Winters...

I miss winters. I miss the chilly winds that used to make my cheeks go numb when they lashed on my face as I sat peeping out of my school bus window in the wee hours of the morning. I miss the slight mist that gathered on my eyelashes, which I delicately balanced as I ran in into the house to show ma how white they had become. I miss the winter roses with the stray dew drops balancing themselves on a tiny blade of grass, gleaming in the morning sun. I miss the monkey caps, which for the better years I always managed to wear the wrong side front & which after a point I hated to wear as they spoilt my hair. I miss the quilts I slept in, which were too cold to get in first, & too warm & cozy by the time it was time to get up. I miss the feeling I used to get when my warm feet touched the cold floor in the morning when I jumped out of bed. I miss holding the glass of milk with both hands to borrow a little warmth from there onto my hands. I miss rubbing my hands together & clasping them on my cheeks, I miss holding them palms together & blowing into them to make them warm by my breath. I miss avoiding the morning shower, or at least trying my best to avoid it. I miss being on the lookout for the stray vehicle that would pop out of the fog & head my way. I miss the roadside bonfires that I saw people light to warm themselves. I miss the gajaks, & the daily dose of dry fruits ma put in in my pocket to eat during the day.

The lazy cloud on the skies afar, reminds me of the winter fog in which I used to run as a child, turning back time & again to check whether or not my home is visible. Today there is no fog, but when I turn back, home is not visible.

Maybe, it’s time I retraced my steps.