiri kahwa 

A wave of nostalgia sweeps over me 

And I make a rendezvous with my memories

"Chance and choice make you who you are” said Simone du Beauvoir 

Dunlop happened to me in much the same way as it did to you,

By CHANCE

Glamourous and chic, smart and funny

From ‘Abhi Na Jao Chhod kar‘ to Rasputin

Be it Holi, Diwali or Christmas, revelry was the name of the game.

If you think your life is a party, baby, you ain’t seen nothing at all

Coffee mornings, weekly Bingo, daily pegs, annual Christmas events ..

Each occasion called for a special celebration!

Holi, 

colourful, playful and lively,

The sharp pain of the water balloons

The gentle smearing of aabir 

The cat and mouse chase 

Till one surrenders ..

Uncles and boys both eyeing for a chance to flirt!

Let’s hop, skip and jump over the unpleasant summers

Straight into the mother of all festivities

The iconic Pujo and Diwali 

Nothing I can say can ever do justice to this time of the year

From the Mahalaya call to the Nobomi dhol to the Bijoya

Nadu prosad, to the Divine Khichudi and Begun bhaja

Such gastronomic ecstasy!

Durga Maa, thank you for such kindness.

The fading dhol beats, and cool nip in the air

I, expectant and comforted

Eager and joyful that

Diwali was here.

’Twas my turn to get new outfits 

We had to keep the South Indian traditions, my maa would say!

The pure joy of choosing the Tubris, rockets, charkis, dodomas in Burrabazar.

And then, 

Sunning the loot in the sun verandah..

Will you ever understand, I tell my kids,

When less meant a lot?

My house would fill up with the aroma of Amma’s 

obbatus, laddus, and mixture.

Come evening, a million twinkling candles would light our lives.

What a sight it was to behold!

Who can forget the joy of the Christmas parties,

Eagerly awaited and keenly contested

With fancy dress competitions, innovative games, and the most exotic of snacks

Bold and beautiful, Ms. Dunlop 

And the ever-jovial Subroto Uncle as Santa

I can vividly recall.

Cut to the present, Bengaluru,

the city of my choice

Here I am, about to turn 50

Feeling alive yet peaceful,

Loving every minute,

Staying true to myself,

Unapologetic for my choices

I’ve come a long way, I tell myself, from Bandel to Bengaluru.

Cheers to this incredible journey that I am extremely fortunate to be a part of

Surrounded by the love of my husband, children, parents, brother, friends past and present,

I feel truly blessed and grateful.

There is no better time than now to be grateful for the past.

For all the aunties and uncles who crafted my childhood 

A very, very big thank you, from me to you

Bandel and Bengaluru,

Hope I’ve made you as proud as I am of you.