I remember, I remember

....the house where I was born.

125, Sarat Bose Road...the address of perfect happiness for me. It is a three storied building on a strong foundation and lots of light and air. But, there is a magic in that yellow house in Calcutta, a magic of family bonding that is there for 82 years and handed down for four generations.

Well, when my great grandfather Sarat Chandra Ghosh built the house in 1926 he said that his decendants would live there. Little did he imagine what that house would mean to his decendants. It gave shelter to his large family as well as many people from his and his wife's ancestral villages. There was not a single day when there was not any relatives staying there at the house.

Though now, in the days of nuclear families it is not possible to have so many people under the same roof, we still maintain the old tradition of a joint family. Growing up in a house with so many people around, uncles and aunts and cousins to pamper you and care for you is a wonderful feeling (and specially if you are the youngest of the lot)!!!

My home is some place where I feel I am safe and secure. When I enter that building, it seems all my cares have been taken away and I can rest in ultimate peace and happiness. Home doesnt really mean the building, but it means the people who stay there as well. I can never imagine being lonely there or not having someone to talk to. My uncles are the people who pampered me (or spoilt me), they listened to all my requests, took me anywhere I wanted to go, encouraged me in all crazy stuff and they are my best friends. My cousins, though I never think they are my cousins and NOT my brother and sister, are the closest persons in my life. Specially my sister. Even if we are lightyears apart, we would still be as close as before. I never miss her, because I know she is always, always at the back of my mind.

My parents are surely the best in the world. They have an uncanny capacity of understanding me, though I felt that after leaving home!! My mom knows me through and through. When I refer to some book or incident, if I just say, "you remember that incident in the Agatha Christie book..." she understands both the incident I am referring to and what book I wanted to say without having to explicitly mention either of them. She is my idol. I want to be like her. She literally "knows" stuff and she reads a lot. I am so proud that I have inherited her reading habit. My Dad is my source of strength. Without him, I would not be 10% of what I am today. My career, my life, my thoughts all follow him. He is my sole motivator. He pushed me to pursue a masters in USA, and he tells me everyday and every moment to reach to my full potential.

Though I am far away from home, I always feel that I'm covered with blessings and care from my family. My ancestors are looking after me for sure. I am so proud of my home and family. They are the BEST!!!