Whenever you meet a person for the first time, whether small talk or out of curiosity, one of the first questions put forth is – So where are you from? Needless to say, I have been posed with this question a zillion times and I have answered it a zillion times, each time improvising my answer – well, improvising or complicating– highly debatable! Until recently, my answer’s been this: Born in New Delhi, brought up in 6 cities and 4 states; Parents from a 5th state altogether and one of my grandparents hailing from a 6th state! And .. yeah, there’s more.. the roots of my surname lie in a 7th state! People have their doubts whether to think I am a Maharashtrian, a gujarati, a delhi snob (though I’ve never spent more than 2 months in that place), a south Indian (for my undying love for curd rice until recently) or a Kokanasth (that’s where my roots lie!).
Well, until recently I considered myself to be an Indian (am still an Indian, no doubt).. but the reason I called myself an Indian was for the absence of the sense of belongingness. After having lived in so many states, I had become a Jack(or Jill :P) rather than a master. Mind you, I have loved every single aspect of travelling and living all over India, getting to know so many cultures, tasting a variety of food, making friends from different dialects and languages, in a nutshell – being a cosmopolitan.
But since the time I moved to Pune, 5.something years back, I realized this is where my heart lies.. after all, I am a Maharashtrian to the core! I love the language, I love the people (some sweet, some nice, some helpful, some arrogant.. love them all!), … and I cant believe I am saying this, but I simply love tup-meeth-bhaat-batatya chi bhaaji- waran….... heaven !!
Simple living, high thinking.. that’s the first thing you will notice here. The culture, the people, the food… everything has a simplicity to it .. pure and genuine.
Given a chance, I would love to explore every single city in the world – no doubt. But ultimately, home is where the heart is .. and I know where my heart is. J
Well, until recently I considered myself to be an Indian (am still an Indian, no doubt).. but the reason I called myself an Indian was for the absence of the sense of belongingness. After having lived in so many states, I had become a Jack(or Jill :P) rather than a master. Mind you, I have loved every single aspect of travelling and living all over India, getting to know so many cultures, tasting a variety of food, making friends from different dialects and languages, in a nutshell – being a cosmopolitan.
But since the time I moved to Pune, 5.something years back, I realized this is where my heart lies.. after all, I am a Maharashtrian to the core! I love the language, I love the people (some sweet, some nice, some helpful, some arrogant.. love them all!), … and I cant believe I am saying this, but I simply love tup-meeth-bhaat-batatya chi bhaaji- waran….... heaven !!
Simple living, high thinking.. that’s the first thing you will notice here. The culture, the people, the food… everything has a simplicity to it .. pure and genuine.
Given a chance, I would love to explore every single city in the world – no doubt. But ultimately, home is where the heart is .. and I know where my heart is. J
