RETURN TO KASHMIR

New year's eve is the most memorable thing in my life. First six months I was busy with work. It's a normal daily routine. Now children, come daily to me for bedtime stories, I nearly finished all my childhood stories, which I heard from elders.

Six months passed like a wave, after a long wait, the visa and other things got approved and we have to clear all the formalities. After completion of some formalities. My children have schools, and after completing school, we decided to return by January 2018. I still have some formalities of citizenship, and schools yet to complete.

All these things to be completed in four months, because it is very difficult to go out, during winter. Another thing is I have to sell all the properties and should open an account in an Indian bank so that my investments will be intact.

My wife's contract period is also finished. She is now doing the job of a housewife. My days were gone, playing with children, and collecting stories for their bedtime. The work is not much busy. I started collecting information on other formalities, and within two months I completed everything.

I put the sale of my apartment on web pages and advertisement agencies. People were coming but, I don't get a good amount. I waited till the end of the year, but no response. I send my family, ten months before January 2018, and the winter vacation is about to start.

I waited till my pending work was complete. I also recruited a replacement in my place, also trained him for one month. After resigning from the job, in a week, I got a good amount on the property. I shifted some of the important furniture, by the end of December. The key is given in the New year.

Currently, I don't have a bank account in India, So I shifted those amounts to my mother's account, which is open for school, even Anamika's saving is also shifted. I relaxed, now I only have to hand over the key. Rest all formalities are completed.

In the loneliness of my apartments, as the new year approached, I went out for a walk, I remember the days when I was alone in the streets, before my marriage, and when I was a bachelor day. I sometimes go out for lunch with my colleagues, those days are memorable, and there are some forgotten memories, but those limited days are the most unforgetful moments in my life.

Within a month I will bid farewell to the long life of an NRI end, New year rallies, and the celebrations going on in all hotels, I had my dinner and made the call to my family and friends. The only good friend who existed is Ramesh, I called him and told him about his return to my homeland. His voice is a bit sad and worried, but he saw that I am happy.

Ramesh said that he wants me to give a good farewell, by inviting me to dinner, before living. I accepted the invitation. They called me on Sunday. I went on that day. They decorated the house well. The house is well-organized and beautiful. Rishitha prepared the grand dinner, and North Indian dishes spread on the table.

After a long time, I am having homely food. After dinner, we went out to enjoy our New year. I left both of them and went to another side of the celebrations, I missed my family a lot. This is their first new year, so I felt something to gift them because they helped me a lot during my chaotic situation.

I bought watches for them for their help, and also gifted them a bouquet as my farewell gift with a card. After bidding farewell to them I return to my home and went to my memories and days when I was young.

I have two sisters and younger brothers, and our fights and the playful things which we have done all came to me like they all happened yesterday. They all grew up and settled themselves with their family. My brother is working in a college as a professor now. But memories are always unforgetful.

The Picturesque and enchanting, Kashmir is cradled high in the lofty green Himalayas and hailed all over the world for its incredible natural beauty. Surrounded by mountain peaks, lush green valleys, glistening lakes, temples, and spectacular Mughal-era gardens, it has inspired poets through the centuries.

Kashmir is crisscrossed by chinar tree-lined roads and quaint wooden bridges; and is home to bustling bazaars, Sufi shrines, and forts. Add to this, the charms of flavors full of Kashmiri cuisine and apples and walnuts from the lush orchards surrounding it.

I still remember the winter days of my Kashmir it wearing a white blanket of snow, mesmerizing the bones of every individual. During summer when the snow melts, Kashmir looks like a fairy wearing a gown of a red, green, and yellow robe, protecting the crown of India.

Kashmir was born through the ashes of fighting, many people try to break her crown but, she still stands for justice and truthfulness, by protecting the world as a mother of every citizen in India. The flowers in the meadows bloom, it resembles an artist's canvas.

As I was thinking of all this, the new year sky filled with crackers, it's a new year and sleep came to my eyes greeting me to the new year and I also will start a new life, by returning to my hometown.

The morning sun is adoring and spread the sky with its orange colors, I woke up and had a coffee, today the day is so beautiful, and it is nice Friday morning because I am feeling the waves of happiness and grace because on Sunday I was finally returning to my hometown.

I will be the happiest person in this world. These days are the last days of my NRI life. I had a walk, through the meadows and beaches near our apartment, the morning chaos is going on busy streets, some are rushing for their job, and some are taking a walk with their pets.

The person who is buying my house is coming at 10 am. He is a genuine person, he already credited the amount yesterday, to my bank. I enquired and received a message from the bank. It was already 8.00 am, and I went to the house and ordered breakfast.

I had breakfast done some pending work, which the new person is doubtful about, I clear all the issues and after some time the doorbell ranged and the person who purchased my house came in. We had a little chat and finally handed over the key to him.

He is shifting on Monday because he has some documents to be cleared. I cleared all the documents; it is a weekend so the government organizations are closed. So, I got two more last days in my house. All the formalities are cleared and I am in relief now.

After two days I boarded the plane to go to my hometown and that was the most important thing in my life. I already informed my family about my return. During my trip, I was thinking about my future, and what should I do, may I continue my IT profession, according to my experience I will get an excellent job in India.

But is it the only thing I have to do or do any business so that I can earn by myself? Working under someone is very tiresome, where so much indifference happens, and so many political things happen in the IT sector. I was confused, by all these things. Due to overthinking I felt very tired and slept early.

The announcement of the reaching of India made me woke from my sleep. This time Uncle bought my children with me. I am expecting that because I am missing them a lot. They hugged me, and we hired a taxi on the way I felt the place has changed a lot.

After the change of government, there is a lot of changes happened all over India including Kashmir. After the introduction of Modi, the government country changed a lot. The introduction of the new cash system also has done many things for the development of small-scale industries and increased the importance of the traditional culture.

He introduces the single tax system, which helped the business community a boost, due to that the craft and small-scale industries, came to Kashmir and they launched a traditional art of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and the other handwork of many states also came in Kashmir which led to the development of so many industries all over India.

We reached our home, rest of the way I was playing with my children and fed up with their questions of knowledge which they gathered by staying for ten months staying with my parents. During these ten months, due to their uncontrollable fights, Anamika send them to my mom's school, so that until school admission, started they understand the teaching method and adapt themselves to the new environment of India. This adoption made them more knowledgeable persons than me. Well, I was happy that by staying by the side of my grandparents, they started learning new things, which made them more grown up.

We reached our home. I went to my room first just want to see her, because I was missing her a lot, but she was not found anywhere. I freshen up, and as expected, she bought me the masala tea, because, during the winter Kashmir is filled with snow, and severe cold will affect the immune system.

In Kashmir people drink hot herbal tea, mixed with traditional herbs of Ayurveda, this tea, increases your immunity power and protect your body from a viral infection, it does not taste good but during this chilly winter if your body doesn't resist the cold then it will be a problem.

When she bought me the tea, and dank a sip, I felt more sugar, she told me that I don't like the taste of tea, so I put in some extra sugar, she stayed beside me until I complete the tea, and she told all the things which she already planned these ten months, I just listened to them completely until she finished.

My main thinking at that time was just to see her talk, and she is more energetic than she was in a foreign, also due to Indian cosmetics or mom's beauty herbs, she looks more beautiful than she was in foreign countries. I give her the cup and I directly went to my dad.

When I saw him my eyes filled with tears, by seeing him more energetic than last time, he is very happy, maybe because of my family, he is walking as fast as he was before the attack, but suddenly his muscles numb and he stopped, I hurriedly ran to him and hold him and put him on his bed also told to call the doctor.

He pointed towards the medicine and water kept on the table, I have given him the medicine, and when he felt better, I have given him the pillow support and he felt relieved and opened his eyes and saw me he wanted to talk to me but I stopped him to say anything.

I spoke, "Dad, your body is weak you cannot walk like how you are in the Olden days. You should not be over-excited. At that time our family doctor arrived, he checked him and told him that due to a slight increase in blood pressure he become stuck, maybe he was over-excited about knowing about your arrival.

I added one more medicine to give it when things like this happened. I made him sleep and went out to buy the medicine. It's going to be evening and the surrounding beauty of Kasmir is like Snow blowing down the Royal Gorge in a horizontal blur. Snow mountain looks like a bride wearing a white gown and making her lover the sky to sleep on her lap, the snow-streaked rock indistinguishable from any other rock, watching his parents in the peak of the love and making him happy. I went and bought him the medicine.