WHERE DO I BELONG?

EVERY TIME YOU SHIFT TO A NEW PLACE OF STUDY/WORK OR LIVING, YOU FACE A SIMILAR SET OF QUESTIONS FROM THE NEW PEOPLE AROUND.A QUESTION WHICH I AM ASKED FREQUENTLY IS,"WHERE ARE YOU FROM?".
 NOW TO MOST OF YOU, THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION COMES NATURALLY.MANY OF YOU MAY EVEN ANSWER THIS QUESTION WITHOUT HAVING TO CONSCIOUSLY THINK ABOUT IT. I  ON THE OTHER HAND, JUST DONT KNOW HOW TO START !!

 MY FATHER,BEING AN OFFICER IN THE IAF, GETS TRANSFERRED FROM ONE AIR BASE TO ANOTHER EVERY 2-3 YEARS.
 I WAS BORN IN JAMMU;DID MY NURSERY FROM DALE SPRING SCHOOL,CHANDIGARH;CLASS 1,2 AND 3 FROM DELHI AREA PRIMARY SCHOOL,NOIDA AND DELHI CANTT;CLASSES 4,5 AND 6 FROM AIR FORCE SCHOOL, HASIMARA(WEST BENGAL);CLASSES 7 AND 8 FROM AIR FORCE SCHOOL, AGRA;CLASSES 9 AND 10 FROM KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA NO-2, SRINAGAR (J&K) AND CLASSES 11 AND 12 FROM THE AIR FORCE SCHOOL, SUBROTO PARK, DELHI.
 ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED PLACES HAVE AIR FORCE BASES.THAT MEANS THAT I DID NOT ACTUALLY STAY IN THESE CITIES, BUT ACTUALLY IN WALLED MINI-CITIES, IN OR AROUND THESE PLACES.
 I WAS TOO SMALL TO REMEMBER MUCH ABOUT JAMMU AND CHANDIGARH.HASIMARA IS 17 KM FROM BHUTAN BORDER.I HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES OF THE PLACE, BUT IT WASNT HOME.SRINAGAR CANTT WAS FORTIFIED.I REMEMBER VISITING THE CIVILLIAN PORTION OF THE CITY JUST AROUND 4-5 TIMES IN THE 2 YEARS WHEN I WAS THERE.
 UNTIL I DID MY ENGINEERING(4-YEAR COURSE), I HAD NEVER STAYED IN ONE PLACE FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS.
 MY MOTHER'S FAMILY AND MY PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER BELONG TO NAHAN, A SMALL TOWN IN HIMACHAL PRADESH. I HAVE BEEN THERE JUST A COUPLE OF TIMES AS MOST OF MY MOTHER'S FAMILY HAS RELOCATED TO OTHER CITIES WHERE THEY WORK.
MY DAD'S FAMILY BELONGS TO A PLACE NEAR ALIGARH. ALTHOUGH WE OWN SUBSTANTIAL AREA OF LAND THERE, I HAVE NEVER VISITED THE PLACE.
MY DAD'S FATHER JOINED THE HIMACHAL PRADESH GOVERNMENT'S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND HEADED HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. HE WAS ALSO THE PRINCIPAL OF A SCHOOL IN NAHAN.
  INSPITE OF OWNING LAND NEAR ALIGARH, AND WORKING IN HIMACHAL PRADESH THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, UPON RETIRING HE DECIDED TO SHIFT HIS BASE TO AGRA.
  I VISITED MY GRANDPARENTS IN AGRA ONLY DURING THE SUMMER VACATIONS.THE SUMMERS ARE PRETTY HARSH THERE AND I WAS ALWAYS CONFINED TO OUR HOME THROUGHOUT THE VACATIONS.I WAS HAPPY THOUGH AS MY GRANDFATHER HAD PRESERVED A LOT OF BOOKS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY HIS FATHER ( MY GREAT GRANDFATHER ).I LOVED GOING THROUGH THE OLD BOOKS AND IMAGINING THE TIMES WHEN MY GREAT GRANDFATHER MUST HAVE BOUGHT AND READ THEM,GOING THROUGH THE SAME PAGES AS I WAS NOW READING, SOME  50 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH.
 AS I HAD SO MANY BOOKS TO READ,I DIDNT REALLY GO OUT MUCH. INSPITE OF MY ASSOCIATION WITH THE CITY THROUGHOUT MY LIFE,I CANT REALLY SAY THAT I BELONG THERE.
 MY DAD WAS POSTED IN DELHI WHEN I STARTED WITH MY ENGINEERING DEGREE.BY THE TIME I PASSED OUT FROM COLLEGE, HE HAD BEEN POSTED TWICE:BANGALORE AND NASHIK.I HAVE BEEN TO BOTH THE PLACES DURING THE SUMMER VACATIONS AFTER THE 1ST AND 3RD YEAR IN COLLEGE RESPECTIVELY.
 MY PARENTS HAVE DECIDED TO HAVE MORE FUN.THEY HAVE A PLACE IN GURGAON WHERE THEY INTEND TO LIVE AFTER DAD RETIRES.
 I HAVE DONE MY ENGINEERING FROM GREATER NOIDA.AND I AM GOING TO CONTINUE MY STUDIES FURTHUR.I AM HEADING FOR MY POST GRADUATION IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION FROM SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES,PUNE.

IF I STARTED PIN-PRICKING THE PLACES THAT I HAVE LIVED IN ON A METAL MAP, IT WOULD HAVE BECOME A SHOWER BY NOW !

THIS WAS THE PROBLEM.

THIS IS THE WAY I DEAL WITH IT

I FOLLOW A PROTOCOL WHILE ANSWERING THIS QUESTION.
WHEN A GUY ASKS ME THIS QUESTION, I TEND TO FIGURE OUT IF HE'S THE KIND OF GUY WHOM I CAN BE PALS WITH. IF HE IS, AND IF WE HAVE THE TIME, THEN I TELL HIM THE WHOLE STORY PRONTO.
IF HE'S THE OTHER KIND, I SIMPLY ANSWER DELHI.
THE SAME GOES FOR GIRLS.THE INTERESTING ONES GET TO HEAR THE INTERESTING STORY STARTING WITH, "ITS A LONG STORY...LETS KILL SOME TIME!!".THE DULL ONES GET ,"LADAKH,DOES IT MATTER?"