Smells from Bombay

Many people from my ancestral family lived in Bombay. They'd all left much before I was born, in search of jobs. Closest relatives among them were my mother's brother and sister. They were both married, but didn't have children when I was young. I was the only child in the entire family at that time. Everyone doted on me.

My earliest memory of uncle U was around the time I was three or four. Visits from Bombay were festive occasions for me- they all brought sweets and new clothes. Sweets attracted me more than clothes- they had a rich aroma and bright colors. All sounded happy- there was a lot of chatter going on in the otherwise quiet household.

I would hover around when uncle U opened his suitcase. The suitcase smelt of toothpaste and fresh plastic- but it also had an indefinable element. To me it was the smell of Bombay. His suitcase always carried that peculiar smell through all his visits over decades.