The Painting

The title song from the movie 'Kya Kehna' always puts me in a happy and slightly senti-about-the-family mood. I am careful when i listen to it though. I have a very temperamentally-driven relationship with music. Certain songs can only be heard in certain moods or when the wish is to invoke those moods, and then they can't NOT be heard. A guy i was getting to know once asked me what kind of music i liked and i said something like i like all kinds of music and can't stand any kind of music, depending on my mood. He was rather confused. He was hoping i'd say something like hiphop, which was HIS favourite genre of music.

So anyway, back to Kya Kehna. This song always reminds me of happy family time, particularly in this one hotel in Panchgani we used to go to in the summer vacations. It was a spartan place overlooking a breathtaking view of mountains and lakes and was managed by among the warmest people i have ever encountered in my life. But the best part was that almost the whole extended family used to take this vacation, so it really was raw material for some very fond childhood memories with all the aunts and uncles and cousins and everything. Mom and dad used to never come for these month long getaways but a major highlight was always their 'surprise' visit over a weekend. So it was like living in a boarding school in a superb locale with no studies and all your favourite playmates living with you. I remember my 9th birthday as one of my best ever birthdays. Because it fell while we were there and mom and dad wouldnt be around, my folks make sure that the day was extra special so that i wouldnt miss my parents. And boy did they succeed! We used to sleep in these sprawling dormitory-type rooms and on the morning of my birthday, my cousin shook me out of slumber and handed me a package wrapped in beautiful (and obviously exciting) gift-paper. And right there, on my bed, even before brushing my teeth, i opened my first ever copy of an Enid Blyton school book- 'In the fifth at Mallory Towers' which i went on to follow up with every school story by Blyton (a total of about 20), books that practically shaped me growing up. Then i remember my extremely excited and extremely eager to delight uncle hold my head from both sides and shake it violently saying 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! SOMEBODY BREAK A COCONUT!" :)
And how a freshly baked cake came from this quaint village bakery we had hunted down and we ate it with diced mangoes. It was a magical birthday.

Today while coming home i heard the song in the bus and i realised how much i miss those vacations at Mount View Hotel. Since a lot has changed and a lot will change in the scheme of life, i was playing a llittle game with myself about what i would want before bidding thw old days adieu. And i found myself wanting that holiday. Hypothetically, that would mean rounding up all the aunts and uncles and cousins again, only this time there would be the cousin's wives and kids with the cousins, so it wouldnt be exactly the same. And then a wonderful thing happened. Instead of feeling bad that the exact same picture could not be painted again, i felt EVEN MORE thrilled about the additions to my picture and suddenly wanted that holiday even more.

Ands that made me realise something that i am so happy to realise for the sake of my own mental health - a lot has changed, but, evidently, for the better. :)