Homecoming

"Don't tell me where to go, I know this place. It's HOME." I heard the lyrics of a song go and I wrote this piece 'HOMECOMING'



Taran rung the doorbell as he adjusted his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair. To his surprise the doorbell was working... His heart pounded faster, every second. He wasn't nervous. After all, it was his own house that he was coming to... His mother opened the door and a smile struck her face as soon as she saw him. Her only son, her boy-Taran was standing at the door. She opened her arms and embraced him in her hug. She gave a comforting pat on his back and pecked a little kiss on his forehead. "Taran, beta... how was your flight? Did you eat anything?" she asked him. "Yes mumma, I did", he answered with a smile...he knew this would be her opening question. And as he said this, he noticed that wrinkles had caught his mother's face...

He picked his bag up and walked inside. He took a stroll through the house, checking out minute details. "Mumma, where is papa?", he asked. "He has gone to the ice cream shop nearby, to fetch the ice cream that you loved as a kid." said his mother. "I'm not a kid anymore mumma... there's no need to do all this, come on!" said Taran as he stood up and went inside his old room. He stood near the door, put his bag down, pulled his phone out of his pocket and clicked a picture of the room. He posted an 'insta story' and chuckled as he put his phone back. He took a long breath and smelled 'HOME'. The fragrance of his room, his bedsheets, his old comics and scrap books blended well with the smell of tadka coming from the kitchen welcomed him heartily.

Taran came out of his room after he freshened up. He saw his father sitting on the couch...slightly bent. He could see age catching up on him. "Papa, how are you?" said Taran as he hugged his father. "Come beta, sit down." said his father in a light tone. They sat down, and talked for a while. As they were talking, Taran realized that things had changed. His parents, were getting older. Even his house...that he had lived in for about 20 years had changed over time. For once he thought that he felt this because he was coming home after 8 months. But, this thought kept nagging him constantly...of things changing so quickly. He realized, the gravity of what he had earlier said to his mother..."He, was not a kid anymore."

As the family finally sat at the dining table, having dinner together after so many months, their happiness knew no limits. Whenever Taran called his parents, he sensed a melancholy in their tone. But today he heard his parents laugh immensly after a long time, and his heart felt happier than ever. But the thought of 'change' never actually left his mind. Instead, his thoughts led him to a point where he didn't know where to address himself anymore. He had left Mumbai when he was 20 and moved to Delhi for studies. Soon after, he found a job and a place on rent. He lived there for the past 6 years. Now, coming back to Mumbai, to his house, didn't even make him feel at HOME. He managed to let those thoughts fade away for a while and sat with his parents for a little chitchat. Soon after, his parents went off to bed...

Taran looked at the clock on the wall...it was 11 already. He decided to go into his room and sit there. He went inside, locked the room, turned the lights on...and turned them off again. He went on to his study table and switched on the little lamp. He sat on the chair and ran his hand on the table. The coarse, rough wood caressed his hands. He looked up at the wall. His post it's from 12th grade were still there on the wall. He took one out and read it 'Home' it said. He smiled and took his phone to click a picture and posted it back. He stood up and opened the top cabinet. All his special drawings and essays from childhood were in there. He pulled out the dusty file and opened it, he took a glance at all his drawings and cards. But, he couldn't find his ,favourite drawing from 3rd grade. He searched for it but couldn't find it anywhere. At last he stopped and shut the door to the cabinet.

Taran turned on his mobile screen...11:45 it was. Still, he was sleepless. He opened the window to look outside and get some fresh air. He leaned down a bit and saw the garden of his society where he used to play as a kid. He smiled and shut the window. He went to his wardrobe and opened the door. It was mostly empty, apart from all the extra stuff. He opened the drawer to take a look and to his surprise even that was empty. He remembered putting all his medals and certificates from school in there when he left for Delhi. He searched for them inside the wardrobe but didn't find anything. He shut the door...he was agitated, why was everything changed. Why were the things not in their original places? Why, his HOME didn't contain those familiar vibes? All such questions ran past his mind...the answers to which he couldn't find.

He stared up at the ceiling and gave everything a thought. Somewhere between things changing, places getting out of shape and his parents getting older every day, he was lost. As a kid, he had never imagined getting lost in such silly yet heavy thoughts. He had always seen this place as a familiar one, it was his own house... but today in his own house he felt different and suddenly experienced a feeling of not at home. Past 6 years in Delhi hadn't made him feel as homesick as he felt today. For sure he had lived in different houses, different rooms for years. But, this room this place, these walls, he never expected them to change. He remembered that the doorbell to their house wasn't working...he didn't even remember the last time when it was working. And when he came home today, surprisingly it rang. His parents as well as the fixtures of his own house treated him a bit differently...they were loving but different and now the room. He didn't know how to fold into these changes and become a part of them. He was in a state of unacceptance... a state of denial.

After an hour or two of sleeplessness he just told himself that things would not remain the same always. He could find his HOME wherever he was happy, and still it would change over a period of time. All those things, places and even people that made him feel happy, that made him feel at home would change. But, that was how it was supposed to work. Wasn't this just a part of growth and evolution? He gave this a thought and finally his heart felt warm. He convinced himself to adapt to the changing things and still feel like home. He understood that homecoming was a feeling deep inside his heart. Homecoming was a state of mind no matter where one dwelled. He pulled a blanket on his head and it smelled like home. He smiled, and decided to take this back to Delhi with him...to add a piece of his home there. To make himself aware of his HOMECOMING...