Childhood Memories

Childhood Memories​

When i was around 3 or so, i remember distinctly,even after 50 years,we were in Ghatkopar.We had a small bunglow on rent,and empty fields around.There used to be a lot of butterflies around.I used to move around on a small tricycle,and would slowly go near it,and catch the butterfly and keep it in my upper pocket.I would cycle home fast,to show my mom and granny,and when i open my pocket, the butterfly is gone.I used to cry,and go and again catch another one,with the same result.It never crossed my mind to kill it and then show.I never saw two butterflies of the same colour.God only knows how he made them.


We used to catch it,and put it in a match box,and either it used to die,or run away.And there was this tree near the bus stop in Chembur,oppostite the Diamond Garden.It used to have Khujli wali Imlis (some fruits which cause itching).We used to carefully pluck it with a handkerchief,and put it in our school bag,and given a chance put it in the back of the pants of a friend.You should have seen they guy itching his backside in the bus,as though doing a dance,and we would be laughing away.His mom would yell at us,and at the same time giving us Sherbat,requesting us to please spare her son.Once she showed us his red bums,and we were laughing uncontrollably in her house.Bad of us,but well we were kids,and kids dont do any wrong, do they ?Luckily for the guy,we didn’t put it in the front of his pants

We friends used to love plucking mangoes from the trees of the Girls School next door,for that we had to jump the wall.I was caught many a times,and the principal used to think, I had come to fool around with the girls .Comeon, how stupid can some people get.Kamalji and girls?No way.

Girls used to play Langdi,and those squares game on the floor,i don’t know the name.We guys used to play marbles.Make a Triangle,put 5 marbles each in it, and with a big marble from far, try to hit them.One of my punjabi friends used to be very good and used to win away all my marbles.

I had a girl cousin from Nadiad,thats Gujerat, who came down for a few days to visit us.She came and said i want to play marbles with u guys.I was so ashamed,i shooed her off,but mom said let her play,shes come for a few days only.My friends objected,but gave in.Boy she was a champ,this female,and won me all the marbles that i had lost in the last few month.My punjabi friend cried foul, but i threatened to tell my other school friends that he had lost to a girl,and that kept him quiet.Whenever he used to bully me, I used to just tell him " She is Coming in a few days " and that would bring him to his senses.Who wants to lose to a female ?Remember the movie " Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ".SKR did not want to admit he used to lose to Kajol.

Outdoor games for us used to be football,the old fashioned one,with the rubber bladder.Come rains,and it was fun playing in the slushy grounds of Gandhi Maidan.Cricket we played with the tennis balls in the compound,and broke many a windows.Good there were not many cars those days.

Kite flying was great fun.Dad used to love fly kites,and I would hold the Charkhi,while he flew them high.He and me used to make Manja.We used to buy the colour,broken fine glass,and I don’t know what else.We used to tie the thread on the terrace,and Dad with Socks as gloves,used to put the paste of manja on the thread.

When he used to fly the kites,he used to have the socks on,and by evening his fingers used to bleed,as the glass of themanja used to tear in his fingers thru the socks.And when we had a Pech, he used to give Dheel,while we used to tell him to Khech instead.and the boys down used to steal our Manja when our kites got cut,and I used to curse them.Dad had a hard time trying to keep me quiet.Now in Jaipur, I have lost interest totally in kites.

Indoor Games were fun too,like Carrom,ludo,Chinese Checkers and Monopoly.For Carrom,after the boric powder finished, we used to flick Moms Expensive talc power quietly,and get whacked for the same.In the rainy season,we had a hard time playing on the damp carrom,and used to take the carrom near the stove to get it warm and heated.Everybody used to be after the queen,just as teenagers we used to be after the pretty females.

Dad used to take us to the zoo,at Byculla, i think,and we used to love the animals,and the icecreams from the roadside carts.And the Raymond and Gemini Circus used to be a treat,with the animals,and the dwarfs.We were too young to notice the pretty trapeze females,though " Kuch Kuch Hota Tha ",but could not understand at that age ki kya ho raha hai.

Now all this has been replaced by the computers,mobiles and the play stations.Kids are getting smarter,and faster,unlike us stupid blokes.Good luck kids,your poor Dads and Moms envy you.

Kamal Mahtani

 

Janani ji,


Thanks for yr first comment.Childhood is so different these days.K ids are mostly indoors, playing computer games,and spoiling their eyesight.We used to be playing outside the whole day,get dirty,and come home and take a nice warm bath,have a cup of tea,and lots of mother's love.Sadly many of these are missing these days.Thanks.kamal

 

Shantiji,


How true.We can remembner our days, but what will our children talk about ? HAHA.very true.

Great comments,thanks a lot for them.Regards.kamal

 

Nivediji,

Wonderful account of yr childhood days.The sand castles , the games, yes they are great memories, the most precious for us adults.


Thanks and regards.kamal

 

Abhaji,

That was a good one abot not going back home to drink water, bcs mom may give u some work and make u stay at home:-(

Yes childhood days are great,I pity todays children,who have just electonic gadjets toplay with,no real friends with whom u can laugh ,cry,fight,and make up.

Regards.kamal