Today marks one year of a place called home.

It’s been exactly 365 days since we set foot over the threshold of our house. There are some things that just cannot be expressed in words. How do you describe a feeling of belonging, that moment when you touch something, knowing it’s yours?

It was a Monday, the dawn of the puja that would traditionally endorse our ownership of a tiny piece of real estate: a house that we could call our own, after a decade and a half of being together as a family.

I remember the run-up to this day so well.

Picking out the tiles for the kitchen, deciding on the glass decoration for the altar, swapping opinions on colours for the walls, the wood paneling, the cabinets in the kitchen- what a task all of it turned out to be! Through it all, I remember the dedication that V showed to this task. Each day would involve meeting with the decorator, discussing designs. If I wasn’t able to come along, he’d text me images and colours from the showroom, seeking my approval. If I appeared the least bit uncertain, he’d veto the pattern.

Then came the visits to the drapes showroom and looking through albums that seemed to never end. Each colour looked similar to the previous one, but the salesperson assured me they were very different. At some point, I wanted to say, let’s just have curtains, I don’t care what colour. But V persevered. He held up the designs to the light, took them outdoors to see how they would show up in natural daylight. If it didn’t work for him, it would be a no.

This was followed, ad infinitum, at the wallpaper showroom, the lighting and fans outlet, the one with the faucets and the sanitaryware. And each time, he exhibited the kind of patience and interest that I’ve always admired in him, but got to see in detail during this exercise.

Did you know that he can spend an hour shopping for sarees whilst I can’t take more than 15 minutes of it? And his eye for colour and design is pretty impeccable too.

Today, when I think back to the festive occasion that marks our entry into the home, I am reminded of everything that we’ve done to make this house warm and welcoming.

In each picture from that day, I see laughter, light, love and joy spilling over.

Home

Colours as bright as red, orange and pink jostle for space in the same frame.

 

Light and shadow play hide and seek in the corners of our pictures and now in our house.

New Home

Today is the day.

Today is when we made our house into a home.

14 thoughts on “An Anniversary of a Home

  1. Congratulations on the milestone, Shailaja, Gy and V. Somehow, perhaps because we’d discussed this many times, it also feels like we were all part of the initial move 🙂
    Here’s to more happiness, joy and laughter in this house of yours.

  2. Congratulations for completing an year in your home, sweet home! May the happiness and the blessings keep showering you all, for years to come!

    P.S.
    Ditto for the ‘saree’ part! ;P

  3. Wish you happiness always, Shailaja! Lovely memories, indeed. Setting up a home is one of the most cherishable experiences. May you enjoy many decades of joy here!

  4. Thank you, Raj. It’s been a whirlwind year for certain. Loved a lot of moments we’ve made in this home. I can imagine your joy when you shopped for your new home 🙂

  5. Must have been so tough with a toddler! We did most of the shopping when Gy was at school and even that was hectic because we had to get back home in time for her arrival etc. Such a special day to move into a new home. And I love Rama. I share his nakshatra 🙂 Thanks for the warmth, Rachna. Much love.

  6. Thanks, Aditi 🙂 All the best to your for the purchase! It’s a wonderful feeling and I wish you all the love in the world as you embark on this.

    Thanks for your warm comment. I will try and take pictures of the drapes and send them across.

  7. Wow! Congratulations, must be such a lovely feeling! Full points to V, would really love to see those drapes. M is patient, but he’ll be the one standing outside the shop, while I choose the curtains or furniture, even if it is for hours! 😉
    I was reminded of the first rented flat that we had moved into after marriage and made it into a home. We have started talking about purchasing our own house and I’m so excited!
    Lovely pictures, they truly do show the love, light and laughter in your home.

  8. Oh yes! I can imagine the joy. I moved into this home of mine almost 14 years ago. And the time before that, the endless visits, choosing every minor detail was fun yet nerve wracking especially for us as we had to tow a little toddler with us everywhere. 🙂 The memories bring a smile to my face even today. We had moved in on Ram Navami after a small grahpravesh pooja. Homes are such. They are places where we create memories and raise our families. Wish you loads of joy and success in the new one. I loved reading your memories about moving in and remember how excited you were that day. 🙂 Stay blessed.

  9. The joys of decorating a new house… I can so relate to it. I had lived in hostels and pgs for over 10 years… You can imagine how crazy I must have gone while shopping for our new home. There’s a different joy in turning a house into a home. Ohh and curtains … Even though they just hang there I spent atleast 3 weekends looking for an affordable but fancy option. ? lucky you got your husband to do that for you ?
    Love your pictures… I would like to see the curtains you picked. Hope you make many beautiful memories in your home.

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