Home Is Where The Heart Is

"Bye" I waived at them for the final time, the train honked and started for its journey, I started for a journey with the heart not yet ready to bid them adieu.

As the train passed I Saw Maa and Baba fading away from my eyes. 

"Meera, Ki Korche tumi? (Meera what are you doing ?)" I could hear my baba's words, but this time it was my heart that spoke to my inner voice on baba's behalf. Baba would always say me this everytime he caught me crying, "ki Korche tumi" and with this I wiped out my tears.

"Kusum, you are baba's strong daughter. You cant fall weak, you're going far away from your maa baba, your land, your culture so that you can give maa baba a better life. You have to be strong Kusum."

With this she plugged in her airplugs and started playing some songs. On a book she wrote 'ekla chalo re!... (walk alone)' and she smiled.

After a long journey, Burdhaman was left somewhere far behind, the train halted at Hazrat Nizamuddin station. 

Meera had finally arrived in her dream City. She wanted to earn money for her maa baba. She had got a good job in some corporate sector. It was very emotional and overwhelming for her.

 She felt homesick. 

 Days passed by, she got well versed with the city but couldn't really cope up with the feeling of being homesick, she missed her own land, own people and its culture.

 One evening Meera was spending some time amongst the flowers at the Sunder Nursery when she recieved a call from her colleague. "Hey Meera" said a male voice from the other side.

"Hello" retorted Meera pleasantly.

 "I got a call from the Manager, we'll be having another meeting in the next two days, we can meet tomorrow and discuss

the details. Let's meet at our regular spot Gumbad cafe, tomorrow after office in the evening around 4 something like that when there will be less crowd. Works with you?"

"Yeah its okay Barun"

 "It's varun" he said with a tinge of imitation..."

As decided they meet and discuss.

Two days later the meeting went on successfully. The company got the deal.

Meera and Varun's friendship started growing in those days. 

"Meera" Varun said browsing through Meera's dairy

"yes" said Meera who just entered having two cups of coffee "Have it Ba... ah Varun."

"Looks like its your handwriting, your diary then why is it written Kusum on the name section ?". resumed.

"Ahan... Kusum amar daak naam" Meera said in a stretch.

"What What What!" Varun replied instantly as if he understood not a single word.

 "We bengali people have two names. Bhalo naam... the real name and a daak naam means the nickname. Meera is my bhalo naam and kusum is my daak naam." Meera explained calmly. 

"Why didn't you tell me that earlier Miss Kusum ?"

"What....By the way what are you doing in my cabin." 

"Oh ya good question, I was here to invite you...."

"For What ?" Meera interrupted.

"Since the meeting had been successful, we got the deal and own hard work paid rather got rewarded, my mother wanted to celebrate this by a small feast and since you were my partner she wants to share the joy with you. She has invited you too. I hope you won't decline."

 "Oh that's so sweet of her. Thank you so much. I would surely join." 

The next day Meera and Varun

go together at his house. Meera met everyone in the family. There were a lot of gossips and talks and a very tasty feast. 

But then she observed that there was one person who hadn't participated in any of the discussions.

"Who is she Varun ?" Meera asked naively. 

"She is my grandmother" 

"Is everything alright ? she looks sad." Meera asked again.

Varun did not reply anything "Varun" Meera called out his name again since he looked zoned out.

"Meera we belong to a Punjabi community. My grandparents have suffered the Loss of Partition. We lost our grandfather a few years back, but dadi has become a soul-less living body. The trauma has affected her. She rarely speaks and when she does, She speaks like that young naive girl who lived in Lahore before pactition." Varun kept on narrating and Meera listened with all her heart.

"You know Meera, dadi speaks very poetically and this inspired me to write. All those poems you read the other day, it was because of Dadi, I could hold the pen. You know what, I always wanted to preserve her words. so I've penned down whatever she speaks these days."

"That is so beautiful, I want to read it Varun" Meera retorted enthusiastically. 

"Give me a minute " 

"Sure"

Varun opened his phone notes and showed the piece he had written as an Open Letter. 

Meera reads it mutely.

"Lahore; 

    Are you a city? For me you are a piece of land that resides in my heart forever, for me you are my home, my hope. 

When I was young and naive, I always fantasized about your twin sister. I heard from my elderly people if we have Badshahi mosque on a hill and Lahore fort opposite to it, Dilli has Jama Masjid and Red Fort opposite to it. If we have Anarkali Bazai; Dilli has Meena Bazar. and so much more similar. The people of twin cities and their lives so similar and intertwined, but one unfortunate day one person who draws a random line separates us; two different cities, two different countries. People call it PARTITION. For me it is and always will be an Epidemic that took lives of millions of us, that separated us and gave us a horrible memory for the rest of our lives. That gave us a longing that cant be quenched no matter what. Lahore I long for you. Do you miss me? Do you miss that small little Sakina who wandered in your Streets? she is now Sukhwinder Kaur sitting all dead in a hook in Delhi. My home, my land is all that what I miss. People moved to the other sides. how could they adapt to these new lands... ?"

Meera was reading with teary eyes. 

"Where's the rest of it, its incomplete." 

"I try talking to Dadi, I want her to complete it. Afterall it's her story. Maybe it can get a happy ending if she accepts the reality and adapts to it "

"Yes sometimes we miss our home, but we should accept the reality and adapt to it" Meera repeated Varun's words as if giving herself reminder or a lesson.

"Varun, I've not suffered from the horrors of partition but what I can tell you is ... feeling home sick is for real and your dadi has intensely suffered from it. I hope we all badly get the coping. mechanism against it."

There was a little silence amongst them. Meera got a message and she read it.

" I need to leave now, something

urgent. Thank you for today."

"Come I'll drop you"

Varun and Meera walk towards the car.