Colours of Punjab

 

What has Punjab taught me?
Life is BDSM.
What has Punjab given me?
Pleasure in Pain.
What have I experienced in Punjab so far?
Growing pains.
But when my mother quoted, "It's only after when you leave that place and look back at it several years down the line, do you realise that it was the best time of your life."
Ironically, she made me remember how I used to hate my college in Mumbai but I kind of learnt about life from there too.
"But mummyyy, all I keep learning is what is the harsh side of life...where is the good life?the college life?"
I learnt how to live independently in Punjab.
I learnt how people can be cold and indifferent workaholics in Mumbai.
I don't have a place that did good to me,like my dad got a break with Dubai.
I have not yet had my "Dubai", the place that shows me the best phase of my life.
But like my mom reiterated, your best phase is already in the place you are living.
Here's a reflection: What if it's a phase and not the place that does things to you?
Because everytime my mother tells me "I told you to do B.Ed in Mumbai"
I reply firmly with, "No, If I didn't go to Punjab I would have never taken my first step towards forward steps of my life path."
I belong to neither Mumbai nor Punjab. I am looking forward to where I am headed next.
So it's a phase in a place that's just where I happen to be in this space and time!
If it makes any sense!!
Coming back to the point, my mother definitely aversed the topic from future to the present topics.
"Don't you love to roam in campus here?"
"Yeah, I mean I think you are right. In Mumbai, I am kind of stuck in my apartment where I can only roam from one corner to another in my rectangle shaped hall whereas here I can roam the entire campus and I don't have to even travel too far. In Mumbai I would have to walk for fifteen minutes in bustling traffic and suffocating smoke just to get to a park and spend some quiet time. Here, it's much more quieter."
I further said, "But the time runs sooooo slow here"
My mom laughed and agreed, she said something I won't forget tho: "Maybe you should take advantage that you have time now. Who knows if your life is about to get fast and things will get speedy from now on? Take this time to relax and recharge."
Let me sidetrack and talk about the most benefic part of my experience in Punjab; my friends.
I made some really good friends here... although I do feel that I haven't invested in our bonds as diligently as I did for my homies in Mumbai.
It's not like I don't want to, I just didn't get a chance to.
But it's this age of professionalism, like my roomate said. We all are focused more on making a break out of our careers right now.
So me and my two roomates strive well even if there's not much water and me working towards tending it. There's not much sunlight as there is in Mumbai either. I am cold in Punjab. Less warmer than I am in Mumbai.
In short,in this place of Punjab,we are each other's family and room 327 is our home.
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Also I have never been acquainted with people having so many masks before . Heavily hiding their true selves inorder to keep up with appearances. Maybe I never really took notice of it before hitherto, but this is something I noticed alot in my phase of life here in Punjab.
Talking about the malefics, back to the conversation with my mom:
"Mummy, this dog bite has just undone the side of me that is done with all of this. Enough. I saw what I needed to see, learnt what I needed to learn. I want to see and know what's ahead."
"Priya, why do you always talk in a negative tone? You keep highlighting the negative things that happened to you here, so pessimistic you are!"
Suddenly, I am reminded of my own mask that I wear infront of most people and I reply back;
"Maa, if I am not negative with you,then whom will I be negative with? If I can't cry to you, whom can I cry to? If I can't vent on you, whom can I vent on? You and Maria are probably the only ones who know this side of me and are allowed to share this dark space with me."
"Hmm, I agree. You do need someone to lean onto. It's okay, talk to me. Let it all out beta, I am here."
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Today a stranger asked me, what do I like about Punjab?
I thought alot and had no answer.
I thought harder and almost scolded myself internally( Priya, did you like NOTHING about Punjab?!)
In some vain attempt, I blurted out "people".
But then, I specified what people exactly I liked, like the students I taught in school, the selfless and simpletons of village areas, the good natured workers I made alliances with in my hostel and a kind hearted soul I made friendship with who lives on the second floor.
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It's people. It's always people. Every place and in every phase of life, may you and I be surrounded by people such as this.
Lot's of blessings and love,
Priya.