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My Concept of "Home"

Students studying in a state or country that is not their own always struggle with the concept of "home". Because to them, there is no permanency in that area of their life. When they are studying, their hostels or apartments there is their "home" while their real home where they were born and brought up might be miles away in a totally different place. And as I am such a student, I can tell you that the agony of this is too real.

You see, it's not about the place to be exact. Well at least to me, it's not. It's the people. It's the people you have to leave behind to find new ones. The pain of departing from your old folks to a place where you have to find new ones is something that is at least a bit daunting to the average man. Someone who has never felt love in their so-called home in their native might never feel much of an attachment to that place. That "home" might just be another house or living space to them- maybe, even a prison. They might move to another place in due time and find a tribe that loves and cares for them. This will become their true family- their true home. But some people would have everything they need in the world right where they were born. To them, nothing would ever compare to their homeplace and the folk there. They might not be able to build such a deep connection with any other place or people. Then, there are some people who has managed to make a home out of both places- jumping back and forth whenever they can, to get the best out of both and make both sides feel their presence and love.

And personally, I'm someone from the last category. As I said before, to me, the concept of home is not about any particular building. It's the people. When I come to stay at my hostel for my studies, I miss the people back home. I miss my mom who sits me down and oils my hair whenever she notices too much falling out. I miss my dad who holds me close to him and makes me laugh with his lame jokes. I miss my brother who play-fights with me because that is his love language. I miss my one of childhood best friends to whom I always run when I am at my worst. I miss my grandmother who never fails to put a smile on my face whenever I see her. I miss my cousin sister and how I always laugh when I'm around her. I miss my cousin sister's toddler son who I just love annoying at any given scenario and him likewise.

But the moment I return to my native, I miss the people- the family- I created at my college. I miss my friends and I miss them deeply. I miss the one whose laugh even reaches the deepest point on earth. I miss the one who always hears my troubles and helps me solve them. I miss the one who is always ready to go for a cup of chai, be it early in the morning or late at night. I miss the one who loves to spend every single minute of their day in my presence just to annoy me with their every breath. I miss the one who I excitedly talk to about the latest anime news and releases because they share the exact same excitement as me. I miss the one who notices the slightest hint of exhaustion in me and makes sure I'm okay. I miss the one who always peels my fruits for me because they know I hate doing that task with everything in me. I miss the one who shares my Mountain Dew obsession even though we both know we should put an end to it. 

I miss them when I'm home. But it's only because they too are home to me.

So yeah, never the place. Always the people. It's always THESE people. And that is the root cause of my constant affliction. Because I always have to leave a group behind to be with the other. And I hate it. But no matter how much it pains me, it's my reality. And I'm truly blessed to have such a family filled with immense love and care at both places. If anyone asked me what I would do if I won the lottery (as this particular new Instagram reel trend goes), I would definitely tell them-

I already have.

Because I've made homes out of people and not things. That way, I know I'll have shelter and solace no matter how bad my life gets.




Location: 4R8M5PQQ+93

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