I had just finished gobbling an entire plate of rajma and rice followed by a cup of mouthwatering aamras (mango pulp). The dessert was working like a lullaby for my taste buds and was making me sleepy! I had only taken a few power yawns when I heard my neighboring kids training for the Olympics in synchronized screaming. I could not help but scramble to protect my dreams from the noisy invaders. I asked them if they did not have school or if they were skipping today. All of them echoed that summer vacations have begun. I was immediately hit by a wave of nostalgia which made me realize how much I had drifted away from what the summer meant. As the memories flooded back in, I felt like I was on a lazy river ride down nostalgia lane. It was pleasantly surprising to recognize the shapeshift in technology, sources of entertainment, and priorities.
A few of my earliest memories of ‘Garmi ki Chuttiyan’ (Summer holidays) were in my maternal grandparents’ house where the extended family would meet for some quality time. The family villa was huge, well-ventilated, and had hints of Maharashtrian Wada architecture. There was never a dull moment in that chirpy house. The highlight for the entire cousinhood was a room full of mangoes and freshly prepared pickles. Another room was entirely dedicated to all sorts of board games. We used to have a problem of plenty and often struggled to decide between a round of ludo and hide and seek. Days would start and end with cricket tournaments featuring a team of all the aunts led by my grandma. The uncles were like our personal radio jockeys, who entertained us with their hilarious commentary. I hardly recalled any technological intrusions apart from the occasional movie nights.
Even after returning, that period would be dedicated to trying a new hobby since trying new things is an unspoken requirement in my family. I remember having a memorable experience of geocaching at Golconda which is like a real-world outdoor treasure-hunting game where players use a GPS-enabled device or a mobile phone to navigate to specific coordinates and search for hidden containers called geocaches.
These activities were almost like a ritual for me during May and June until I entered senior secondary and was introduced to the dreaded IIT-JEE examination. Thinking about these months used to give me anxiety about how JEE was a rite of passage, where you sacrificed your mental peace to the gods of math and science, and hoped you were lucky enough to clear it. The gravity of the situation really robbed me of my carefree summer days.
The engineering years also have not made things any different. The summer vacation has become an endless cycle of internships, workshops, and projects. I have realized that in a world of AI, and tech-Splosion I have forgotten to pause and observe how everything has changed. I believe from watching cartoons on bulky TV sets to binging on Netflix, from playing outdoors to just daydreaming about playing while working in front of a desk and from cooking with my Nani to ordering food from Nani ki Rasoi restaurant, I have come a long way.
In many ways, the summer season is set to become just another period of the year without the same sense of freedom and possibility that I felt as a child. But despite these changes, I am determined to find ways to prioritize unwinding and make time for the simple pleasures that make my life enjoyable! I dream that one day, I’ll be able to sip a Pina colada on a tropical beach while answering work emails, all in the name of a productive summer vacation!
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