Nearly everyone in my family thought I had taken up a task much too daring and dangerous, i.e. I was about to bite off more than I could chew! In all honesty, I was quite sceptical myself given Shloki had been having some of the deadliest tantrums, just one of those growing up phases where some of the most random things (that seem random to us adults*) piss him off and I don’t know how to make him okay without blowing my top!
After everything, however, when you end up having a good trip that wasn’t exhausting or taxing mentally and physically, it makes you want to take on more such adventures! But most importantly, it makes you super guilty because you realise that it was only recently that you had had a very contrasting opinion, the fear that your kids were going to ruin the entire thing for you!
You know what’s the worst thing I did as a parent? Tell him “If this is how you’re going to behave, I think it’s best we cancel the trip and stay back!” Not once, not twice. So many times that I felt horrible and promised him the night before our flight that I wasn’t going to cancel it, no matter what. But we, as adults, know why we weren’t going to cancel it anyway! Non refundable flight tickets, duh!!
My sister in Hyderabad had been insisting that I visit her and I decided to go. It was as simple as that! But can a trip with two kids without the husband really be that simple? Naah!
One morning last month, PP checked out the airfare and had half a mind to join us. We even discussed what we could do in the city but I did not want this holiday to be about sightseeing or exploring new places. It was solely to spend some time at my sister’s and do some “chill maadi” the way she’d always say!
Ever since the Navi Mumbai Airport became functional, it’s been our, you could say DUTY, to make a beeline for our window to wave at every single plane that goes from above our building! Among us three, I’m the most excited child! So it was only natural to book a plane that took us to Hyderabad from the new airport!
Let me tell you, I didn’t explore and I have no photos or videos to support any kind of review of the new airport. I’m a very practical mother that way. I just had to get into the plane with the two in tow without a meltdown, missing items and bruises.
Since I had done my web check-in, we reached the airport at the eleventh hour in true Patil style because there needs to be some advantage when you stay close to an airport, right?! I hadn’t found time to complete the DigiYatra process for the boys, so I had to stand in a queue to enter. When it was our turn, I bumped the cart into the closed gates because I couldn’t brake on time, what with the two kids perched atop the luggage! While the officer exclaimed, “MADAM!,” let me tell you, my clumsiness no longer embarrasses me.
Once inside, I noticed the line for the baggage drop was very long and since nobody came forward offering special assistance (a separate counter maybe!?) to a mother with an infant and child, I had no choice but to wait. In retrospect, I should have enquired.
Fortunately I made use of the buggy drop off at the gate because it was too long a walk to risk with two cranky explosives.
The take off and landing were smooth and on time! Apart from a rough start for Mokshi who eventually slept throughout the one hour flight, my kids were delightfully easy to handle!
On the whole, our holiday at my sister’s was very relaxing because we stayed indoors for the most part. I had made it clear that we would do no malls, no shopping, no sightseeing. I just wanted the kids to enjoy with their aunt and cousin while I took it upon myself to cook for them, especially my very enthu, big foodie brother-in-law! I shooed them all away to the park so I could work in the kitchen peacefully!
Reminded me of our good old days in her Andheri studio apartment where I’d crash in every weekend during my C.A. articleship. We would sit down with a plate of hot and cheesy frankies that I’d have made in a jiffy and listen to our favourite sad songs! But those were kid-free days. Fast forward to now when my playlist is ruled and regulated by my younger one.
Mainly, Shloki threw none of those dreadful tantrums and was very happy during our stay because he is someone who truly enjoys being home. The icing on his cake was my blessing to enjoy his screen time! Policy – LIVE AND LET LIVE.
We had planned to spend half of our second day in the famous biryani city at the zoo. (NO, we did not do any restaurant hopping and I ate no kebab or biryani!)
Mokshi is obsessed with animals, you all know by now! His love for elephants is just something else. Hence the zoo plan. At least, we considered it better than Ramoji Film City that would have made no sense to my kids! Unfortunately, his brother doesn’t share his love for zoos and when Shlok noticed that most of the animals were asleep, he got super angry. Mind you, in Masai Mara when a lion came under a fast asleep Shlok’s window calling for him, he turned out to be more dangerous than the lion when woken up!
So for starters, the Hyderabad zoo is quite massive, just like the Rhino, and the buggy service is a total waste. I’d never recommend paying for it when all you’re going to do is walk.
When Mokshi had a meltdown, he was loud and scary enough to wake up the three tigers! We walked. And walked. And walked. To visit the elephants. For him. The queue for the buggy was longer than the lone giraffe’s neck! But what happened when we finally made it to the elephant enclosure? The elephant lover continued crying and showed no interest whatsoever. He waved bye to them in between all the sobbing! WE HAD WALKED BY THE EXIT JUST TO VISIT THE ELEPHANT ONLY TO GET THE SADDEST RESPONSE FROM MOKSH!
When we finally managed to board a buggy, we requested the guy to drop us at the exit but you know what he did? Threw us off at the lion’s den with a straight NO. Again we walked. A lot. Suddenly when I noticed that the lions were awake, I called out to my sister to stop and look! All this with a screaming Mokshi in my arms who was grabbing more attention than the strutting lion! Just imagine our plight when lack of clear directions landed us in the middle of the zoo once again, with no sign of exit!
Moments later,
When Mokshi finally ended his drama, mostly because he was exhausted from all the wailing, he sat up happily in my arms and demanded to see an ELA! Yes, can you believe that? He wanted to see his elephant!
The excursion turned out so eventful, it was enough for all of to conclude:
WE SHALL NEVER EVER STEP INTO A ZOO AGAIN.
Here’s a list of lessons that this trip taught me in the order I learnt them –
My first lesson:
Do not blackmail the child if I’m not going to seriously act upon it. Someday the child grow up to be scarred by all my dhamki or the child will stop taking me seriously!
My second lesson:
Stop having a tantrum myself before I expect wonders from my child. Most of the times I explode on him when I’m triggered by his tantrums, only to realise that either I was exhausted/ sleep deprived/ famished. Pause and think – Maybe something triggered his meltdown? What could it be?
My third lesson:
Never put on a new untested pair of shoes on your kids. Mokshi kept fidgeting with his shoes and made me take them off and that’s when I noticed tiny marks on his feet caused by the tight shoes! Fortunately I had an extra pair and since we hadn’t checked in yet, I quickly made the swap.
My fourth lesson:
Always make sure the cabin bag doesn’t have anything that could get you caught for extra security check. I had totally forgotten about the small nail-filer in my purse and we lost at least twenty minutes getting my bag cleared thanks to the two families before us that kept the security extremely busy! Funnily I was allowed to keep my filer but that one object resulted in two hangry kids!
My fifth lesson:
Never let a child loose on the travelator. A gentleman advised me to hold Mokshi’s hand after he lost his balance twice and sat down. Though Mokshi didn’t fuss over it, must have come across as a careless mother on her phone!
Talking of zoos earlier, that word has me scarred so much that I consider changing my Insta handle from ‘sne zu’ to something safer. I have taken an oath and Shloki intends on making sure I stick to it. He even tested me with “Amma, what about in Ireland? Will we visit a zoo there?!” Children of this generation I tell you! The boy knows how badly I want to travel to Ireland and even though it’s not happening anytime soon, he wants to make sure zoo is a NO!
While reading out this blog to Shloki before publishing it, he suggested some additions and most importantly the part where he claims he saw his grandpa’s office from the plane window, just minutes before we landed at the Navi Mumbai airport!
Cheers!
C.A.: Confused Aquarian 