My Baba was a grade B government officer and a very principled one at that. He used to love his work, so much that Aai had to fight with him to make him apply for a Diwali leave. On every 15th August, he used to wake up at 5 am in the morning, have a bath, wear his neatly pressed khaki uniform and go to his office for flag hoisting. I still feel he used to look the best that day!
I used to wake up with groggy eyes and messy hair just about the same time that day, look at him and Aai rushing early in the morning. Aai used try her best not to loose her patience over dressing me up on time so that I don't miss my school bus at 6 am Well yes, mine was a very patriotic, disciplined family of 3 people who woke up at 5 AM. The Independence day ceremony at my school has been pretty much like every school, march past followed by national anthem, a speech, some performances and standard snacks of frooti and potato chips and a slice of chocolate cake. I am back by 10 AM by school bus, excited and running towards my home not because its a half day, but because there is a box of sweets kept on the table just for me. Baba used to get that every year in his office and he would bring it home without eating a single sweet , saving it up for me. We were doing pretty well for ourselves, enough that he could buy much better sweets for me whenever I asked for. But that box was not sweets, it was a ritual, it was his way of showing love to his little girl and it continued till the time he retired.
For me , that is one of my favorite childhood memories, one of my happiest moments as a kid. I guess thats why it was the sweetest box of sweets, because isn't happiness all about these little things we do for each other?
So, what's your box of sweets?
