Nostalgia

Today at the workshop I am attending, someone asked me about my children. When I told her about them, She exclaimed, “You look very young”, and her reaction took me to my childhood.

Mummy always looked like our eldest sibling. Since my father had a touring job, she was our

parent cum friend . Once she had to take my brother to a doctor. She planned an outing and clubbed it with the visit to the doctor. He was an expensive and renowned doctor. Not that it was easy to afford but, “any thing for my children” she must have thought.

Brother, mom and I entered the doctor's chamber. The doctor examined and asked some questions. At one point brother addressed mother saying 'Mummy”. And the elderly doctor stood up with a jerk and blurted,

“Is he your son?”

Then with a confused look he stared at me.

Mummy took it lightly, may be she was used to of such compliments or comments.When he came to know that my eldest sister was waiting outside, he ran out and found a 13 yr old with two long plaits. I don't remember what happened afterwards.

I always thought mom must have looked really young back then. But now I realise she didn't look young, she was young. Only 32, which is considered ideal age for marriage now.

Coming back to my new friend at the workshop. She did some calculation and asked me:

“Then you must be around...” and uttered my exact age.

I thought of a quote I read somewhere:

“Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old.”