Love = Mom

I was 12 years old and my family and I were on our trip to chilly Jammu to visit a temple up very high in the mountains. 

I was afraid of the climb: the almost 10 kilometre hike up the mountain. So my parents put me on a horse to ascend to the very top. On the way up a particularly steep horse path, I happened to look back to see very dense darkness of a pine forest.

It was beautiful, no doubt, but considering it was 12 noon and the rest of the landscape was sunny and bright, that one glance down was quite breathtaking in a thrilling way. 

Almost instantly after I saw this dark forest foliage, the horse bent down low; a misstep that could have very easily cost me my life. 

My heart started beating 10,000 beats per minute and I simply couldn't calm down. I couldn't say anything either as I was all on my own and I had to brave. I was a young girl alone in the mountains and I didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to myself.

In another 15 minutes or so we reached the very top. It was bustling. It was so crowded and I felt so alone. All I wanted was my mom. 

I started walking towards the canteen and to my utter surprise, I saw my mom walking towards me. And my mom was having almost exactly the same expression I wore of being lost and in despair. 

We finally reunited in an embrace I can never forget. It is one of the most amazing moments of my childhood.

The best part is also the meal we had soon after. It was a traditional Punjabi meal of Rajma chawal for 9 rupees a plate. It was perfect in spices, and I can still remember the taste of the thick starchy rice. No meal is complete without dessert and our mother daughter treat of the day was some amazing Malai kulfi.

Till today whenever I have either Rajma chawal or Malai kulfi I am taken back to the top of that mountain, sat besides my mummy in the crowded canteen.

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