Adoption Of Pleasure

Pravin’s origin.

- Durgadas P V

For Pravin, this summer vacation away from Mumbai was eventful. For the first time he visited his father's Thravaadu home alone. He had earlier visited the place along with his parents and sister. His cousins in the village also had their vacations then. They too came to enjoy the vacation in the old house where his grandma and other families lived.

Each day, he had a new experience. He ate the mango without a knife for the first time in his life.....! Played a game with five small stones. The game of ball made of coconut leaves was very interesting. The evenings were spent with activities in connection with the 10-day festival in a temple nearby. He watched with awe the elephants eating the coconut leaves and taking long hours in the river for the ritualistic bath.

Likewise, he too was very much wanted by all his cousins. They liked to listen to him talking about Amitabh Bachchan, Tendulkar, Ganapthi festival etc. His narration about Mumbai’s local trains, high-rise buildings etc kindled a lot of interest among his cousins who have never gone beyond Palakkad. The trip to the temple to see the fireworks late in the night and the return through the harvested rice fields holding the "torch" made of dried coconut leaves did leave a sense of adventure in his mind. Next day he went for lunch in the house of Maya, his paternal cousin. After lunch, they talked a lot about their activities in the schools, movies they saw etc etc for a long time.