Nostalgia

A few days back I told Neha that I'm so happy we've had the perfect happy childhood in our life. We've done all those things that a childhood asks for. We've had 'gully gangs' where we were the sultans of our street. 'Live together die alone' types. We had cycling groups, badminton teams, cricket championships, Christmas celebrations, Diwali booms and bangs- and counting the trash we had made the next day. The density of the trash brought immense pleasure. Monsoon dances and pushing people in the puddle.

The gang was huge and we've played sports right from 'fire in the mountain' to 'dodge ball' to the nerve cracking 'gully cricket'. We collected the petty cash from all the kids and bought a volley ball and played till it got worn out. We played 'gallery' and 'kho-kho' that used to take the whole street up, we used to hit people with 'maaran pitti' (funny name), 'pithhu' was our favorite game.

We have created havoc in our neighbourhood by breaking windows and we've teased old aunties for not returning our balls back. We've mixed her mirchies and dhaniya that were kept for sun-drying. It was all so much fun. I doubt kids today experience all that.

But I just can't forget the days when electricity blackouts were the reason for every kid in the street to run outta there homes and play hide and seek. We've hid ourselves in nastiest of places and sneakiest of corners just for the love of the game. Damn! inverters and generators have ruined our lives. ahem.

All that is lost somewhere now... but the thought of it makes me happy. Makes me think my childhood has not been wasted.