Visit to Lucknow - the flip side :(

While I was returning alone from Lucknow last week, I had a feeling of mixed emotions. As anyone would expect, some part of my heart was jumping & yelling with excitement: "freedom...." & every time some part of my brain was modifying that yell to "freedom.... is temporary".

However, I had no idea that both these feelings were about to be washed away with nostalgia pretty soon. When I unlocked the door & stepped into my home; something hit my foot. I saw that it was one of Piku's toy; a duckling fixed atop a slightly heavy ball. You might have seen toys that have something filled at the bottom so that they're always in standing position, despite all punches & kicks. So as soon as I stepped in & hit it, it started revolving around my foot. I felt a jab in my heart because sometime back (i.e. before Piku learned to walk), Piku used to do this whenever I returned from office. He used to move around my feet, uttering words in his own language. I felt a lump in my throat as I visualized my kid cajoling me to pick him up. Nostalgia hit me & it hit very hard.

Since we had left in a hurry while going to Lucknow, so the place was still flooded with things that constantly reminded me that I've to stay alone for next few weeks.

Visit to Lucknow

Last weekend we went to Lucknow; which happens to be hometown for me as well as my wife Ankita. Quite expectedly, Ankita decided to stay there for sometime; so the journey towards Lucknow had 3 members whereas the return-journey had just me.

Itinerary was supposed to be like this- Indore (via Taxi) -->Bhopal (via Train) --> Lucknow.

So, on the way to Bhopal, Piku had very limited space for movement; which made him very annoyed within 15 minutes after starting our journey. To make him feel little comfortable, we decided to remove his nappies (if you don't know, most infants enjoy being without nappies). As a result, for rest of the 3 hours, he was travelling wearing only a vest & I was travelling wearing clothes drenched due to Piku's sudden nature calls.

Hence, when we boarded the train at Bhopal railway station, we felt a sense of relief because now Piku had sufficient movement space. However, our relief didn't last more than 5 minutes, because now he had way too much space to move where he wasn't suppose to move. Since, the time was already 10 PM so our best strategy was to put him to bed as soon as possible; but, our attempts to make him sleep started resulting in disturbances in co-passengers' sleep.

Final sleeping arrangements had two sleep-deprived grown-ups crammed on a single seat & an infant occupying entire berth.

A day after office

This is typical conversation between me & Piku when I get home after office:

Me: Peeekoooooo....
Piku: Papa aa gaye!
Me: Kaisa hai mera bachchaaaaa...
Piku: Papa aaaa gggaye!
Me: Kya kar raha tha mera bachcha...

Piku: Papa aaaa gggaye!

Me: Haan beta, papa aa gaye
Piku: Mummy mummy mummy
Wifey: Haan beta
Piku: Papa aa gaye!
Wifey: Achha....
Me: Aaj isne "jyada" pareshan to nahi kiya
Wifey: Ummm.... haan.... nahi.... wahi usual...
Piku: Papa aa gaye!
Me: Chalo; main fatafat change karke aata hoon
Piku: Papa gaye!