Life Delicacies REMEMBERING MY GRANDPARENTS

 Life Delicacies 

REMEMBERING MY GRANDPARENTS

The Lord has been great and benevolent that when I was born; had the hands of my grandparents and parents waiting for my arrival: had the privilege of enjoying love and affection of both. I remember my grandfather had nick named me as “Ach” the smaller version of “Achhar” my childhood name and while coming back from his job in Diwankhanna (Mini Secretariat of the King) he used to bring without fail for me, “Sangtare Ki Goli” (Orange Candy) still available in the market if one intends to find: those were days neither of toffees nor of chocolates as at present, ice-cream too was unknown; however, the milk ice (Burf as it was called) sold wrapped in warm cloth was a delicacy available now and then, our “Baba” used to buy for us. “Baba” was fond of “Double Roti” whole bread not sliced as at present: he used to buy for us from an early morning hawker “Goloo”.

My grandfather a man of happiness: always saw him excited whenever we visited him, was alive till I was twenty five years of age. He passed away in a most peaceful manner, he became aware of his end an hour before he died: no disease etc. he just passed away. This was beginning of the end of an era in our family. Now nobody left whom to call “Baba”.

My grandmother was a wonderful cook. Corn maize Chapattis made by her used to be very soft, yellow in colour and rich in crystalized butter (Desi Ghee) and the “Whole Moong Dal” a delicacy: which used to thick enough one could eat by placing it on the chapatti instead in the plate. She used to wait for our visit and till then she would collect pure yellow cow crystalized butter (Desi Ghee). She was a highly wrinkled face, lean but always straight in her posture. She left for her heavenly abode when I was thirty two years old. This closed the chapter of grandparents “Baba and Bebe” for all of us.

Grand parents are a delicacy of life when I see them in retrospective now I find them as and when I visit our Tirth Purohit in Haridwar in his Bahi. Now I have become a grand parent, it gives me lot of pleasure when I receive a call almost daily from my grandson who is studying at Manipal for Engineering Degree, his voice carries the resemblance with last three generations that I know. He takes lot of care of us and is affectionate enough always worried about our health and food too. O Lord give every grand parent a grand son .