“I am eighty years old, and like most others my age, I have my fair share of medical ailments. Naturally, as expected, there were multiple restrictions imposed. A major one though was on food. Suddenly, after 75 years, tasty food became a guilty pleasure. I couldn’t have it as often to my heart’s content as before. The doctors asked me to cut down on everything I enjoyed previously and I had to oblige.

The thing about old age is that most wouldn’t be able to ‘chase’ happiness. Our sources are limited like our mobility, and it comes down to just the simple pleasures in life. So it all felt dull, until one day a neighbour casually came over and gave us a plate of piping hot pakoras. That turned my rather average day upside down and I was smiling throughout- not only from the aroma of the pakoras but also because the gesture felt refreshing!

Within minutes, my granddaughter and I finished the entire plate. There was an unspoken sense of joy from that indulgence. It felt like a much required ‘cheat meal’ as my granddaughter likes to call it. Since then it’s almost become a tradition. Both houses share food whenever there’s something good being prepared. And personally, I look forward to her fried ‘Pooris’. They get my mouth watering every time!

I was once told that with the handicap of old age, all we have is our thoughts. We replay and relive the past over and over again, both to stay sane and to get over the stillness of life. But I guess such small acts of kindness are what sets in the much required newness to keep us going!”

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