Journey From Home to Home
Our midterm exams were over and we were eagerly looking forward to our holidays. We were going to our native place, Karwar!! Woo-hoo!! Karwar is situated on the coastal side of Uttar Karnataka and shares a border with Karnataka and Goa.
My parents were busy cleaning, packing and doing some last-minute shopping. I like to visit my native place—sand, sea, beaches, trees, flowers and my cutie pie Mr Meow, that’s my cat. I like to watch sunsets, sailing ships, endless sky and the horizon. Sometimes we get treats like gobi manchurian, pav bhaji and kulfi. My brother always wonders, ‘How does the sun hide inside the sea? What will happen to the fish?’ We collect shells or throw little rocks in the sea, we swim and sometimes we make sandcastles and tunnels. We were counting days and planning for our activities. And finally, the day came!
We started early in the morning, as we decided to stay at Davangere to explore some places there. Davangere is famous for benne dosa and it is also known for its cotton mills. We visited the ancient Harihareshwar Temple and the glasshouse and tasted benne dosa. My mother did some shopping there. The next morning, we left for Karwar.
It takes five hours to reach Karwar. I love road trips because our little ladybug (our red car) goes through lush green mountains and farms full of flowers, sugarcane and corn. Sometimes we could see smiling sunflowers and running sheep or get a chance to see naughty monkeys and bathing cattle. As we were nearing the festivities, the farms were blooming with marigolds. Such a peaceful delight!
After a few hours of riding, we were climbing the mountain and within no hours, we were welcomed by the morning mist. It was drizzling in the mountains; the road was narrow and steep on the other side. It was chillingly cold. Misty mountains are mesmerising and sometimes thrilling. By that time, my mother was assisting my father in driving on a foggy road. My brother fell asleep. We woke up when we were just about to reach our destination, our home sweet home!
My grandparents were waiting for us. We took a grand tour of our home and backyard. To our surprise, a hen was sitting on eggs. It normally takes 20 to 22 days for the eggs to hatch. During those many days, the mother hen will keep sitting on the eggs to protect them and keep them warm. The house was neat and clean, but my eyes were looking for Mister Meow; he was not there. After a few hours of searching, we found him, hidden under the bed. Maybe he got scared by seeing new members in his territory, poor kitty. My grandfather brought him home when he was just a two-month-old kitten; now he has grown into a handsome cat.
We had arrived in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights! And you can enjoy it with family only, so every year we come to our native place to celebrate it. My grandfather was super excited. We helped him make a sky lantern. My mother and grandma made chakli, karanji, shakkarpare, shev and my favourite, besan laddu. We put decorative lights, lit diyas, my mother made beautiful rangolis and we burst firecrackers. We visited our relatives; it was all fun-filled.
We did the Lakshmi Puja to seek the blessings of Devi Lakshmi. We also did Uddok Puja, worshipping our well to show our gratitude for providing us with water. Our Indian festivals are full of joy, happiness, rituals, family gatherings and yummy Diwali treats.
As the days were passing, Mister Meow became comfortable with us. He used to sit beside us or would ask for fish or milk when he got hungry. By the time the eggs also got hatched, we got a chance to play with three tiny chickens. Most of the planned things were done; now it was time to return. With a refreshed mind and beautiful memories, we started our journey back to Bengaluru, our home.
