1.

The train had just started entering Bhopal Junction, Baba was already at the exit door of the coach with all our luggage. He was popping his head out of the open door to look in the forward direction trying to see as far as he could while being safe and consequently letting know something seemingly important to a fellow passenger standing right behind him. My baba and this man represent the typical Indian railway passenger,as if hanging out from the coach makes the train go faster or slower or as if the train driver uses it as some sort of a signal to decide which platform the train should enter based on the passenger's expressions. Everyone around me seemed to be waiting to get hold of the first coolie who comes running towards the halting train shouting out his service charges to the tired, sleepy passengers,worn out by journey in need of some help with their extra luggage. I watched with amusement, as the patient travelers who seemed to have the time for a long tiresome overnight journey from New Delhi to Bhopal, suddenly transformed into a chaotic restless cattle trying to jump out of the train as soon as possible,negotiating aggressively with the coolies while frantically searching for a dear one expected to receive them with a big smile. I was a part of the cattle of course. Me and Ma noticed as we deboarded that baba had arranged a coolie already with his quick negotiating skills, something he was a natural at, being in the marketing industry for the last 23 years as he would often proudly announce. We handed over our baggage and the three of us followed the coolie out of the station building towards the taxi stand. We hired a taxi , loaded the luggage and as the driver asked the address, baba looked at ma with an obvious expression, she stared back at him in question. I was the daughter to this couple for 20 years now and knew what might me going on here, so I clarified to ma , "You do have the address fed into your cell ma don't you?"

"Paagol naaki! Your baba noted it down,I didn't" she replied.

"what me??! I asked you to note it down abha, didn't I ??your mother is unbelievable I tell you.." baba defended himself

and started a typical 10 minute long argument on carelessness, irresponsibilty, taking each other for granted and every other unrelated issue that could be recalled in that short span of time. In the end none of them won and nothing productive seemed to come out of it, we still didn't have a solution or the address. In addition My father's phone battery was dead which made it impossible to contact anyone for directions. The taxi driver couldn't care less, his meter was running anyway. Finally after both my parents got tired of their silly fight, I coolly mentioned how I had foreseen something like this happening and had taken a picture of the wedding card on my cell phone before leaving home, so we did have the address,suddenly everyone including the driver seemed to thank me for my presence of mind and the taxi started to roll finally. All the way during the taxi ride I couldn't stop laughing along and making fun of my oldies, embarrassed and refreshed by their daily dose of arguments, something they couldn't exist without just the way they couldn't exist without each other. 

After about 20 mins the taxi pulled in front of a big old, white house. Getting out of the taxi we looked towards the entrance. Long strings of marigold covered the iron gates which were wide open and a man was perched on the boundary wall arranging decorative lights.This was definitely a wedding venue, we had reached the right place. As baba payed the driver, Ma excitedly rushed inside,into the front lawns, calling out for a 'Boori Di' with a loud, clear sing song tone of voice as if it was her right to be doing so.There were a dozen people present in the front lawns, everyone busy with some task, they all turned as we entered, all happy faces with a bit of curiosity trying to figure out our identity, I blushed as Ma kept calling out, I had preferred to stay back at home, I had never met this family I had tried to explain, how would I enjoy a wedding if I know not a single soul there, but my parents hadn't approved of my unsocial attitude towards the trip, instead they convinced me that I would have nothing but a gala time, I could never win when Ma went rigid , hence,here I was standing with my super excited mom waiting for 'boori di' to appear. She did only after the third call, she came running down the stairs and out of the house towards the entrance with a grin so big and arms so wide open that I couldn't help but wonder how close my parents have been to her. I was told that Shobha aunty (better known as boori) and her husband  Alok uncle had been our next door neighbours for 15 years before they shifted away. Alok uncle and my father had been good  friends since college days and as neighbours they had had an amazing time together, even after each of them got married and had kids.

I was just 4 when they had left our locality , even though they could never meet us they had stayed in touch through letters and phone calls, never forgetting my family in good and bad times. So now when their elder daughter Shreya was about to get married, we were invited and this time baba promised Alok uncle that we would surely be present at the wedding and reunite after almost 16 years, a long long time. 

Boori aunty hugged Ma tightly almost half jumping and exclaimed as she saw baba behind us, "Oma Debashish! You've got greying hair,has it been that long??? I cannot believe I'm seeing you all finally, what a delight!" , Hearing the high pitched chatter that followed between the women,Alok uncle came smiling from somewhere behind the house and acknowledged us by hugging baba just like the friend he had been several years ago, like no time had gone by. Then his eyes fell on me and he asked with wide eyed surprise "keya?" ,I shyly smiled and  nodded and before I knew Boori aunty squeezed me in her arms with warmth that seemed strangely comforting.

"Keya!! You're a lady already, and you've grown so pretty babah! welcome my dear..I'm sure you will love it here once you get introduced to everyone" With that we were ushered inside the house and taken to a room allotted for us in the first floor and asked to rest for as long as we wished before the pre-wedding ceremonies started in the evening.. I figured the guests had just started to arrive one by one, friends, relatives all of whom would be living under the same roof. For the next 5 days we would  all stay in this house, the wedding venue, the party venue, everyone and every event would be right here, in this big, old white bungalow.

After freshening up I stepped out of the room into the attached balcony that faced the front portion of the house.A soft breeze was blowing, it was still early in the day so the weather felt rather cool and crisp. I looked around to see the skyline, it was not much,this house was located in a quite posh locality about 2 kilometres from the famous bhopal lake,clean roads lined by gulmohar trees and the presence of not more than 50 similar bungalows. This house where I stood was one of the oldest and the prettiest in the area, with magnificent iron gates at the entrance opening to huge front lawns holding beds of in-numerous flowers, perfect green grass and a spacious driveway leading into the house building. As I would later explore to find that Boori aunty even had a small kitchen garden at the backyard where they grew some staple vegetables to be cooked fresh and there is also a  lovely terrace tastefully maintained for anyone who would want to sit there at leisure. Somehow I had got used to concrete apartments, a technology based life and a certain lack of garden space in the ultra modern city home where I spent most of  my childhood, maybe that is the reason so much open space, greenery and old -world aesthetics fascinated me.
After the unexpected warm welcome and a  relaxing bath I already felt home standing at the balcony of the house,a part of me felt happy my parents brought me along. Something was very positive about the air, I liked it here. Baba joined me in the balcony, giving me a smile that he wears when he knows I'm enjoying myself, I affirmatively smiled back at him, and we looked down towards the front lawns. A stage was being built, poles were being fixed in the ground for a canopy tent, hundreds of baskets of flowers were being brought in for decorations, preparation for celebration was in full swing. Moments later as I was in the middle of conversation with baba about the decor, we were distracted by a distant rumbling noise on the road ,it seemed to be the roar of an automobile engine. I heard the noise approach in our direction when suddenly a bike flew inside the gate along the driveway at a speed that I feel only batman would risk and braked to stop inches away from the inside door, dodging a few people on its way. A startled baba looked intently from the balcony trying to recognize the rider and based on my father's sudden interest in the person, I looked in that direction too with curiosity. The biker was a young man seemingly in his 20's I noticed, and as he got down I saw Boori aunty rushing towards him and talking to him with expressions as if he was someone very known to her, maybe someone from the host family. Just as I was playing detective, baba put to rest my over analytical brain by simply recalling who this young man was and informing me thus. " Keya, I don't believe how much the boy has grown, beyond recognition. I don't think you will have much memory of him, it's Deep! Alok uncle's younger son, Shreya didi's bhai .He was just 9 or 10 when I had last seen him, aah!Let me go find your Ma and catch up with the rest of the family members, we would be meeting so many people of this family after so many years, this is going to be great, you come too darling when you feel like, we will introduce you to everyone,there will be many girls and guys your age here,get ready and come down, till then me and your mom are downstairs with all the relatives." with that baba left the balcony searching for my mother. I continued looking down towards the lawn. A man arranging the tables worriedly called out from the lawns, " Aree Deep!! where had you gone?We need more tables, didn't you inform the tent wala?", I observed an unusually jumpy deep leave his bike on stand,walk on the grass towards the worried man and calm him down with a pat and a hand gesture which seemed like a promise to set everything in order before time only if they trusted him. His body language was that of a man at ease and who is confident about his surroundings, a happy-go-lucky sorts, interesting person. Suddenly I realized that my over analytical brain had observed ,analysed and judged an unfamiliar person, a stranger in mere 3 mins from a short but significant distance which made me seem so silly that I started laughing at myself. My laughter must have been really loud because suddenly a pair of eyes looked up from the grass towards the balcony where I stood. For a moment Deep wondered who I was and the next moment looked away,indifferent.