Retirement plans..

Part of a chat with the husband today, about our trip to Allahabad. Posting it here to ensure he remembers it years later...

A: is baar mujhe bhi allahabad accha laga
quiet city and I liked that

me: :)

A: aur khafi ghooma bhi halaki katra and civil lines hi
par maza aaya

me: hmm...

A: mera sangam dekhne ka man tha
par time hi nahi mila

me: Allahabad has an old world charm to it
i was born there

A: accha

me: and would like to spend my last days also there
when i retire
and pari is married

A: accha

me: i shall go back to alld
and live quietly
peacefully

A: shehar logon se hota hain
kaun kaun bacha hain allahabad mein woh matter karega

me: dekho.. mere parents to wahin rahenge
papa to kahin nahi jayegne alld chhod kar

A: hmmm

me: pari ki shadi alld me kar denge
aur hum bhi wahin chale jayenge

A: agar tum choose karti ho ladka
allahabad mein kya karta hoga woh
???

me: Alld university me prof ho sakta hai
ya MNR me
ya medical college me doctor
ya high court me judge

A: hmmm
chalo main chai lekar aaya


Noticed how he fled for tea so suddenly :) And our sole concern in life is who Pari marries!! After all, there are just 15 short years left before she reaches the legal age.

Looking forward to..

..nothing!! The much anticipated trip to home is at its fag end, and the situation at home is exactly what we left it at. I am scared to return to Bangalore. To be honest, it was not so much about attending the sibling's wedding, and meeting the family as getting a break. I have been struggling endlessly since Feb 6th, which was when the last maid left. So when I left Bangalore on June 6th, all I was looking forward to was getting fed without having to cook, having the baby off my head for at least a couple of hours and return with a maid. All of it materialised except for the maid. This implies that by weekend, I shall be forced to rely on my own 2 feet and 2 hands to feed 3 mouths, along with the 9-6 office. And Bangalore traffic!

This is getting just too depressing. Let me think of the good things which I could look forward to. There aren't many but we shall still make an effort.

• The heat, yes I'll get to escape the terrible weather there. It will probably be still raining in Bangalore. Also, I am longing for the humble fan in my Bangalore bedroom that I can turn off as and when I feel. I don't get along too well with the air conditioner, and wake up shivering every morning. The sad part is that I cannot even turn it off. There are 4 other people sweating in the same room, and then, I don't even know how to switch off the darn thing.
  
• The husband will be back to his normal self, transforming into spouse and father from his current VIP persona, son-in-law and son, which effectively means that he can be pulled down from the revered pedestel and treated like ordinary mortals.
  
• The baby is also behaving a tad weird. I think all the extra attention from the doting grand parents, uncles and aunts has swiftly made way to her head and she is acting unreasonably pricey. I so look forward to my well-behaved, humble child.
  
• Being away from public eye! Yes, coming from an average, plain Jane, IT professional with no possible claim to fame, it sure sounds crazy but thats it. Living in Bangalore for the last
  7 years has accustomed me to living with a maximum of 3 folks in the house, be it roommates or family, and more importantly to doing exactly what I please, exactly when I wish. No, that doesn't make me a wastrel. I still manage the household and the family along with my work, all of which is pretty demanding (some superwomen definitely do it better, but I am happy being mediocre). It is just that I like to set my own priorities, like a dirty dish can wait if I need a nap post lunch. Also, I like to wear shorts when I give Pari her bath and not some 3K raw silk suit which is not done when you have 50 guests in the house. Remember, I live in Allahabad.. I missed you, my shabby shorts!

Alright. I feel better already.. Bangalore, here I come!

I am a bad bad mommy...

Pari's school reopened today, and I completely missed it! Her teacher called up a little while back, and asked if we intend to send her back. I am one who takes pride in remembering dates and events, and it is really unsettling to think that I forgot this. The husband is just the opposite, he depends on me for all the reminding duties, and the child is too young to comprehend dates. So practically, the household runs on my memory. And if this is what it has come to be, God save us!

Actually, there are reasons. The past couple of weeks have been crazy, and I have not had time to breathe. Thankfully, it is automated, the breathing that is! The maid went off yet again, she really played it foul this time, and I am bent on making her regret it. You think it is cheap? Go ahead and make me a monster, witch or what-you-will. I am determined to teach the smarty pants a lesson this time for ditching me when I needed her the most. Sorry for the digression, but I needed to vent. And then, there was this illness which extended to over a week and left me really weak and frustrated. To top the mess, I had to prepare for my brother's wedding along with the GMAT exam scheduled last week. All this between washing utensils, cleaning, cooking and baby sitting apart from office work. I think my bird brain couldn't keep up with so much and gave away. I actually lost track of time and date. Anyways, at Pari's age, missing school is not a big loss really. And we plan to send her to school only next month. My aunt and cousins are here for a week, and I would prefer that she spends time bonding with them rather than attend the montessori. Also, we are off to a 3 week long vacation this weekend. So there isn't much sense in sending her to school for just 4 days. But to think that I forgot the reopening date is absolutely unnerving, reasons or no reasons, loss or no loss!