Life was so simple and easy back then. Back it the day, we (my family) used to live in Cochin, Kerala- Thotakattu Cross Road! It was this narrow asphalt street lined with sloping roof, typical Kerala style houses. Right off Jose Junction! Our neighbors-Ajay, Shaila and baby Kannan....my best friend Vikas....and other friends...Guru, Raji, Unni, Grishma, Prakash, Chimmi, Badri..Days filled with so much happiness...Now Im not even in touch with any of them! sad...
I used to live for the evenings when we all played whatever...Running blindly and crashing intot he gate was such an adrenaline rush....Biking real fast and falling into a ditch was such thrill... Me and Appa used to plant roses bushes and wait for daysssss in anticipation for the bud to finally blossom! And when it did bloom...stupid Kannan would totally pluck it! (I know he was like 2-3 yrs old but...) Still remember the store at the end of this street...used to love their carrot juice...(Rs 4..a huge amt those days!) We had this motel..'Ideal Lodge' down the street where Appa, Aarthi and I used to crash after dinner and idle away time! Oh so much fun were those days! And 'Bimbis' was this place we had dinner almost every other day! I clearly remember the layout and the menu even!
I used to love going to school....used to fight for the best place in the bus..It was just the other day...Appa and I were talking abt the bus conductor-Sridhar! I used to fall asleep every single day and Sridhar wakes me up at my stop..what a nice man he was...I wonder if he is even alive today...And the huge temple I used to frequent (yes, those days...I used to idol-worship!).It was a pleasure even visiting the temple and its vast grounds...I havent found one temple in Madras...that not crowded and peaceful... (Hate Madras anyways)....
My friend from school...Archana who used to drop me home sometimes...theTTD blgd where I used to learn Carnatic music...The ice cream place 'Woodies' we used to frequent...Appa's friend LRS and his Bellmouth cottage...our badminton days...our quarrels with neighbor Viji, this video rental place 'Video Shake' (videos literally shook...bad ones) and 'Video Today'....the BTH hotel where I met Kamal Hassana nd couldnt stop blushignt he entire night (!)....summers when cousins/relatives used to visit us...my bike-learning days....my rose-stealing days from my neighbor (I have this thing for roses!), the picnic we went to that was organised by Appa's bank...all fragments of memories flooding my brain.....
In retrospection.I can NEVER go back to those golden days with my family in Cochin. I can never be so innocent...Nothing used to bother me.... Nothing on this earth can bring it back for me...All I have left is fond memories of friendship, innocence and loving times. If only I can turn back time...If only I had a penseive (HP fans would know this)...I would want to relive those beautiful, sunshine filled days and never get back to today...
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"-John Lennon
2 comments:
Vow ! those nostolgical memories cherished almost after 2 decades!!You have covered everything indeed almost. I add a few: that boy Badri, her mother,suspicious father and his innocent sister. I used to tease him (forgetting my age then)...Paulose's bungalow... that richness.House owner Nandattan's father,later entry of Kalpana, Prakash,his mother.Aarthi used to do 'Iddli dance'...what s that?My friend Cleatus,Beauty parlour aunty ...We always used to watch Films in VCP, all members of family lying on the floor..Our visit to the Shivan temple for the 'Prasadam'...mama mama echchiru more kodukkaamo!!
Past is always sad, I feel. We have everything now, but we don't have anything..that is life!!
No Appa...Past is not always sad..in our case...it is rich with beautiful, unforgettable memories...Past has made me, made us what we are today. If things go bad in the present, I always have my past to cherish and cheer up.
I only wish I can turn back time--even if it is for a day to relive those innocent days together as a family.
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