Ah so I stopped blogging for a while after my Mumbai halt!! And why not! It was such a pleasant halt. The actual days went by in such a dizzy that I let my posting linger a tad longer in Mumbai.
Time to move on now.. and It's Pune around the bend, just over the hills and not so far away. Pune is special and will always be. I conceived and gave birth in that city, I joined Talwalkars(a gym) and got back to shape in that city, I got my driver's license in that city, I moved to my first home in that city... well and then moved on from there to newer horizons, newer houses, leaving behind the city I love the most. The best part of the deal is that I still retain my home in Pune, and every year a week in Pune refreshes me unlike anything else. The colours that I chose with joy, the fittings from the lamps to the bathroom tiles, the collage of my children - being born, taking their first steps, their toys.. they take me back to my youth, to my initial dreamy days, to the unspoilt energy and vigour that only a young mom can have. The home and the city fill up my senses!!
This time along with us, from Mumbai, came a young girl. We have known her since she was 12years of age. now she is doing her Masters in Mumbai and working as well. Time flies, certainly, but thank goodness, relationships don't! When you see a kid with a lot of spunk graduate to a mature adult with practical views, and a go-getter attitude, you feel great that you kept in touch, that you saw her grow, that you were somehow connected to that growth. Every time I see Meetu, I feel all of these and more. This time like many times before, she came along for the weekend to Pune with us. We celebrated her job, her goals, her life and we cheered on as she took her very first sip of wine.Late mornings, breezy afternoons, misty evenings, friends, gourmet cuisine and great wine, this summarizes the week long trip to the hilly city for me, and so does shrewsbury biscuits of kayani bakery, Pasteur on MG Road at midnight, ABC Farms in the late evenings Crosswords any time of the day and the Dagdu Seth Ganapati aarti.
Like always the 7 days waltzed past, and it was soon time to start for Calcutta. The windows were closed, the doors locked, the kids said bye to their rooms, my hands caressed the walls for another time, till I touch them again next year. life moves on and so does a traveler..but there are just a few moments and a few places that have the power to tug at you, to make you stop, to make you want to be part of a time that is now so out of reach.
40 comments:
I read it first!:-) the password i got for word verification to post this comment is, 'gunstick'. Ain't that something now!
It's amazing how we get attached to places. In your case, Pune definitely holds the memories of some of the most important events of your life. Loved the read, great pictures :)
Have a great stay here and must say the pic are very nice.
kaafi dino baad aapke blog par aaya aur ek sukhad ehsaas lekar ja raha hun
@Bluebird 'gunstick' thats quite something!! hahhaha let me laugh first. SO how have you been Doctor and whats new in the new city? Meet a girl..fall in love..
@destiny's child thanks dear. SOme places make all the difference.
@BKC thank you Sir. I was in Pune for 7 days in dec. Am back to Muscat now.
@Anil thanks a lot dear.
Certain places do have a strong nostalgia attached to it. It's the memory and the time we spent in the particular place that keeps the nostalgia factor running really high.
baapre emotional last para..buddy.u did have a gr8 time..nice..
You got to travel so much in your short visit. Like you, I have fond memories of Pune. We were there for a year and a half before shifting base to USA.
I adored crossword and Landmark there. So now the next post will be on Kolkata - the city of sweets???
The photographs are awesome.
Seems like a good holiday was had by all! You described emotions sos faultlessly , i could almost feel them with you.
The kids and meetu look great!
Pune is something Mumbai has But Kolkata doesn't...... well among thousands of other thing. I hope to visit Pune once .. particularly having so many good friends there.
So you are a true Indian .. having roots rather than branches in so many corners!
When were you here? Where did you stay in Mumbai?
Nice photos, Sujata! You made me miss Pune!
Pune. Reading lately quite a bit about this nice city. Have to get there soon. Nice pics as always. One look at kids and you know time was moving fast.:)
I now feel a city appeals to us because of the people we meet there. We come to love a city or hate it because of our experiences with the people living there.
This is the reason why I love Delhi although the world disagrees with my point of view,and why I hate Pune, though you and countless others love the city so much.
This is one city in India I can never love...
@Akshay so true, thanks
@Ramesh hahah emotional atyachaar!!
@Sakshi wow..where were you staying in Pune?? yeah the next post should be on calcutta, hopefully.
@Gymnast thanks, yeah it was a lovely break.
@SumanDebray I think Pune is much more laid back than Mumbai, the city naps in the afternoon and shops are closed, the roads are full of scootys, the people love to talk, its actually quite a mix of mumbai and cal, plus the weather itsall its own, lovely lovely weather. Please do visit, you will enjoy it.
@Nikita I was in Mumbai early december and stayed in the hiranandani gardens.
@Nona thanks
@The holy lama do visit the city its a pleasure. Yeah the kids just keep growing
@Aparna I know...forget the trash!the sucking part is that trash lived in the best part of the city..
I live in Delhi and after reading your post my desire to visit Pune has become more strong:)
Woow........I too feel something soft for Pune now.......:)
couple of years in Pune... but i dont think i love that city as much as i do mumbai or allahabad...
so you are still on the roll down here... great..
wow, you had good time. Sad i am going next week, only for a week, Instead of March. Pune i heard is a Great place for short holidays. Loved reading this. TC:)
nice pics..
I have never been to Pune,but have heard many great things about it,would love to visit one day.May be the next time you are there(kiddin )!Because it holds a very special place in your heart as many fond memories are attached to it-this post feels very special.Meetu looks very bubbly... how happy your kids are in her company.One question though...do you have a caretaker for the house?
Nice read Sujata. :)
I haven't been to Mumbai yet, but hope to soon.
@Anamika sureka thanks for dropping by. Please visit Pune, it will be worth the trip.
@Bhavya thanks and how have you been. Its been a while since I visited your page, will do so soon now.
@deeps thanks. allahabad? are you from there, for me allahabad is Indira gandhi and guavas with red insides!!
@ZB next week is good but just a week is bad!! why not more time leave problems? anyways enjoy the most of whats available. Getting the family home this time?
@JD thanks
@Kavita you are welcome Kavita and I mean it. you must come and stay with us. WE did up the interior of the house a bit this time, as its over 6 years now and was showing signs of disrepair being closed and all. So now its all clean and lovely and the next door neighbours have duplicate keys and their maid cleans up the entire place once a week, so that maintains it.
@Indrani wow my traveler, you surprised me with this. Please visit Pune it would love to get shot by you!!
Beautiful post full of sweet memories. The shot of Pune - Bombay express highway is fantastic.
hey su...thanks yar thanks yar thanks yar...:)
hey su...thanks yar thanks yar thanks yar...:)
great pictures as always. ahhhh!!!!!!!!! the shrewsberry biscuits, the 3 times i've been to Pune, never forgot to stop by for them.
All the pictures are very beautiful. Very well written about the place. Excellent.
Pune was one of the last cities to fall on the face of 'development''s onslaught. I was in Pune for some time 32 years ago and still has vivid memories of that beautiful city.
We were in Karve Nagar. Btw what's that thing in the basket with the name Shrewsbury??? Shrewsbury is a city here in Massachusetts :)
sorry I have never been to Pune
An excellent tribute to Pune!
Lovely. Just fun post. Written by just allowing free flow of adrenalin. I loved the post and the pics. Wow Shrewsberry.
you know what. your post just made me too nostalgic.I did my mba from pune and those years were some of my best days of life. I got some wonderful friends some wonderful memories and loads of love in that city.Shrewsberry biscuits..I so much want to have them now:-)thanks for writing this post. hope someday I also go back there and spend some time. have you been to marzorin in mg road. I liked that place too.
u dont watch tv at all? how lucky??? as i said u dont miss much...except maybe some news on bbc etc..but news is all over these days.on yr computers, mobile, gossip et al..cheers friend..btw, tell yr hubby oman to dubai is not a far distance..your starbucks coffee promise is still pending..hehe
arree..lazy journalist..where is the next post?
hi sujata
this post has a lovely feel-good thing to it. :)
beautiful pics.
it always feels wonderful to reminisce about the place you gained so much out of. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your city :)
Thanks:)
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