Vacations are mainly to relax and get away from the rut. We travel to see and try new things and experience a different way of living. Vacationing in Bhuj was really fun and was always a sought-after break.
But waking up to the reality of spending our entire life in Bhuj, was something which we had never thought of. Leaving a land of dreams, aspirations, good quality life, opportunities and much more, had indeed brought our lives to a standstill. We, literally had no idea as to what we would do in this small, desolate and traditional town. The worst part was that we couldn't even raise our voices against such a decision as we had no say nor were we asked. A verdict had been passed and we were supposed to adhere to it.
There is a turning point in everyone's life, because every journey has it's end. The turning point, in the process of growing up is, when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt. It's all very easily talked as of now. Back then, it was a tough call to make and to sort out the vagaries of our new life.
So, while accepting the truth of the proverb - Change is the only constant , we, finally tried our best to adapt to our new surroundings - both physically and mentally.
Physically, due to several reasons. Bhuj was a barren land almost a desert, whereas we had lived in coastal area with three seasons. Bhuj had only two seasons - summer and winter. One would be reminded of the movie 'Lagaan' , during the monsoon months. Fleeting dark clouds and scanty rains but a lot of heat throughout the day. Winters are very cold which we were unaccustomed to.
Another complication for us was commuting. Autos were very difficult to get and so the only option for us was to learn a two-wheeler vehicle. Of course, as we knew cycling, a few training sessions from my cousin brother and we took to the road. A little did we like our new found independence. Exploring a new place on your own is a must to get familiarized with it.
Mentally, we had many hiccups. Language barrier was the foremost of them. We simply couldn't follow the local slang which was a strange mixture of Kutchi and Gujarati languages. Unfamiliar to us, as we were not quite fluent with Gujarati too. Speaking hindi with a heavy influence of English, made people think of us as tourists rather than residents. Eventually, that was taken care of. In Rome, be Roman - so did we.
Another hitch was the pace of life in Bhuj. We came from a vibrant and dynamic city of Mumbai to a sluggish town of Bhuj, which is the capital city of the Kutch district. It was really a blow under the belt!!!! The town woke up to start it's routine business by 10 am to 11 am. Had it been Mumbai, almost half of the working hours would be over by then. Also hardly the routine of the day in Bhuj is set, there comes the siesta time at noon from 1 pm to 4 pm. We used to wonder as to when did the people work?
Yet another snag was the social set-up. The true nature of people around us was revealed. Not that they were disagreeable but definitely not amiable. It was not a very warm, congenial atmosphere for us socially as we were thought to be intervening in their set soiree. The scenario had been a contrast to the present one than during our vacation visits. As they say one learns to read and understand people only after being pinched.
I wish to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger -
'Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.'
We, kind of, finally settled down in Bhuj, with me and my dad having good jobs and my younger sister continuing with her studies.
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