Gujarat

 Travel memoir

Gujarat is a place that stays very close to my heart.

I fell in love with Gujarat when I was seven, during my first visit. Until then, I had only heard stories of how beautiful it was. My mother and aunt were brought up at Surat. My grandparents used to work there. They moved back to Kerala, after my grandfather's retirement. Since then, they have been wanting to revisit. The timing couldn't have been better for us to make the trip as our school had closed, both for my brother and me. It was the month of April and we were set off on a journey that, as I now know, was the best trip of my life. 

It was our first family trip. My brother and I were over the moon. Mathu kept gazing outside, feeling the wind from the moving train. We had a hard time getting him to sleep at night because he kept looking out the window. So, we resorted to telling him scary stories about wild animals that could pounce on him if he didn't stop. After enduring two long days of train travel, we reached Navsari at a relative's home where we were going to stay for the next twenty-five days. 

In contrast to Kerala, Gujarat was very clean and well-maintained. That is what I loved most about it. I wouldn't say the same now, as today its condition has gotten even worse than Kerala.

The neighborhood where I lived at Navsari had a park. As a kid, I should have wanted to play, but I preferred sitting on the benches with Leena aunty (my cousin) and my grandmother, listening to their stories and enjoying the greenery. Mathu and I used to get into fights with the neighborhood boys, blowing raspberries and calling them names. It is not something I am proud of, but it was fun. I loved Navsari for its parks and flower gardens where cute puppies used to roam around. One even chased after us, but that's another story.      

After three days, we set out to visit our friends and relatives who lived in different parts of the state. We first went to Surat, one of the major cities of Gujarat. My mother showed me the building where they lived, which was now in ruins. My mother and aunt were shocked to see how different their school looked. "Lourdes was exceptional back then", Amma said. When it came to shopping, there couldn't be a better place than Chhota Pool, also called 'the shopping street.' Various items were sold by different vendors. The street was heavily crowded, and I was bewildered to see so many people together at a single place. Amma says we had lunch from the revolving restaurant one day, but I don't remember anything about it. What I do remember is buying a pink hoodie and a pair of shorts from Chhota Pool. 

Every house in Gujarat had a swing. The food was heavenly. We would get a bowl of srikhand after every meal. What vada pav is to Mumbai, farsan is to Gujarat. Farsan is a common term for a number of items including khakhra, dokhla, thepla, fafda, idhada, muthiya, khaman and Gujarati khadi. We had a specific liking for the one-rupee water pouches and bought dozens of them throughout the trip. The people there were extremely lovely. We had not informed anyone that we were coming, and hence they were all beyond surprised to see us. I will never forget their overjoyed faces.  

Bharuch was our second destination. Tomy uncle (another relative of mine) worked at a ship yard in Bharuch. He took us to his work place and showed us how ships were made. The sole recollection I have about the shipyard was banging my head on one of the metal bars.

It was a delight staying with Tomy uncle. During nighttime, he, my brother and I would secretly eat ice cream after every one had gone to sleep. 

Amma couldn't wait longer to meet her best friend who lived in Valsad. It was where I first went to a beach. Tithal beach had black sand. Now, I don't think I have to explain the joy of being in a beach for the first time. 

Every place had something new to show, every person had something new to teach. Every time I traveled from Surat to Navsari, I would call out the names of the railway stations - Udhna, Behstan and Sachin. Even now, remembering it fills me with the same sense of pride as it did back in the day. 

I made a lot of new friends as well. Amma had taught us a little Gujarati beforehand. We knew basic greeting phrases like 'Kem cho?' and how to ask people their names, 'Taru naam shu che?' The rest of the conversation would be in Hindi and English.

Other memories that still shine brightly in my mind are going to Surat park with Kabil mama (Leena aunty's son), bouncing down an inflatable slide, watching bullock carts and sleeping under starlit ceilings. 

When it was time to go back home, I was extremely sad. I wished it had never ended. I thought how I could sit in Navsari park forever.  

On our way back, we made a stop in Bombay, to visit another relative. After spending a week there, we returned home by air. That again, was my first time on an aeroplane. But that's a story for another time. 

Although we did visit Gujarat again in 2019, it could never compare to the first time. It has become thirteen years and I still recall the feeling of the cool breeze brushing against my skin while sitting in the park. Like I said in the beginning, it was the best trip of my life. 

This post is a part of #BlogChatterA2Z 2023.

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