The title of this blog might surprise you. You might wonder, Why has she titled it ‘A Day with My Mom’? We get so many days to spend with our mothers – from childhood to adulthood – what’s new in that?

Let me answer this. Yes, we do get a lot of days to spend with our moms, but do we really? Without any interruptions? Without any work? Without any agenda? Without anyone else around? I think not.

All my life, ever since I became conscious of my surroundings, I have always wished for a day alone with my mother at home – just the two of us, doing nothing. But we never got the chance. There was always someone else around. Not that their presence was a disruption, but I always longed for a home-alone day with my mom.

My brother lives with her and honestly, I think he’s incredibly lucky (though I’m not sure if he realizes how priceless that is). For me, those moments are everything.

After my father passed away, my mother became my mom, dad, best friend, gossip partner, sukh dukh ki saathi – basically, my everything. And she says the same about me (yep, we’re that close 😛).

So when she visited me in Bangalore and I realized there was a chance we’d get a whole day alone together, I was thrilled. I even took a day off from work because, let’s face it, how often does this opportunity come along? I wanted zero distractions – just me, my mom and a day to cherish forever.

And finally, it happened! We got an entire day – just the two of us, at my home. I know this will be one of the most memorable days of my life. Just being with her, doing nothing, yet feeling so fulfilled.

The day started with my Nana and Nani leaving for Mysore. We dropped them off and as we returned home, we were met with utter silence. Maybe it was because we had been staying together for a week and suddenly, the house felt empty. That kind of emptiness is unsettling.

As soon as we stepped inside, the house felt unusually quiet. My mother was emotional – she missed her parents, their presence and the time we had spent together. We sat down for breakfast, still absorbing the silence. Then – ding-dong! The doorbell rang.

Standing there was an Urban Company professional. I was confused until my phone buzzed: a text from Ishan, my husband. “Valentine’s treat for you and mom! Enjoy the massages!”

Wait, what?! Initially, I thought it was just for me, but nope – he booked it for both of us. I wanted to dance (and trust me, it was a near thing), but I managed to play it cool. Ishan totally gets me – he knows how much my mom loves massages and this thoughtful gesture? Heartwarming!

I went first, melting into the head, shoulder and face massage. Then it was my mom’s turn and watching her relax and smile was a joy of its own. I was just so grateful for Ishan’s thoughtfulness.

Once the masseuse left, my mom and I sat quietly for a long time, still basking in the relaxation. I must say – the day had started exactly the way I had imagined.

Hours passed as we got lost in mild conversations, completely unaware that it was already afternoon. No bath taken, no lunch prep started – just lazy conversations flowing.

My mom took a bath first and then prepared moong dal chilla  and dahi rice for us. By now, Bangalore’s daytime heat was kicking in, so we drew the curtains and created a cozy, homely vibe.

Whenever I am at home with my mom, I feel like I need to pause time. It feels so good, so relaxing, so nurturing – like a hug for the soul. I knew this was our only day together, yet time was slipping away too fast.

After lunch, we lounged on the sofa, continuing our endless conversations. At 4 PM, we had planned to do Yoga Nidra together with my yoga teacher, who comes home daily to teach me.

A few days earlier, I had experienced Yoga Nidra for the first time and it felt magical. I wanted my mom to experience that same peace, so I had requested my teacher to guide her as well.

From 4 to 5 PM, we lay down on our respective mats, lost in meditation. It was that state where you are awake, yet asleep – there, but not there. My mom has always been someone who loves yoga and giving her this experience felt like a blessing.

Afterward, we had tea with my yoga teacher, discussing more about yoga. Soon after, Ishan called from Goa, where he had gone for a one-day conference. He was curious about how our day had been and my mom excitedly narrated everything – the massage, the yoga, the sheer joy of being pampered. She was overjoyed, especially because she hadn’t expected her son-in-law to gift her a Valentine’s Day massage! 

We then got into a discussion about how the concept of Valentine’s Day has evolved – it’s no longer just for couples, but for anyone you love and want to express appreciation for.

Later, I asked my mom if she wanted to eat anything outside. Without a second thought, she said she wanted Veg & Veg’s masala dosa – it’s her favorite and a new outlet had opened in Indiranagar.

Since I had a blood test at 9:30 PM and needed to eat at least two hours before that, we left early. We booked a cab and enjoyed a Friday evening ride to Indiranagar. She ordered her masala dosa and I got masala vada (Ishan and my favorite) along with a plain dosa.

After dinner, I asked if she wanted to explore the streets of Indiranagar, but she had a different idea as she said “Let’s visit that Sai Baba temple we passed!” and  I instantly agreed.

For some reason, I had always felt a strong urge to visit that temple. Ishan and I had planned to go multiple times but never got the chance. Now, I believe I was destined to go with my mom.

At the temple entrance, we saw that prasad was being distributed. We debated whether to take it first or after darshan and decided that Sai Baba wouldn’t approve of our prasad-first strategy. 😛 So we went inside, sat in front of him for a long time and soaked in the peace.

After receiving our prasad – hot rice pulao – my mom ate hers immediately, despite being full. She loves prasad just like I do. This is something I’ve inherited from her – whenever I see a temple, I think of prasad! This is one of the things I absolutely love about South India – temples here always have prasad.

We then visited a nearby Ganesha temple. It was beautifully lit, small but serene. We didn’t want to return home just yet, so we sat outside, watching people. A large family arrived to worship their newly bought pickup truck and we got lucky – they distributed our favorite laddoos! Bonus: They offered us ladoos! Pure joy for us prasadiya bhakts.

I kept my laddoo aside for after my blood test, but my mom ate hers on the spot – she was having the time of her life that day!

We finally returned home, my blood test was done and we spent the rest of the night lying on the sofas, processing the incredible day we had just lived.

My mom was on cloud nine and so was I.

With her, I feel like a gentle breeze surrounds me – the kind of comfort I can find nowhere else.

For now, this one day with her was more than enough to keep me going until her next visit. ❤️