The first few faint smells that my baby brain registered were with the light and sweet fragrance of the baby powder that my mom used to apply on my body. And thus grew the slow but steady relationship between me and the various smells the world around me had to offer. It was like a kid being presented with a giant box of magic tricks- all of it to keep for herself, her very own treasure to be safely preserved in her tuck box of memories- each one unique in its own way, more surprising than the previous one- the plethora of fragrances, aromas, perfumes and even a few not so great smells that I would like to remember.
My memories as baby revolve around the very first smells that I was subjected to- ranging from soap to oil- anything that the various baby care products my parents brought for me, had to offer. As I began to crawl around the house, so began my exploration of my home- venturing into the kitchen was an exciting adventure in itself. What attracted me to this particular room were the different colorful objects stored in bottles of many shapes and sizes, all neatly lined up on a shelf- the white salt, the red chilly powder, the yellow turmeric powder, the brown tea powder, the green gram- oh the list was endless! All these objects were mixed up somehow into creating a very tasty meal whose delicious aroma filled the whole place instantly! It was heaven for me, when I was able to recognize the strong but mouth watering aroma of the Pav-Bhaji - which became an instant favorite. This wonderland was my most important discovery- it was not only filled with objects of all shapes, sizes and colors, but also was rich in aromas of all kinds, all of them tempting, with every meal made in there.
As I grew up a bit more, it was time my grandma decided she would try and enhance my knowledge about the Almighty, and how to be a good girl and pray to God for all that he has provided us with. Thus, I was introduced to the pooja-room of my home. On entering the room, my nostrils were immediately filled with a scintillating fragrance which I was not able to place. I inquired about it and found out that it was the Incense sticks that my grandma lighted during her pooja everyday. The next milestone in my growing up and in my collection of smells was achieved when I was sent to school for the first time. It was the month of June, and my mother was getting me dressed up, when it started raining. My mom was worried about how I would be dropped to school on my dad's scooter, and went to ask him, leaving me to discover something new that day. As I stepped on the lawn, it felt refreshing and cool, more importantly, I immediately fell in love with the refreshing smell that the earth was emanating as the rain fell on it, thick and fast.
The next unique treasure that I found in my growing world of smells was that when I was introduced to the world of books. I loved opening, closing and again re-opening my brand new books again, just to get a whiff of the fresh paper. It was on another occasion when I was granted the permission to explore the garden outside my home, that I became aware of the sweet fragrance of the lily and the rose. As I was growing up, my parents took me for outings at the park and the beach. This was another new smell added to my growing collection- the one of the salty air at the beach. Another one- which I'm not exactly proud of, was of the burnt curry that I made when my mom thought she could leave me in charge of the kitchen!
Further additions to my collection came along when I decided to take science as my option in higher secondary school. The chemistry lab with all the acids and chemicals. The sour HCl acid, the disgusting smell of rotten eggs from the Hydrogen sulphide, the sweet smelling Carboxylic acids.. It felt like a collector's paradise! On the way back home with friends, I used to go by an auto, and we had to cross a bridge, and just below it was a hotel. Even if we were blindfolded, we could recognize any day, that we were travelling over the bridge. The lovely and delicious aroma of food wafted from the chimneys and was very inviting to our nostrils. Back home, the inviting smell of coffee- so completely refreshing and more than drinking it, I always end up smelling the coffee a lot! Come college, and I am reminded of the mirchi bhajji shop that my friends and used to love on a cold rainy day. You could never pass by the shop without ordering one plate atleast!
Moments come and go, but memories live with you always. I just need to go through my tuck box of the the various smells in my memory, and instantly I am transported back into the world that existed in the past. The nostalgia of all those small, sweet but significant memories come flooding up instantly, and remind me of the various milestones I have covered in my journey of life, and it ends up leaving a smile on my lips.
My memories as baby revolve around the very first smells that I was subjected to- ranging from soap to oil- anything that the various baby care products my parents brought for me, had to offer. As I began to crawl around the house, so began my exploration of my home- venturing into the kitchen was an exciting adventure in itself. What attracted me to this particular room were the different colorful objects stored in bottles of many shapes and sizes, all neatly lined up on a shelf- the white salt, the red chilly powder, the yellow turmeric powder, the brown tea powder, the green gram- oh the list was endless! All these objects were mixed up somehow into creating a very tasty meal whose delicious aroma filled the whole place instantly! It was heaven for me, when I was able to recognize the strong but mouth watering aroma of the Pav-Bhaji - which became an instant favorite. This wonderland was my most important discovery- it was not only filled with objects of all shapes, sizes and colors, but also was rich in aromas of all kinds, all of them tempting, with every meal made in there.
As I grew up a bit more, it was time my grandma decided she would try and enhance my knowledge about the Almighty, and how to be a good girl and pray to God for all that he has provided us with. Thus, I was introduced to the pooja-room of my home. On entering the room, my nostrils were immediately filled with a scintillating fragrance which I was not able to place. I inquired about it and found out that it was the Incense sticks that my grandma lighted during her pooja everyday. The next milestone in my growing up and in my collection of smells was achieved when I was sent to school for the first time. It was the month of June, and my mother was getting me dressed up, when it started raining. My mom was worried about how I would be dropped to school on my dad's scooter, and went to ask him, leaving me to discover something new that day. As I stepped on the lawn, it felt refreshing and cool, more importantly, I immediately fell in love with the refreshing smell that the earth was emanating as the rain fell on it, thick and fast.
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| Refreshing, delightful |
The next unique treasure that I found in my growing world of smells was that when I was introduced to the world of books. I loved opening, closing and again re-opening my brand new books again, just to get a whiff of the fresh paper. It was on another occasion when I was granted the permission to explore the garden outside my home, that I became aware of the sweet fragrance of the lily and the rose. As I was growing up, my parents took me for outings at the park and the beach. This was another new smell added to my growing collection- the one of the salty air at the beach. Another one- which I'm not exactly proud of, was of the burnt curry that I made when my mom thought she could leave me in charge of the kitchen!
Further additions to my collection came along when I decided to take science as my option in higher secondary school. The chemistry lab with all the acids and chemicals. The sour HCl acid, the disgusting smell of rotten eggs from the Hydrogen sulphide, the sweet smelling Carboxylic acids.. It felt like a collector's paradise! On the way back home with friends, I used to go by an auto, and we had to cross a bridge, and just below it was a hotel. Even if we were blindfolded, we could recognize any day, that we were travelling over the bridge. The lovely and delicious aroma of food wafted from the chimneys and was very inviting to our nostrils. Back home, the inviting smell of coffee- so completely refreshing and more than drinking it, I always end up smelling the coffee a lot! Come college, and I am reminded of the mirchi bhajji shop that my friends and used to love on a cold rainy day. You could never pass by the shop without ordering one plate atleast!
Moments come and go, but memories live with you always. I just need to go through my tuck box of the the various smells in my memory, and instantly I am transported back into the world that existed in the past. The nostalgia of all those small, sweet but significant memories come flooding up instantly, and remind me of the various milestones I have covered in my journey of life, and it ends up leaving a smile on my lips.
This post is written for the "Smelly To Smiley" contest on IndiBlogger. For more information, check https://www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia
