Village of Whites

I live at Goregaon. Greater Bombay. North of Andheri. Literal translation of this rather Hindi word.

`Gore' means White. `Gaon' means village.

A google search on the `village' has thrown up some interesting results. The suburb was called Pahadi ...meaning of the hills, many decades back. I live on one half-way through one such hill at the suburb. The other interesting bit is that it got a railway station as early as 1862! No signs of the ancient station exists anywhere though.

Why only my bike?

My husband cries. I laugh when he rattles on.

``The parking lot has so many bikes ! Good ones too. Why only my bike?''

He has not lost his bike. Nor have kids in the colony messed it up. The problem: his bike is used illegally overnight. Yeah, it has a resident.

The cat in our building.

The seat is so furry it can keep out the cold. Our purry thing loves to cuddle over for a good night's nap, and lets her kittens stretch out too. Should she spot my hubby in the morning, she meows to him as if to explain her need to use the bike. And walks away happily.

My hubby's grouse is not that she uses his vehicle.

``So much hair! I end up dusting my seat every morning!'' he pours out.

``How sad. Maybe you should get the cat to pay you rent,'' I want to tell him. But I shut up.

For all his complaining, when the cat turns up on our fourth floor portico, he quickly rushes to my kitchen for some milk, pours it in a paper plate, and feeds her. Kitty love this!