PDA

There were some cars honking in the background. Meanwhile I hurriedly got out of the taxi to fetch a trolley and had his luggage loaded neatly. He then stretched to give me a hug and an awkward kiss on the cheek. I was touched by that gesture. Physical display of affection is not something we grow up with in this country, at least not where I come from. Two minutes later dad was inside the departure lounge and I was on my way back to campus.

During my time spent abroad I noticed how important Father's day, Mother's day etc. were for people in the west. For us, the only important days would be our birthdays and ofcourse Losoong. I always viewed such 'days' as an invention of the gift and card industry to generate more moolah for themselves. This viewpoint still stands true but what I also understand now is that not everyone is blessed with stability and warmth in the home front. Father's day for my friend Ashleigh was an important event in the calendar; a full day she got to spend with her father who otherwise lived with her step mother a little away from the city centre.

A year and a half later, I came back a little wiser. We Sikkimese are a shy bunch of people. We believe love and care can be shown through other means. Our society is such that during times of celebration or sadness we come together and help each other out. While growing up I was never showered with hugs or kisses. Every time I travelled outside, all I had to say was a 'bye' to everyone and that worked fine so when I entered college and suddenly had surprise birthday cakes and hollywood style kisses (read: barely touching the cheek) thrown at me it was all a big shock, something I took a lot of time to adjust to.

Times have changed now and so has my understanding. I now try to have honest and frank conversations with my parents and shower them with PDAs all the time. Why not? One such conversation involved convincing my mother, or rather giving her the assurance, that I would not be running away with some random guy in the future. Yes I had a lot of male friends but they were just friends. The day I decide on a guy will be the day she will come to know who he is. I have seen parents give a lot of freedom to their children and this has been misused over and again. Thankfully all three of us have handled our responsibilities pretty well I think.

So a few months down the line, dad seems to be learning a trick or two from me. That's why the awkward take care kiss and quick hug before departure. For once one doesn't need to rely on understanding and can simply enjoy the feeling of closeness to a loved one. I say you should try it to. It makes a world of difference. I promise.