Aaahh…the smell of freshly cut grasses, the whiff of bamboo, teak and the earth just after the fresh rain…motherland…all the memories from childhood came rushing back as DJ stepped on the concrete Tarmac of the airport in Agartala. The air travel was comfortable. But in the anticipation, he just could not sleep in the last leg of his journey from Kolkata to Agartala. Memories from his childhood flooded his mind. He could feel the taste of hot fresh chicken chaps and egg wraps in his mouth that he would relish eating at the roadside fast food stalls in Agartala.
Just outside the cordoned off area in the luggage checkout point, he could see his father waving at him. His father had come to receive him from the airport. He rushed into his father’s arms and hugged him tightly. There were tears in his father’s eyes. The smell of his father’s aftershave lotion brought back memories even forcefully. Quickly he collected his luggage and sat in the car with his father to head towards home. He told the chauffeur to take the car via a different route where there were rice fields. The light breeze brought in the smell of the green paddy fields, wet after the rain. The sun shone on the droplets nestled on the blades of the paddy plants. There was a shimmering effect and the fields seemed like a sea of jade. The setting sun behind the clouds and the orange tinted sky was a miracle that he wanted to capture. He stepped out of the car and clicked away with his camera. He could not stop himself from stepping into the fields. Suddenly in the far field there, he saw a girl in pure white and cream salwar running through the fields and touching the droplets nestled on the paddy plants. She was jumping and enjoying the beauty as much as he was. He was mystified and could not take his eyes off even to click at his camera.
“You know Duggu; your mother is waiting for you. We should go now.” His father called out affectionately.
“Coming baba”.
But who was that girl? May be he would never know. But she seemed so happy and fairy like beautiful immersed in the beauty of nature.
“Your mother has cooked Hilsa for you today.”
“Wow...Hilsa?”
“Yes dear and there is also Boyal for tonight.”
DJ loved fish and Hilsa and Boyal were his favourite. Soon they reached home. He took his luggage and ran home.
“Ma…I am back.” He hugged his mother and there were tears in her eyes too.
“So long it has been. Freshen up and come to eat...today I have made Hilsa for you”.
He felt like a child again. Hilsa made with mustard paste with rice…was his favourite. It seemed to him that the past one year that he has been away from home, he has been eating only rubbish compared to his mother’s cooking.
“Well here I am at my home and I plan on binging”. He said to his parents who were gathered around him. They were very happy to see him after such a long time.
“Tell me whatever you want to eat and I will bring for you’’, his father said with a smile.
And then they started to talk about his accomplishments in his current job and the news about the neighbors and family members.
Soon the day ended. After dinner and saying goodnight to his parents, he went to his bed. The smell of his old teak wood bed and school time books floated in the room. But he pondered… who was the girl he saw in the paddy fields today? As he floated into the dream world, serene flute music seemed to play in his ears and there was this girl dancing in the paddy fields…
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