Part 1: A Tale of Reunited Memories

‘Home is where the heart is.’

Having lived in multiple cities throughout my life, my hometown taps into the fond memories of my childhood. It is where my roots are, and thus, my heart will always belong to my hometown— Durgapur. 

One fine morning during my stay in China (I visit my husband there), a call from my mother nudged me a little. My mother has never been a person to spoil me or my brother; instead, she believed in tough love. My phone calls with her are generally cut short by disagreements on the smallest thing, and our love is generally bittersweet. 

But that morning, it was different. She longingly asked me to come home. It had been more than a year since I last visited my hometown, and I could sense that she needed me to be with her in my home. 

My China trip was cut short, and soon, I was on a plane back to Delhi. Determined to go home, I packed my suitcase for my next trip to West Bengal in a few days. 

It was summertime, and the temperature in West Bengal was off the charts. With constant warnings from everyone about the scorching heat, I wouldn’t lie; I was a bit apprehensive about beating the heat. 

My first pit stop was the bustling city of Kolkata, where I was celebrating my mother-in-law's 70th birthday. Two days of laughter and unadulterated love were all I needed to beat the scorching heat. Well, that and the air conditioner, of course, because the heat did not disappoint! 

This time, we didn’t go out much, but in honour of the family matriarch’s birthday, a family dinner was arranged in her favourite restaurant—Hatari. There is something about the food in Kolkata, especially the Chinese cuisine. One can never have enough of that! With a long table set for us, the whole family enjoyed a sumptuous dinner over joyful chatter that filled the room and the hearts.  

Setting the stage for the next leg of my journey, the two days went by like a whirlwind of love and reunion to be cherished forever.