COMING SOON – BACHELORHOOD, PART 2

At precisely 0700 hrs on 16^th April, I will enter into a phase of life that I have earlier reluctantly experienced, and really looking forward to once again. Yes, my wife is leaving with our children for a well deserved trip to her mother’s – something that my mother used to do annually. For my wife though, a short and productive career meant that holidays were hard to come by, and whatever little we could manage to get together had to be reconciled with those of the kids and only fly-by visits were possible.

This is the first time in probably the last fifteen years that she is getting away so long from the family. The first time she did was in 1992 – and I was the reason then – she was away to deliver our first child. The second happened much nearer home – and now she is off on a sojourn almost a decade later. So, what does that mean to me?

It means a lot. My parents making my bed, mother cooking and a lot of other things. For me, it gives me a new found freedom – not having to think of the days that I turn up late after gazing at trains and locomotives, receiving friends from IRFCA, eating out and most importantly, not having to explain all my railfanning. Thinking of the stories about fellow railfans’ discomfiture with their families, I have been very lucky – though guilty, about not being able to spend as much time with my wife and family as they would like. Most importantly, that feeling of guilt will not dominate my mind for the three weekends.

I will be a real bachelor till 25^th April, when my parents will return from Hubli. Till such time, home will be in a mess – a bachelor’s pad. Food will also be in a mess – yes, one of the Indian style eating places where you get homely food. Surely, if you eat in a mess regularly, the home has to be in a mess. Wonderful word, indeed – that MESS!

During the weekends of bachelorhood, I have planned trips to Hubli, Erode and Trichy, Mangalore and Bangalore – three trips over three weekends. I am sure that Ranga will not let me down, and that KK will join us for the third trip. There sure will be many highlights of the three trips – Hubli will feature lots of WDP4 and WDG4 action, Erode and Trichy will be reverse of the trip described by Ranga here. The third will feature a night ride on the Subrahmanya – Sakleshpur ghat section on a train. The highlights will be on the web, courtesy blogs including this one, the yahoogroups mailing list of IRFCA and pictures will be on IRFCA itself.

After the last underwear of these trips has been washed and dried, it will be time to welcome my family back home. They are back on the 10^th May – and trust me, I am sure to start missing them from 19^th April itself. Just to buttress the loneliness that bachelorhood brings in its wake, particularly if you have had ‘it’ – I am going full blast at making the most of my twenty five day long bachelorhood! And, possibly, give my family a well deserved short break in the Independence Day weekend!