I woke up that morning before the alarm clock could rudely interrupt my sleep, as it always does. Sandeep’s school had closed for the long winter vacation and I had a long drive ahead of me to reach him.
It was past noon when I left the fields behind after a quick bite, and started the uphill climb. Sandeep would be having lunch now. How eager he would be to see me again, and come home with me for 4 long months! 
Home? Was it a home? A wave of depression passed over me, as I thought of my tiny 2-room flat and the only soul, that is me, inhabiting it. Who would call it a home? 
My old and trusted servant, Ramu Kaka, who had brought me up since childhood had died last year making me feel like an orphan all over again.