‘Me’ time….

My day starts at 5 o’clock in the morning. That’s when the alarm rings for the first time. I don’t get up but go on snooze along with my mobile’s alarm clock. By 5:20 I scramble out of the bed and start waking up everyone else. Nowadays as both Jemimah and Jewel leave home by 6:25, hubby dear gets up with me to dress them up. I am in the kitchen preparing their breakfast and packing their tiffin boxes. By 6:25, the van comes and one major hurdle is crossed.

After that I start preparing lunch, give breakfast to husband and pack the babysitting bag. I water the plants and then I start dressing up for office. I have to be out by 8:15 – 8:30 to catch my 8:58 local. Otherwise, I am late. I reach office anywhere between 10 – 10:30 and ready to leave after 4 and a half hours work. So there’s no breathing space for me from the time I get up in the morning till the time I leave office. It’s a mad rush everywhere.

But my ‘me’ time starts from the time I step out of the office and get down at Mira Road station. I always look forward to this time. It’s very precious for me and I make the most of this few spare hours in my life. After boarding a bus from Colaba till I reach Churchgate station, I like to drink into the sites I pass. In the bus, I sit near the window and keep staring at the pavement stalls all the while – at the clothes, handbags, shoes, jewellery – it’s such a wonderful feeling!

After reaching Churchgate station, I prefer a Bhayander local as it isn’t much crowded and I get a window seat. After settling myself in my favourite window seat, I devour my Classic Literature. I transport myself into a blissful world of Classics for the next 59 minutes. But my ‘me’ time is short-lived and ends the moment I get down at Mira Road station. Then again it’s a mad rush – buy vegetables and fruits, get the children from the crèche, cook, wash clothes, and teach – so I am back into the roller-coaster.

Like I said, these couple of hours is very precious to me. I get irritated if these hours go berserk and things don’t happen in my favour. So I have to be very careful of what I am reading in the train. I have to utilize my ‘me’ time well and so I cannot read anything stupid. I choose my books well for the train and as I believe that Classic Literature is growing on me, I have started pulling out my old Classics from the shelf. There are so many unread books that I am really amazed at my collection. I have just stocked them for God knows what. Now when I read these books, I can see the book marks left on the second/third pages. I remember getting bored of these slow books and switching on to something fast. How callous of me. I agree Classics are slow but like I mentioned earlier, it grows on you. And it is growing well on me now. I will be fine if I don’t buy books for the next 3-4 months as I have enough stock in the library. It’s high time I did justice to them.

Coming back to my ‘me’ time, every day I look forward to my train ride back home…..it’s my daily dose of elixir……….!!!