Yesterday, Once More…

The rains had finally given into the parched earth. Unabashed, purposefully, they fell from the heavens.  A sweet scent from the wet mud filled the air, as the raindrops arranged themselves in a sonata. The neighbourhood was slowly awakening from the muted slumber to a green song. This Sunday morning in early June, so far, was looking promising.

Dad was at the altar, appeasing the gods with my favourite sandalwood incense sticks. Mom was in the kitchen, gently frying the grated coconut along with poppy seeds, cinnamon and coriander seeds. The plate of Kashmiri chillies along with the cloves and garlic attested that Chicken Xacuti was on the day’s menu. Now the thing with Xacuti is, you enjoy it best with a bowl of rice. However, in a mixed family, where the father was a Punjabi and the mother a Goan, there had to be a twist. So mom would transform ordinary rice into aromatic Basmati by simply adding the ‘Basmati Bay Leaf’ to it from her balcony garden. So much for budgeted secrets of middle class homes.

Talking about our balcony garden, the sontakka (Butterfly Lily) flowers had blossomed to make an impression. Dressed in immaculate white petals, their sweet scent was intoxicatingly inviting. Two floors below, Aaji’s garden had her prized mogra (Arabian Jasmine) and rose bushes in full bloom. Mrs. Pereira’s garden, on the other hand, had the Raat Rani (Queen of the Night) slowly drooping into sweet dreams. Yes, this was nothing short of a floral menagerie, perhaps?

My childhood home - 2nd floor on the left.
My childhood home – 2nd floor on the left.

Our next door neighbour, Mrs. Rangan was making her morning cuppa. Ah, the rich aromas of South Indian coffee decoction filtered through. Did you know that coffee beans can neutralize the sense of smell? Oh well, no wonder I could smell Mrs. Rampurkar’s puranpolis all the way up to the second floor.  I think I also caught a whiff of Mr. Bansal’s fish koliwada. Sundays were special all over the neighbourhood, I guess.

The smoke from the kerosene stove got me out of my reverie. We used it to heat water for our bath. I detested the smell and the chore. Nope, being Cinderella wasn’t my style. So mom did the next best thing to get rid of the sooty remains. She added a few drops of essence to a bowl of hot water. And voila, natural room freshener at your service. Vanilla and Rose were an all-time favourite. This would get replaced by eucalyptus oil as a natural remedy for nasal congestion for us kids. The rains brought with them damp walls and a musty odour. Add to that the problem of disease spreading insects, like flies and mosquitoes. The pungent odours of a few drops of vinegar mixed with a handful of rock salt in water would do the trick. Lizards were kept at bay with empty egg shells hung on walls. Simple but effective home remedies of yore.

Lunch was a good 2 hours away. Dad was all set to head for his weekly building meeting. Dressed in his Sunday best, his white kurta pyjama, he dabbed on our family favourite. Picked from Crawford market, the imitation of the much coveted Poison perfume, then priced at a humble Rs 30/- He was all set to step out , when the doorbell rang. It kept ringing as he looked at me with expectant eyes to open the door. The ringing was getting louder and louder, when suddenly I was woken up from my slumber by my blaring alarm. I opened my eyes to the here and now, when just a minute back it had been yesterday, once more………………….

Written for the ‘Smelly to Smiley’ Contest by Ambipur in association with Indiblogger.

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30 responses to “Yesterday, Once More…”

  1. Saru Singhal avatar
    Saru Singhal

    What a beautiful neighborhood you had! The aromas of the delicacies you mentioned filled my memory as well.

    Good luck, Vinita!

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Oh yes, Saru. I was blessed to grow up in a neighbourhood where people knew each other way beyond just family names. I miss it so much….

  2. Swapna avatar

    Beautiful Vinita! I loved how you have tied up so many memories with fragrances all in one experience. And you have made me hungry with all the yummy dishes you named! 🙂

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Thanks Swapna, childhood memories are beautiful, aren’t they? Yup, middle class homes were such where food aromas and stories travelled to and fro.

  3. Rainbow Hues avatar

    This post took me down memory lane too….Beautiful indeed. I remember visiting my neighbors place as a child only to see what was cooking on Sundays. It was a ritual with me. Though some adults would have got offended by my nosiness but my neighbors were sweet enough to share their dishes with me. No wonder, it all shows on my body, even now….Ha!

    ANyway, its a great treat, your posts, they always bring something beautiful to the mind. A nice Smiley post!

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Ah, Kajal, you made my day. I am glad I bring happy notes to you. That is what I love to do. The Emotional syaapa ain’t my style. I am more halka phulka…at least in my thoughts. And yes, I am a major foodie too. And on that note, I am yearning for corn bhajiyas now 🙂

      I was a lucky child to have a wonderful childhood. The colony remains, but the buildings have given way to redevelopment. Nothing is the same anymore. How I wish I could go back in time.

      1. Rainbow Hues avatar

        Hey, the corn bhajiyas…I want them toooooo 🙁

        And ya, for that matter, I had a very happy childhood myself and that’s possibly the reason, I never let go of those memories… 🙂

        1. blogwatig avatar

          I can only imagine.

          Chalo ek aur tripplan karte hain!

  4. Alka avatar

    Nostalgia tinged with subtle fragrances, woven beautifully. Takes the reader along on a dream ride, back in time.

    1. blogwatig avatar

      I am glad it did Alka. I had quite a nostalgic time writing it too. Thanks for reading.

  5. rajrupa12 avatar

    This was such a lovely tribute to the wonderful nostalgia of the precious childhood! It must have been fascinating to grow up in such a cosmopolitan neighborhood!

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Oh yes, Rajrupa, I think I had a fab time growing up. It was a wholesome childhood and I am glad I had this neighbourhood to grow up in. I’d do it all over again, if I ever had the chance.

  6. janu avatar
    janu

    I always love to hear your bacchpan ke stories…it is the way you narrate them. I always end up raking my brain to come up with memories like these but, I get lost. 🙂

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Janu, I think I have such a treasure trove of them that I never tire of telling them again and again. I guess I am plain lucky 🙂

  7. Ritu Lalit avatar

    You brought back memories … Mogra flowers and wild desi rose creepers spell home to me, and I plant them wherever I go and live. Kerosene stoves … its been so long since I smelt that! Such a nostalgic post

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Oh those darn kerosene stoves………….happy to let go of them. 😀 Yeah, this was nostalgia big time for me too!

  8. Ruch avatar

    I could smell the flowers and the bay leaf simmering over the stove… beautifully written. You made me all nostalgic !

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Thank you Ruchira, there can be no greater compliment to a writer than this, that she has managed to evoke the same emotions in her readers. Thank you 🙂

  9. Purba avatar

    What an evocative post. You never cease to impress, Vinita.

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww aap aaye, bahar aayi. So happy to see you here 😀

  10. Shail avatar

    Ayyo! So sad it had all been a dream. But made excellent reading 🙂

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Ah, Shail……..it now feels like a dream, far, far away. But I am glad I could take you there.

  11. Rickie avatar

    How nicely you managed to package all those lovely smells of your childhood into a dreamy post!
    What will you win as First Prize this time?

    1. blogwatig avatar

      You just love me too much, don’t you? Ab itna bhi over confidence accha nahin! The contest Gods will get angry. I am lucky that you choose to stay away from all this moh maya, hence I have a chance 🙂

  12. Rachna avatar

    Ah nostalgia, smells infused with memories. I have loved reading the posts in this contest. Aren’t we all little kids once again going back to our childhood through our noses! Beautifully penned!

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! Your comment got posted at first instance 🙂

      Oh yes, I have had a fun time writing for this one too. Had a tough time keeping it short. And I guess childhood is where we want to all run back to eventually. It was such <3

  13. sangeetha menon avatar

    Yes ..Its so true that the bay leaf added to the biriyani , works wonders ..and that too so fresh ..relived all such beautiful memories ..:)

    Smoke from kerosene stove smell…mmmm…cant stand it though

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Thanks Sangeetha. I am glad I took you down memory lane 🙂

  14. Roshni avatar

    Lovely description of a typical neighbourhood, Vinita! Yes, it’s been a treat reading the posts for this contest!

    1. blogwatig avatar

      Oh yes, it truly has been wonderful writing for this one too! I Went scourging for this pic and how 😀

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