This blog post is inspired by a whatsapp message forwarded to me by one of my best friends this morning. It said “Remember when we were kids and couldn’t wait to grow up? And now we think why did we even grow up?”
14th Novembers (1993- 2006) - That one day, and I think all of you will agree with me, which was considered to be the best day at school. For me, it was basically a day full of five stars, silver streamers and dancing teachers and most importantly, it meant carrying a smaller and more stylish bag, compared to those sacks of potatoes we carried every day. Oh yes, not to forget standing in line with the colourful slam books waiting impatiently for the favourite teachers to write a few good words and then displaying the same as badges of honour. The only worry I had was probably was a “I hope no one touches my nice bag with chocolate smeared hands” or a “I still haven’t got a picture clicked with so-and-so and I am already on photo number 28 of the 36 reel”. It was the most magical station that we passed through on the Life Superfast Express.
14th Novembers (2007-2011) - We, twenty something college goers, could still be referred to as children. Hounding the professors to call off the lectures to hounding them more to give us treats in the canteen, it was definitely a relaxing day but not in the least the best day at college. The worry that I had was “Where will this train take me? What is my destination? Will it be good? Will I be successful? My eyes were closed and I invested so much time in thinking that I missed out savouring the various stations we passed through.
14th November 2012 - The train had taken me to one of my destination stations. I was finally there but I have no memory of this day. I can safely guess that 14th November 2012 was pretty much the same as a 13th November 2012 or a 15th November 2012.
14th November 2013 – I am still at the same station. But this time it is different. Sure, there will be no goodies to eat or a word of praise to hear, but yes, there definitely will be a walk down memory lane.
The summer holidays, where the first week comprised of finishing the handwriting practice & math worksheets at breakneck speed, so that the last three weeks essentially meant waking up late, watching TV with groggy eyes, being bathed, being fed, being put to sleep, waking up to the TV, off to the playground, returning back soiled, being cleaned and fed, being shouted at for wasting time to which the finger was pointed at what was done in the first week. A month long home-vacation. What else did one need?
Cartoon network. “How can I sleep at 2.30?” it’s The Little Lulu Show time. “How can you watch news at 6:30?”I will miss Scooby Doo. “I want a laboratory like Dexter’s!””Can we please keep a pet dinosaur?” The list was endless. It is true that these days there are a greater variety of cartoons to watch, but unfortunately, the kids of today have missed Cartoon Network.
Movies and its phases. From the “Tu cheez badi hai mast mast phase” and praying to God for a white lehenga like Raveena’s to the “Tujhe dekha toh ye jana sanam” phase and watching the movie more than 10 times in the theatre (yes, I was a paaka baccha). Sported the blunt hair cut and the red dungarees look for more than a year post Kuch Kuch… Once, on our trip to Rajasthan, my parents decided to visit the Sonar Kella at night. I backed out of their plans. Why? Because Sony was showing Baazigar. (yes, I was a Shah Rukh fanatic, still am actually.) Obsession with Sound of Music. So much say that I kept a pair of lovebirds and named them Captain & Maria. Having a first time crush on Macaulay Culkin. Hiding the remote whenever Star Movies aired Home Alone 1 or 2. Finding Abhishek Bacchan hot in Yuva (now looking at him and wondering, “What just happened?”) I was a movie buff and watched them indiscriminately. You name it and I know it. The 90’s is in my pocket.
I purposely didn’t write about one thing that I did most in the summer holidays. The only reason is because it deserves a space of its own. My books. They were my magic carpets which transported me back in time to Anne Frank’s dark days to the magical tree top of the Faraway Tree, from the dusky evenings of Shamli to the upside down world of Esio Trot, from the eatable grass of the Chocolate Factory to my all time crush, Fatty, from Feluda carrying the “baadshahi aangti” in a matchbox to Byomkesh & Ajit tracking the “Pother kaata. From Harry Potter, an eleven year old to Harry Potter, a father. These were my soul up lifters as well as tear generators.
I also did a fair amount of “ghurte jawa”. Nepal was my first taste of being semi-abroad. It was a beautiful city and our hotel was right next to the King’s Palace. Rajasthan was mighty and it was hard for me to digest so much of grandeur and remember the history. But the photographs bear proof that I had a pretty royal time as I saw myself having tea at the Uhmed Bhawan Palace. Mountains made me sick so I hated the travelling part but I was enthralled by the snow that I saw for the for the first time in Yumthang. Anything that happens for the first time is a lifelong memory. I always had a weak spot for beaches. I have vivid memories of wearing a pink swimming outfit and enjoying on the beach of Mahabalipuram. I visited Shillong when I was slightly older and I fell in love with it. The food, the shopping, my relatives. It was a perfect blend. The only part of the Madhya Pradesh trip that I remember was the Kanha National Park bit, where a dangerously big spider fell on my father’s back and also when we could hear the rattle snakes doing their little jig on the roof of our jungle bungalow. It was indeed a “Galli Bhar Travels”
We never went out as much as the little ones of today enjoy the malls and movies. The first time we (seven of us, including my mother) ever went out together was to Nicco Park for a birthday treat. And boy was it epic. We didn’t do anything extraordinary. We simply took the rides and ate at the food plaza but the feeling was momentous. It was as if we had achieved something. There were photographs in weird poses and also arguments about “ke kaar sathe jaabe” on the Moon Raker. Luckily for me, these friends are my best friends till date and we still have a hearty laugh about our first date escapades.
Dim bhaat omelette khawa with storytelling sessions.. .. half filling a glass with coke and taking slow slips “boro der moto” pretending to have a relaxing Saturday drink.. Mario & Battleship sessions on the video game… Making table cloths in craft class… Playing hopscotch in the veranda… Watching my first movie in the theatre and shouting “Koto boro TV!!” … Making a scene and getting that frilly dress for my birthday… Having lunch on the floor on a hot Sunday afternoon…. Going to the VCR parlour every weekend only to get the Sound of Music time and again…
And the happiest memory... Late night rides back home in the car
where my parents sat in the front and I lied down at the back and looked at the
inverted stars through the window humming “Edelweiss”
and not having a thing to worry about …
Well, I sure had a long walk but it is now time to return. I can’t say I don’t like being a grown up. It has its own perks, wider opportunities and definitely a lot of liberties and I enjoy that. But sometimes, just sometimes, you feel like reliving a period when cigarette candies were the most exciting thing in your life. And more importantly, 14th November 2013 will no longer be a memory-less day.
Unfortunately, “Life Superfast Express”, does not provide the facility of a return journey. So what has gone has gone for good. But who said we can’t stick our hand out of the window with a mirror for a few minutes? : )
No comments:
Post a Comment