At some point if you’d ask me my definition of ‘ideal’, I’d say it is the thought of having my parents, sister and Mint with me, together, in the same space! My ideal world came into existence about a month ago, when Mint moved in with me, into my parents’ home. This is, ofcourse, a temporary move. But to my delight, it meant having all my precious people under the same roof, even if it was only for a while.
Well, it wasn’t exactly easy. Mint didn’t move in alone. He moved in with 20 other cartons (some that contain his MBA books and binders), 2 big suitcases and a lot of other stuff that we really don’t know how to accommodate. The hall seems to have visible taints of brown, courtesy the number of boxes and cartons that are lying around. A part of the dining table is being used as storage for more boxes. The side tables next to the bed are barely visible because of the number of things dumped on them. A towering heap of folded clothes rests on top of the printer. In short, it is plain crazy.
But, the joy of living together makes everything worth it. I know Mint and I will be moving out sometime soon, and that knowledge makes me cherish these moments even more. Each time I realise we are all home for the day, each time we have our evening chai, each time we watch TV as a family after dinner, each time the sister, Mint and I engage in some ridiculous conversation, each time my parents pamper us, each time we go for walks, each time we have a spontaneous outing, I feel thankful. I feel thankful for all the joyous little moments I get to experience.
I must admit, it has been all joy and no work so far, because my parents run the home. The sister, Mint and I are simply treated as spoilt kids. We have no real responsibility. Mint is officially on vacation, though he does chip in now and then. The sister had exams so far, so she excluded herself. And me, well, I go to work during the day and that justifies not lifting a finger once I am back home in the evening.
Things are going to be slightly different now. My mum is off tomorrow to Dehradun. She will be traveling for 8 days. The sister’s exams just got over and she ran away to Goa. She will be gone for 8 days too. My dad was traveling on work to Bangalore. He got back today, but he will probably be traveling in this week too.
That leaves just Mint and I, to run the home for now. For me, this is the first time I will be managing work and home, both. Mint, ofcourse, is expected to take the larger part of the share, since he is at home.
Basic tasks like folding the sheets once we wake up, buying veggies, planning the menu, cooking meals, cleaning the kitchen after meals, scrubbing the counters at night, washing and folding clothes, packing my lunch box in the mornings, supervising the maids, and other chores seem alien to us now. I am sure this coming week is going to be a fun ride for us. After all, we have to start living on our own soon. I see this as a rehearsal session. Let us see how we fare.