A puerile Christmas

"Balan Bhai and family are visiting us on Christmas day!" My father announced. Uncle Balan and his family were an inseparable part of our little Malayali community of our colony back in nineteen eighties, which eventually got dispersed for job transfers and retirements. Uncle Balan and family are settled in Kerala. His son Sandeep is working in Mumbai. Families like his and mine shared their happiness, sorrows and struggles of their early family lives with each other. In early seventies, when people of my father's generations migrated out of their home towns in Kerala to cities like Bombay, a fellow Malayali was seen as a brother or equivalent to family member. Those days, people only visited their hometowns annually, during their children's summer vacations. This yearning for home was compensated by close ties with family friends. Naturally, every close family was like an extended family……Relatives with no blood relations! Such was the love and affection shared. Something of a kind that I guess is not seen in today's world. In some cases, not even between siblings. So pure and divine!

The kinship of elders advanced with same zeal into the next generation. We kids, connect to each other more like siblings. Together, we always are like a family. Together we celebrate all festivals, Deevali, Onam, Vishu and New Years. Also, we all definitely had our first friends from this very circle only. Sandeep Balan was my first friend. We used to play 'Chor-poooleece' together and hang out together as kids. We together became fans of the Malayalam movie thespian Mohan Lal. We used to debate on who is most fit to be called 'Mohan Lal'J all the time. Then in late eighties my family got transferred. We lost touch, by the time we were back to Mumbai, Balan Uncle was in Gujarat.

It was almost two decades since then. I was happy and anxious to meet them. Uncle, Aunty, Sandeep and his younger sister, Chittu did pay us a brief visit that afternoon. They had many other houses to visit, so had to make the visit really brief. Something told me that we were meeting in the evening. So it happened.

It struck to me somehow, about a possible reunion of sort. Sandeep and Chittu met all of us separately but I thought a get together of all the kids would be an even better idea. I called Swetha, Swati, Praseeda, Praveen, Nija and Niju immediately. It was only Sandeep and me who played together as kids. Others were at least 4 years junior to me. As little ones they never interacted with me. I got acquainted with them only when they were more than little kids.

By then, it was decided that Uncle Balan & family are to stay back at our house for the night. My brother was out to celebrate Christmas with his friends. Swathi had to prepare for her exams. But Rest of us met. We strolled together on the streets, had snacks like Pani Puri. Soon after, we hit the playground like we all used to as kids. Swings and Slides were occupied. It was like revisiting the childhood. I personally felt that I was taken back to my past and I was interacting with someone from nonage. I became a child again. We except the Balan's used to meet occasionally. But today with them a new ardor to dig up stories from our past was to be seen.

Finally, Niju, who is and will always remain a little girl to me, insisted on playing some game that kids normally play. Reluctantly, we agreed! Rules were recalled, and conveyed to everyone. Next hour I was one among them….involved in child play…. Something I never thought I would do in life again……For a change, it was nice to be a child….while I am still a senior youth. May be, I would only get this chance, when I play with my kids…. Still this day would definitely to be cherished and relished…. So that when next time when we meet for someone's marriage or other occasion….we have something more to laugh about!!!