Winter vacations at my home Balasore. The time is festive and the freezing weather owing to an approaching storm ‘THANE’ has brought the chill down a little bit. This time of the year has always been full of cheer and some nostalgia that has taken up some of the memory space in the confused circuits of my brain. Nevertheless, I am sitting on my bed in the house we are soon going to vacate and wondering about all the bitter-sweet reminiscences that have transpired in forming those memoirs till now.
Chilly winters have always spelled doom upon my health. Yesternight, as I quietly lay down on my bed, I was suddenly transported to the time in my past where I would wake up at unearthly hours at night and create a commotion by coughing my lungs out uncontrollably. When things went out of hand and my parents were ascertained that I would actually fracture my ribs by coughing so violently, they took me to the best doctor they could. Of course, the doc was an angel in disguise, vowed to make my life easier (which he did), I got a nice little Christmas present in my prescription- vials of Penidure injection (for 4 years thereafter). Frankly, I lost the count after being administered more than 150 injections.
I don’t know how these dreams played a part in your life but I consequently woke up with a bad stomach at 3:30 in the morning and spent some quality time with me sitting on the commode till 4 o’ clock.
Anyways, the point that I was trying to make was the transition period between Christmas and New Year has always been special (for us small town people) sitting at ease at home or with friends and munching away cakes, sweets, sipping hot chocolate or having pakodas with tea and playing the couch potato. It`s always a swell time to remember the ‘good ol’ days’. Well, this time I don’t have much people around and so I thought to harass you guys with some of my crude literary prowess. ( :P )
The day my conscious mind took control of my memory, I recall my papa shaving in the morning staring into the mirror and my maa, her hair untied, wet and flowing, shiny black. The Chitrahar were already a part of our mornings and would be playing in the background on our old ‘BUSH’ TV. If there was a power cut, papa would play the PHILIPS tape-recorder and it would fill the room with old songs and melodies. I made some favorites right back then in Kishore da and Kumar Sanu.
There were some very fond thoughts in the past. Try connecting these incidents and memories and see how you had lived those glorious experiences and escapades.
Remember the first time you were out in the rain? I wasn't allowed in the rain for the fear of catching a cold. (Even these days I don’t have the luxury of going out in the rain or eating an ice-cream in the winters. I secretly think the people who do these are either nuts or have super-powers.) Still, one fine day, I sneaked out of the house into the open fields where I danced in joy till my legs hurt. (Not due the dance. I got struck in a ditch and my mom had to come and pull me out of it.) Nonetheless, I enjoyed it very much. I hope you had a better experience at this than me.
Then there were these times. Remember going ecstatic when you saw a train for the first time? Amazed when you saw the engine honking a deafening sound and coming towards you while you were on the platform? Sitting in the bogie for the first time and demanding the window seat? I am sure your papa must have definitely said this to you “Beta, dekho trees sab piche jaa rahe hai.”
The first time you actually sat on the seat and pedaled your cycle…How was it? Feeling it right now? First time you held a cricket bat and your mom bowled to you? First time slogging and wishing it was your first SIX? First diving attempt to hold on to a spectacular catch and then everybody going gaga over the great effort?
Dancing like mad when there was nobody in the room? Stealing chocolates, cakes, even ice to lick on a summer afternoon from the fridge?
How many of you remember eating 8 puchkas (golgappas/paanipuri) in 2 rupees and friends constantly begging you to give them 1?
How do you remember the DHARA ad where the boy was leaving his home and his grandpa told him that jalebi had been prepared? Boy did he say “JALEBI!” Or for that matter, sitting glued to DD1 every Sunday to watch SINDBAD THE SAILOR and MOWGLI back to back? How much time since you saw the airing of “Mile sur mera tumhara…” or heard “YAKKU!” from Kroor Singh in Chandrakanta?
Common! Remember yourself walking on the railway tracks longest as a challenge your friend had dared you to do? Remember having the thoughts to leave your home after faring bad in final exams? Well, I had similar thoughts after the class 3 exams and decided to jump onto a goods train on the railway crossing near our house. I reckon Chhotu was with me then. He`s 2 years older to me but I call him by his name as he`s a brother to me. Apparently, he had similar plans too after his class 5 final exams. So we hopped on to a stationary goods train in the hope of leaving this town for good and sat atop the pile of stones in the goods wagon. What happened was, we ran out of discussing all our future plans after we would have left this town and 2 hours later were bored out of our skins when the train hadn't budged a tiny bit. And so, we decided to do it some other time and left for our homes, cursing the train till we got there.
There was literally no terms as tension and responsibility. We were free! In fact, the only time I felt tension and responsibility was the time when my mom would, almost with an iron will, decide to make me sit down with the ‘scholarship’ book and threatened not be given any food or let out to play until I had crammed up the names of all of the countries, their capitals, their currencies, the UN secretary generals, abbreviations..blah blah blah!
Okay now! How many landline numbers of your friends do you remember now? Remember the time when you did and needed to ask permission from your mom to call up your friend only to talk about ‘studies’? And who could forget the fun when you talked with mysterious people and yelled “Wrong Number!” Of course, it is no fun now.
The high time of my childhood was dedicated to Chacha Choudhury, Billoo, Pinky, Nagraj, Dhruv, Doga, Superman, Spiderman et al. Plus the desperation in laying my hands on the joystick of the TV videogames like Mario, Contra, Tank! I would sneak out of my house every afternoon and crash at Chhotu`s place for begging him to let me play as a double player. And yes I was the first person everyday to reach the video-game shop in front of our school and returned home late every single day with excuses. I am not proud of it but I don’t regret it either.
I can`t seem to close the chapter on those childhood memories close to me but those are past and ever will be. Love, life and dreams although unrealistic, were always full of yearning and honest. No amount of scolding, beatings or failures could make us deviate from what we wanted to do.
Drowning in the pool of nostalgia, my eyes have closed to see through my mind, my past, its carefreeness, its honesty, its simplicity and its childishness.
As I write, I am seeing my idols, my deities of worship- my parents- hair growing white, wrinkles on the face… I mean, you DO NOT ever want to realize that time has taken a toll on them too. They shouldn't grow old as you grow big. You have never thought about seeing them any different than their looks in their wedding album. They still seem the same to you-the same when you were throwing your umpteenth tantrum and they would chase after you catching your ears, carrying you in their arms, feeding you with their hands and holding your little fingers when you were scared of crossing the road. It`s a bit of an irony how I sometimes wanted to jump to an age I am now in when I was 8 or 9 years old, not having to get scolded or mug up the lengthy multiplication tables. Oh! How I wish to go back to those times and relive it yet once again, knowing utterly well, they won`t ever come back- the ‘good ol’ days’.
Chilly winters have always spelled doom upon my health. Yesternight, as I quietly lay down on my bed, I was suddenly transported to the time in my past where I would wake up at unearthly hours at night and create a commotion by coughing my lungs out uncontrollably. When things went out of hand and my parents were ascertained that I would actually fracture my ribs by coughing so violently, they took me to the best doctor they could. Of course, the doc was an angel in disguise, vowed to make my life easier (which he did), I got a nice little Christmas present in my prescription- vials of Penidure injection (for 4 years thereafter). Frankly, I lost the count after being administered more than 150 injections.
I don’t know how these dreams played a part in your life but I consequently woke up with a bad stomach at 3:30 in the morning and spent some quality time with me sitting on the commode till 4 o’ clock.
Anyways, the point that I was trying to make was the transition period between Christmas and New Year has always been special (for us small town people) sitting at ease at home or with friends and munching away cakes, sweets, sipping hot chocolate or having pakodas with tea and playing the couch potato. It`s always a swell time to remember the ‘good ol’ days’. Well, this time I don’t have much people around and so I thought to harass you guys with some of my crude literary prowess. ( :P )
The day my conscious mind took control of my memory, I recall my papa shaving in the morning staring into the mirror and my maa, her hair untied, wet and flowing, shiny black. The Chitrahar were already a part of our mornings and would be playing in the background on our old ‘BUSH’ TV. If there was a power cut, papa would play the PHILIPS tape-recorder and it would fill the room with old songs and melodies. I made some favorites right back then in Kishore da and Kumar Sanu.
There were some very fond thoughts in the past. Try connecting these incidents and memories and see how you had lived those glorious experiences and escapades.
Remember the first time you were out in the rain? I wasn't allowed in the rain for the fear of catching a cold. (Even these days I don’t have the luxury of going out in the rain or eating an ice-cream in the winters. I secretly think the people who do these are either nuts or have super-powers.) Still, one fine day, I sneaked out of the house into the open fields where I danced in joy till my legs hurt. (Not due the dance. I got struck in a ditch and my mom had to come and pull me out of it.) Nonetheless, I enjoyed it very much. I hope you had a better experience at this than me.
Then there were these times. Remember going ecstatic when you saw a train for the first time? Amazed when you saw the engine honking a deafening sound and coming towards you while you were on the platform? Sitting in the bogie for the first time and demanding the window seat? I am sure your papa must have definitely said this to you “Beta, dekho trees sab piche jaa rahe hai.”
The first time you actually sat on the seat and pedaled your cycle…How was it? Feeling it right now? First time you held a cricket bat and your mom bowled to you? First time slogging and wishing it was your first SIX? First diving attempt to hold on to a spectacular catch and then everybody going gaga over the great effort?
Dancing like mad when there was nobody in the room? Stealing chocolates, cakes, even ice to lick on a summer afternoon from the fridge?
How many of you remember eating 8 puchkas (golgappas/paanipuri) in 2 rupees and friends constantly begging you to give them 1?
How do you remember the DHARA ad where the boy was leaving his home and his grandpa told him that jalebi had been prepared? Boy did he say “JALEBI!” Or for that matter, sitting glued to DD1 every Sunday to watch SINDBAD THE SAILOR and MOWGLI back to back? How much time since you saw the airing of “Mile sur mera tumhara…” or heard “YAKKU!” from Kroor Singh in Chandrakanta? Common! Remember yourself walking on the railway tracks longest as a challenge your friend had dared you to do? Remember having the thoughts to leave your home after faring bad in final exams? Well, I had similar thoughts after the class 3 exams and decided to jump onto a goods train on the railway crossing near our house. I reckon Chhotu was with me then. He`s 2 years older to me but I call him by his name as he`s a brother to me. Apparently, he had similar plans too after his class 5 final exams. So we hopped on to a stationary goods train in the hope of leaving this town for good and sat atop the pile of stones in the goods wagon. What happened was, we ran out of discussing all our future plans after we would have left this town and 2 hours later were bored out of our skins when the train hadn't budged a tiny bit. And so, we decided to do it some other time and left for our homes, cursing the train till we got there.
There was literally no terms as tension and responsibility. We were free! In fact, the only time I felt tension and responsibility was the time when my mom would, almost with an iron will, decide to make me sit down with the ‘scholarship’ book and threatened not be given any food or let out to play until I had crammed up the names of all of the countries, their capitals, their currencies, the UN secretary generals, abbreviations..blah blah blah!
Okay now! How many landline numbers of your friends do you remember now? Remember the time when you did and needed to ask permission from your mom to call up your friend only to talk about ‘studies’? And who could forget the fun when you talked with mysterious people and yelled “Wrong Number!” Of course, it is no fun now. The high time of my childhood was dedicated to Chacha Choudhury, Billoo, Pinky, Nagraj, Dhruv, Doga, Superman, Spiderman et al. Plus the desperation in laying my hands on the joystick of the TV videogames like Mario, Contra, Tank! I would sneak out of my house every afternoon and crash at Chhotu`s place for begging him to let me play as a double player. And yes I was the first person everyday to reach the video-game shop in front of our school and returned home late every single day with excuses. I am not proud of it but I don’t regret it either.
I can`t seem to close the chapter on those childhood memories close to me but those are past and ever will be. Love, life and dreams although unrealistic, were always full of yearning and honest. No amount of scolding, beatings or failures could make us deviate from what we wanted to do.
Drowning in the pool of nostalgia, my eyes have closed to see through my mind, my past, its carefreeness, its honesty, its simplicity and its childishness.
