WEEKEND-COUSINS AND NOSTALGIA

Isn't it quite surprising that the tears of yesteryears bring about laughs while on the contrary those laughters bring about tears today?I felt the same this weekend.My uncle called me up on saturday saying granny and a cousin had come down to their place and told me to come there.I spent the noon watching a movie ,chatting with a couple of friends and then left for their place in the evening.

I was meeting a couple of cousins-one after a few months and the other after a few years.They were F-20 and F-18 respectively.{Of course if it were M i would not have mentioned}.After spending some time with my granny one of them called me and thus started a long chat session.Initially i did the usual leg pulling but after a few minutes i was no match 2 their wits.2 females completely outmatched a male and on many occasions i was left speechless and also fuming.Probably "Revenge of the sis"!They also managed to convince me 2 take them to "Mangal Pandey" and/or lunch the next day .Frankly i feel girls have mastered that art{no offense intended plz}.Then we recalled our childhood days . I have a great bunch of cousins ,both paternal and maternal, and in summer it was only destination Kumbakonam{Thanjavur district,TN} for all of us from the maternal side.It is a huge,ancestral,century old building with wooden balconies and a green courtyard which houses many trees.We continued the discussion till about 9,gorged on granny's goodies and resumed our session which went on till abt 2 am!

The next morning granny treated us to a sumptuous breakfast.After a futile visit to the theatre i was in no mood to dine out and we returned back.We resumed our "bheegi bheegi yaadein" - Kumbakonam. We also had great neighbours there and they being of our age added to our joys.For boys it used to be 24*7 cricket while the girls used to sit indoors playing carroms or watching TV. Lunch/dinner was the meeting time and it used 2 b chaotic and commotion all around,with the boys teasing the girls and getting blows from the elders.We had a jumbo sized wooden swing and boys and girls used to fight for it daily and invariably someone had to intervene to solve the dispute!Each of us had a tale to tell and it was sheer ecstasy when we recalled those moments.We recalled our visit to Kodaikanal{1995} and a visit 2 the theatre to watch 'jeans' {1998}.We also talked about each others' school crushes,college life etc.It was evening by then and one of them suggested calling up a few cousins.We revived some of those memories when we called our cousins in Banagalore{2 sooper kewl guys},Thanjavur{3 robust naughty guys},Surat{2 sweety sisters} etc.We decided to meet atleast once evry year and this time most of them have confirmed their participation in december at Kumbaks.Granny left on Sunday night and one of my cousins also had 2 leave.The other cousin had some meeting in college the next morning and so i returned 2 my room on Monday at 11 am.

It was an amazing weekend for me with great memories which i will cherish throughout my life.They called me up and wished me all the best and i too followed suit.I am now lying in a pensive mood in my cot.Wordsworth{in Daffodils} came to my mind- "those memories change my solitude to bliss".My eyes are already moist now and i do not wish to wet my cheeks with tears{it has not happened for the past 5-6 years} so i will be putting a full stop now.I have only one crib-I should have taken my sweety sisters out to lunch.
KOI LAUTAA DE MERE BEETHE HUE DIN.....