LIFE Comes A Full CIRCLE...!!!

About a month ago, I had my sister-in-law and her husband come over to our place for a night hold. We are almost the same age, and together with them, we were 4 software professionals under one roof. 

The gist is, it was effortless to connect, have fun, and just talk, with an undercurrent of  commonality running through almost all topics of conversation - work, home, travel, relationship-dynamics, every day experiences, et al. Life, in general.

Food was a key participant in this reunion. As it is, "Cook to Love and Love to Cook" has somehow become the ruling philosophy of my life in the last 7 months. Both me and my Kitchen were in top form.

Every time I went inside the Kitchen, my sister-in-law would follow me and ask how she could help. Outside, the full-bodied laughter of both the guys filled the air.

Now, on any usual day, I am alone for 11-12 hours. And as the person I am, I love company. So this was a very welcome treat for me.

My house filled up on a Saturday afternoon, and emptied half of its 'human' innards on the following Sunday afternoon. The rest of the holiday was spent relaxing and sharing the experiences with our folks over phone calls.

The next day was when the strike occurred. After my husband left for office, I was left all to myself, and every corner of my house was oozing with memories and the resounding banter and laughter. Especially, in the kitchen, every time I went, I felt Shruti saying, "Bhabhi, how should I help?" 

I could not help staying amazed at this experience. It was just 48 hours that I had spent time bonding with both of them. And THIS was how I was feeling. I could only imagine what parents feel when they put us in hostels for college. Or when we are out, super-excited about our jobs and the new life, and they see us off at the airports or railway stations. Or, as in the case of daughters, when they finally do the 'Kanyadaan' and hand them to their life partners.

I simply shuddered at the thought of what things would be like when I would be on the other side as a parent. I don't have words, even now.

*****

About an hour ago, I  was talking to a college-friend who was sharing her experience of today morning.

She and her family had gone to register her mother-in-law in a residential Art of Living camp which would go on for 3 days, starting today. "The room allotted to Mummyji so reminded me of my hostel room in BITS Goa" she said. "And after settling the luggage, we went out to get the other necessary stuff which we missed taking from home, like mosquito repellant etc. for her from the nearest general store outside. It so felt like we were leaving her there for some graduation program. This was the first time I realized how our parents would have felt when they checked us into our hostels. So much so, that I could not bring myself to look back at her while leaving, else I'd have cried..." she went on.

Well, I felt THIS in just 48 hours, she has been with her mother-in-law for more than 2 years! I have to give this one to her!!

We then talked about the turn of events which occurred when we would go home for vacations, when our parents saw us off for college or jobs and of incidents from our marriages. It felt as if only the characters were changing in her and my narratives, the underlying story, and the story's heartbeat, was just the same.

Probably this is why we say that 'Life comes a full CIRCLE', and not a Square, or Rhombus or Pentagon or Hexagon. There are no sharp edges. There is no break in the flow. 

Just continuity. Seamlessness. Of values, emotions, feelings. Of LIFE.

Goose bumps were my loyal partner throughout while composing this post.

The big solace - that there is still a lot of time in being on the other side.