I remember vividly the days when I was struggling to establish my career. I had left my hometown and found abode in a place far away from home. The hustle-bustle, the storm of new faces, the sheer rapidity at which the city moved was overwhelming to say the least. The initial days were rough, for I had no friend, no mentor, no one to lean on. I was pretty much on my own.

Soon thereafter my brother joined me to pursue his studies further. The city was much bigger, offered many avenues and was a natural choice for aspiring people like us from small towns. My brother and I became best friends. We used to fight, play and do everything together. And the bond we formed during those early days of togetherness, we cherish till today.

We rented a small one-bedroom place. The house was a makeshift arrangement till the time we directionally knew where we were headed. We had a second-hand water-cooler to beat the heat when the temperature often sours over 115 degrees Fahrenheit. And I distinctly recall how we used to go to a local movie theater in peak summer days spending three hours in coolness. We used to buy the cheapest front row tickets in the most dilapidated setting, mostly to sleep in peace.

The only other way to beat the heat was by buying watermelon from street-side vendors. When the ice-cool slices of watermelon melted in our mouth while the heat remained at peak, and we dripped in sweat, couldn’t beat the luxury of having watermelon now at home at perfect room temperature.

This thought crossed my mind while I was having watermelon the other day at the comfort of my home. Ironically, It never tasted as heavenly delicious as it used during those days of thrift.

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