Sweet memories of Childhood...

Today I read an article about the joys of childhood, the happy times of our life. Then there was a poll where people had to write in what they missed the most from their childhood days. Well most of the answers were populated with the most common desires, people missed their vacations, sweets, cartoons (one guy actually wrote in Mickey Mouse ), getting up late, new teachers, chocolates, school, early morning assembly.

Even the thought brings a smile. Long lost seem the days when we used to pray early in the morning for a heavy rain so we could get a holiday, or jumping in the puddles while coming back from school. Those little desires, which now seem so silly, like a new Raincoat every year, a new Uniform which we used to flaunt on the first day of school. I miss my Library the most. We had this reading room in our school where we were allowed to go even during our recess to read comics.. I used to give my tifin away to my class mates so I could rush and read my comics. The paper boats during the rainy season, and the pride when everyone else’s boat would sink and mine would remain upright haughtily. Little did my cousins know that I used to put small pebbles in them!!! Wicked, ain't I???

Somehow the rainy season was always my favorite season, colorful raincoats, dainty umbrellas… The roads just seemed so colorful.. We had a very huge Swing in our balcony and all my time after school, was effectively spent on the Swing, singing songs, sometimes dancing (for no reason of course)…. I was born and bought up in a joint family, so my childhood was a blast, with around 8 of my cousins around… Vacations were almost a picnic every day, we used to make tents in the terrace and sleep gazing at the stars. My mom being an astrophysics freak, I never heard fairy tales in my childhood. It was wonderful stories of comets and meteors, galaxies and asteroids….It was very recently that I read Jack and the Beanstalk with my Nephew.  I miss all those bed time stories where I used to wonder about all the stars….

Life has taken such a big U-turn now, there is no more dreaming about hols, all we can think early in the morning is the heavy task awaiting us. It seems as if I am living a Time-table… Everything is so artificial and fixed. All my cousins have moved out to different locations, some for studies and other for work. The charm and color is completely lost. But when I look at my nephews and my niece, they find more pleasure in watching TV than camping..Their idea of fun is so different than what we used to have… To them vacation is all about their “Piano classes” and Dance schools..... My nephews find better friends in Gizmo toys than in their families…They do not play in the rain anymore, but prefer playing Computer Games instead. Even spirituality is introduced as cartoons…I had to struggle hard to explain to my 5-year old Nephew, that Hanuman is not even remotely related to superman & that He doesn’t wear a mask. Kids these days want to go to Malls, watch movies in multiplexes, wear Branded shoes and play Gizmo games all the times… They just cant see a life beyond their X-Box.

We all certainly need some time off when we can become kids again & return to that heaven of fun and smiles.. Of truth and innocence… Of pranks and mischief….


“magar mujhko lauta do bachpan ka sawan
Woh kagaz ki kasti woh baaris ka paani”