The Paratha Story

The day dawned crisp and clear.

An early morning routine was underway as I had decided to take that daily grind of preparing for a self-set marathon head-on. Today, my eyes are set on 10k.

With a focused mind, I started, enjoying the lush green of my current place of posting as the dappled sun shone through the trees, creating mysterious shadows. The soft breeze kept my exhaustion at bay and pushed me toward my goal for the day.

As my run came to an end and I was nearing my abode, I walked past a house that filled the air with the most amazing aroma you could come across in Bhartiya families’ homes in the morning… it is that of the preparation of desi ghee parathas.

The smell instantly took me down memory lane, the time wherein I am getting ready for school and Ma is preparing the paratha for breakfast, whereas Papa is busy with his share of chores…viz polishing shoes, making our pencils sharp… to get me and my siblings to school. Simply put, the whole house was always in a rush to get things done on the weekdays. To be truthful, I never could think of such things so distinctly on a normal day, but in that very instant, right in the middle of that street… that olfactory intimation reminded me of the days gone by.

The house was just not us but we were home.

“Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful.
It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life.”

That morning of my childhood memories gave me a realistic nudge of how things have moved…how far I have come and yet it seems my inner being is still there…reliving those love-filled scoldings of my parents, those evening munching times when papa brought snacks... How much I miss those days of innocence and sheer feeling!!!

I may have walked the long road…and maybe I shall reach new heights but everything I have today is due to the diligent hard work and utter belief of my parents.

After becoming a parent myself, the realization is emotionally touching.

Seeing my parents getting old, the creases on their faces and each fold of those creases tell tons of stories, all profoundly affect me today...and maybe always continue to do so for the rest of my life. It may be either I’m getting old or the toll of being an adult is getting to me or maybe I'm understanding the essence of their sacrifices or the definition of their love…whatever the reason, the truth is everything is fastly rolling.

That day, the aroma of paratha led me to introspect, as I realized that I’ve been blessed by the presence of many pure souls around me…in form of parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, etc. who had always thought well for me and loved me no matter what I was going through and for that I shall forever be grateful to the Almighty.

Life in the face of uncertainty, the Instagram times, or maybe the loneliness in the overloaded schedules of lives had my heart looking for warmth in the good old days.

Has it ever happened to you?? Looking forward to knowing your paratha moment.