So your Facebook profile pic is a random guy?

Disclaimer: This did happen.

Mom: "You sound like you were sleeping?"

Me: "What do you expect at 7 a.m on a Sunday mom?"

Mom: "So what is it today? Tired or very tired? Those seem to be your default status."

Me: (Mentally to myself - Now I know where we get our 'cutting' sense of humor). "Ma, am old now and working full time is tiring. Plus have a kid and home to manage. Add to that am not superwoman."

Mom: "Thats fine. These are choices one makes. So I heard you have a boys photo on facebook."

Me: "What boy?"

Mom: "I have no time and energy for Facebook. But someone told me, you daughter has some boy's pic as her display photo."

Me:"Oh! thats a footballer. And really people discuss all this? I am that important? Also you know I am just short of 40 years, definitely not a teen who should be reprimanded."

Mom: "Its Facebook. You know there have been legal proceeding for just posting and liking. You watch the news am sure."

Me: "Yeah no comments on that right now. Don't sue me please, we are family. But how is this affecting anyone's life? There is just so much to worry in the world besides Facebook pics?"

Mom: "One wonders about your mental health."

Me: "Its too late now. Plus you should know FB profile pics take up a lot of energy. You need to dress, then click pics showing happiness and then window dress and dent/paint the photo. Or have something exotic to show. One of my pals was posing at Machu Picchu for her profile pic. That is a tough one to beat. I am working on an exotic pic. Don't worry." 

Mom: "Just put your own picture, some family photo, holiday pictures, trees, flowers you grew or just leave it blank. Why a random boy?"

Me: "Freedom of choice, extends to Facebook pics I hope. And it is not a random boy. Its a footballer your dear grandson likes. We feel he is under-rated we are doing our bit for him. Its like social service."

Mom: "At your age one assumed better sense would prevail."

Me: "Better sense defies age I notice and do you realize a few years and your grandson will be on Facebook with all kinds of photos? And he won't even explain."   

Mom: "Yeah, will be nice to see how you handle it. I will be out of it. Though he is a really smart and sorted kid, I think you lucked out."

Me: "Please remember, behind every sorted kid is a mom sorting him out. Anyway please inform the well wishers, our kind hearted daughter is helping that poor lad. Its completely driven by charity."

Wow! did that just happen?




   


 

On my eternal love for paneer and going home

Why do we go home? 

For the food, the love and the memories. 

For the old toys which stay safe year after year, while the rest of the world goes to pieces. 

For the childhood poems and old diaries (I found one from when I was 11, and it had my Last will and Testament !!) which are treasured.

For seeing us become our parents, “No, you can’t eat that ice cream. And bedtime is 9 no matter what.”

For seeing our parents become ‘cool’ and ‘fun’ when dealing with their grandchildren, “Lets go and eat donuts and ignore your mother.”

For food which tastes like nothing ever does.

For cupboards which still have our old clothes.

For that room which is called ‘Yours’ though you stopped living there more than a decade ago.

For the simple belief that a few hugs and a lot of paneer can cure anything in this world. Be it a broken heart, existential angst or job troubles. 

For reaffirming your faith in mankind.  

For the reassurance that no matter what you do or where you go, you have a place to come back to.