Wake up, it’s morning!”

The familiar call greeted Ashok to begin his day. Ashok works in a multinational software company. His days remain hectic, as he holds key responsibilities in his organization. It has been a long journey for him, from being a small-town boy to becoming one of the top bosses in his company. It has been ages since he visited the place where he grew up, Shillong, which had a bearing on his being and success.

“Wake up, it’s morning!”

The place where Ashok grew up occupied a special place in his heart.
Rani had a similar pull at his heartstrings. Ashok and Rani sat by the fireplace. In his beloved place reminiscing about their life journey. They have been married for close to three decades now. Their children are well-settled in life in different corners of the globe.

“Wake up, it’s morning!”

Leaving Shillong to move towards mainland India was difficult for Ashok. He loved the place of his childhood. But his wife Rani who was from the mainland was instrumental in their shifting base from the hill town. They both worked hard in their new place and provided for their family. Their grown-up children are doing well for themselves. Ashok and Rani have called it a day in their career. Enjoying their retirement days, they have booked into the prominent hotel Cherrywood in the city. One of the final wishes of Ashok’s father who passed away in the mainland was to visit and stay for a few days in their own home in this city. But alas, that was not to be. Sitting by the fireside, Ashok and Rani recalled this fervent desire of the departed soul.

“Wake up, it’s morning!”

Ashok would have loved his children to experience the beauty of Shillong in some ways that he had enjoyed during his youth. The scenic surroundings, the bustling and happening Police Bazar, the good education that the city offered, the air-conditioned environment throughout the year, the pitter-patter on the tin-roofed houses, and so many others. Things to die for.

“Wake up, it’s morning!”

Ashok has not been successful to pass on his love for his place of belonging to his children. Their ancestral home was sold off several years back, and their trips to the place have lessened over the years. Even the state of unrest has often contributed to their ambivalence of visiting when the opportunity arose.

The fireplace has dimmed considerably and is gradually on the way to getting extinguished. Ashok pointed the same to Rani and said that it needed a replenishment.

The embers should not be allowed to black out the remnants of the fire that remains.

“Wake up, it’s morning!”