Most of my childhood was spent in a govt.colony.It was a typical Govt colony where scientists lived a comfortable life in peace and quiet.Almost all of them aspired to be a millionaires through their children so the entire focus was children and their studies.While almost all the parents aimed above 90 percent for their children ,we kids tried our level best in our individual capacities to match up to at least a certain standard of their high expectations.
No fancy international schools for us,our schooling began and ended within the secure confines of Kendriya Vidyalayas spread across various cities in India.Every few years we would follow dad to a new city and a new KV.We were not exposed to extreme riches or poverty and were blissfully unaware of the class and economic divide.We only wondered why the uniforms of certain friends were not so well maintained and why few of them consistently forgot to carry their lunch boxes .KV was situated near the outskirts of the city so we were the first to leave and last to enter the colony gates to and from school.
Playtime was most important and would start as soon as we stepped down from our school bus called 'dalda'. Evening game plans were shouted out loud from the streets for all the neighbourhood kids to hear. Little eager faces appeared in the windows and balconies in various stages of undress to nod or shout back in agreement .Their mothers could be seen lurking close behind in the background ,with evening snacks and a glass of milk in their hands ,lest the child ran away without stuffing himself with that day's culinary delights.Pet-puja was always a hurried affair,of least importance so to speak, when there was so much to look forward to.There was no way one could step out of the house though, without drinking that big mug of Bournvita. Any one who dared to do that, had to face the public humiliation of drinking it on the playground in front of the whole colony under the watchful eyes of the concerned mother.My mother was notorious in that regard. The four feet nothing figure could be seen waving her tiny arms frantically , raising that formidable glass of milk above her head.
Since economic divide in the colony was not very steep,our expectations from our parents had no scope of escalating to unrealistic heights.A section of our colony kids came from class 4 employees' quarters and these kids were most sought after in kiddie circles as they were bold, rebellious and street smart.They were assets to all mohalla teams be it cricket or any other game, so nobody paid any heed to officer parents when they tried to dissuade their descendants from mingling with 'that' crowd.Accidental slip of tongue in front of parents would at times lead to scoldings,impositions,temporary house arrests and the like. Parents were cruel and we accepted that.
We lived in the lap of nature's abundance.A thick green blanket provided ample opportunities for us to climb trees and hide in their welcoming arms. All the parents knew about it and generally had no objection to that. However,we had an unwritten rule that as soon as street lights blinked on ,all kids should be home.Kids spilled over the streets and said hurried good byes before proceeding homewards.Tree climbing was not allowed after natural light dimmed .Once I managed to reach the top of a Jamun tree and was precariously hanging on to one of the thin branches when a friend on guard announced that my dad was spotted at close distance.It was almost dark and I was not supposed to be on that tree.Without much thought,I jumped and the ground beneath made sure that I came out unscathed from the great fall. We made a great team,nature and us.
courtesy-Google images
We rejoiced every time Zeenat or Parveen ,the smart and good looking colony bitches gave birth to cute pups.With so many hands to feed,all pups were raised fell fed and happy.However ,the finer details of human reproduction were not probed till much later in adolescence.A few books from the syllabus and select few from the colony library,helped in understanding the facts of life but they were not of much help when we sat huddled together under the old Banyan and wondered why our parents indulged in the dirty act.We did not ask to be given birth now,did we??Disgusting ,we unanimously declared and after the disclosure,for a few days , none could see their parents in the eye while talking, especially mothers.How could she?chal, dad theek hai but MOM!! We were betrayed.
courtesy-Google images
Romance was nicer,we thought.What was that longing about,no one knew..it just felt good and you missed the guy and the way he looked at you with puppy eyes. Bass! The pain Jayu Patil felt somewhere between the chest and the stomach was quite baffling to her when sudden eye contact happened between her and Joshi uncle's son. Much later when I was in college, I came to know that my kid brothers were instrumental in my not being in much demand in spite of my decent looks.They played spoilsport and nipped any romantic feelings any guy had for me, in the bud. How? Don't ask! It is a miracle that I met my match and am happily married now.Dono ka bas chalta toh main kunvaari hi reh jaati .
It is amazing how secure our parents were in the thought that we kids were safe at play.That we are alive after all those risky games in the neighbourhood ,interacting with strangers,exploring thick shrubs bare feet,cricket on the road,riding two wheelers without Helmets and much more, is a miracle in itself.
I am insecure the moment my child steps out of the house. I thought I was early when I sat down to tell them about the birds and the bees .I have good kids ,they heard me out patiently before gently breaking it to me that they were aware.My parents had it easy,we kind of had a community upbringing in the colony.
The growing pains were more or less common for all the kids then ,
Not any more...
No fancy international schools for us,our schooling began and ended within the secure confines of Kendriya Vidyalayas spread across various cities in India.Every few years we would follow dad to a new city and a new KV.We were not exposed to extreme riches or poverty and were blissfully unaware of the class and economic divide.We only wondered why the uniforms of certain friends were not so well maintained and why few of them consistently forgot to carry their lunch boxes .KV was situated near the outskirts of the city so we were the first to leave and last to enter the colony gates to and from school.
Playtime was most important and would start as soon as we stepped down from our school bus called 'dalda'. Evening game plans were shouted out loud from the streets for all the neighbourhood kids to hear. Little eager faces appeared in the windows and balconies in various stages of undress to nod or shout back in agreement .Their mothers could be seen lurking close behind in the background ,with evening snacks and a glass of milk in their hands ,lest the child ran away without stuffing himself with that day's culinary delights.Pet-puja was always a hurried affair,of least importance so to speak, when there was so much to look forward to.There was no way one could step out of the house though, without drinking that big mug of Bournvita. Any one who dared to do that, had to face the public humiliation of drinking it on the playground in front of the whole colony under the watchful eyes of the concerned mother.My mother was notorious in that regard. The four feet nothing figure could be seen waving her tiny arms frantically , raising that formidable glass of milk above her head.
Since economic divide in the colony was not very steep,our expectations from our parents had no scope of escalating to unrealistic heights.A section of our colony kids came from class 4 employees' quarters and these kids were most sought after in kiddie circles as they were bold, rebellious and street smart.They were assets to all mohalla teams be it cricket or any other game, so nobody paid any heed to officer parents when they tried to dissuade their descendants from mingling with 'that' crowd.Accidental slip of tongue in front of parents would at times lead to scoldings,impositions,temporary house arrests and the like. Parents were cruel and we accepted that.
We lived in the lap of nature's abundance.A thick green blanket provided ample opportunities for us to climb trees and hide in their welcoming arms. All the parents knew about it and generally had no objection to that. However,we had an unwritten rule that as soon as street lights blinked on ,all kids should be home.Kids spilled over the streets and said hurried good byes before proceeding homewards.Tree climbing was not allowed after natural light dimmed .Once I managed to reach the top of a Jamun tree and was precariously hanging on to one of the thin branches when a friend on guard announced that my dad was spotted at close distance.It was almost dark and I was not supposed to be on that tree.Without much thought,I jumped and the ground beneath made sure that I came out unscathed from the great fall. We made a great team,nature and us.
We rejoiced every time Zeenat or Parveen ,the smart and good looking colony bitches gave birth to cute pups.With so many hands to feed,all pups were raised fell fed and happy.However ,the finer details of human reproduction were not probed till much later in adolescence.A few books from the syllabus and select few from the colony library,helped in understanding the facts of life but they were not of much help when we sat huddled together under the old Banyan and wondered why our parents indulged in the dirty act.We did not ask to be given birth now,did we??Disgusting ,we unanimously declared and after the disclosure,for a few days , none could see their parents in the eye while talking, especially mothers.How could she?chal, dad theek hai but MOM!! We were betrayed.
Romance was nicer,we thought.What was that longing about,no one knew..it just felt good and you missed the guy and the way he looked at you with puppy eyes. Bass! The pain Jayu Patil felt somewhere between the chest and the stomach was quite baffling to her when sudden eye contact happened between her and Joshi uncle's son. Much later when I was in college, I came to know that my kid brothers were instrumental in my not being in much demand in spite of my decent looks.They played spoilsport and nipped any romantic feelings any guy had for me, in the bud. How? Don't ask! It is a miracle that I met my match and am happily married now.Dono ka bas chalta toh main kunvaari hi reh jaati .
It is amazing how secure our parents were in the thought that we kids were safe at play.That we are alive after all those risky games in the neighbourhood ,interacting with strangers,exploring thick shrubs bare feet,cricket on the road,riding two wheelers without Helmets and much more, is a miracle in itself.
I am insecure the moment my child steps out of the house. I thought I was early when I sat down to tell them about the birds and the bees .I have good kids ,they heard me out patiently before gently breaking it to me that they were aware.My parents had it easy,we kind of had a community upbringing in the colony.
The growing pains were more or less common for all the kids then ,
Not any more...
Lovely writing, Sharmila as my childhood too was spent in the government colony having gone through much the same things:)The world has changed around us very fast in last decade or so!
ReplyDeleteChange is life! Living in a colony with an open house policy was fun.I learnt the meaning of nuclear family and privacy after coming to Mumbai and if you ask me now,I would find it difficult have it any other way.
ReplyDeleteMa says that we never realize how difficult it is to grow a kid until we have our own, and then we see how difficult it must have been for our parents when we do the same to our children.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a cycle, will repeat itself.
Cheers,
Blasphemous Aesthete
Absolutely right!I somehow feel I am more insecure as a parent compared to my parents.
DeleteAh!! Your post took me to another era!! Such funfilled carefree innocent days but eys you are right, the current generation doesn't know what they are missing in life, they are learning everything too early in their lives!!!
ReplyDeleteI term it going back to your roots days..It is very recently that I realized ,how much I cherish those memories and not so long ago I rolled my eyes and threw my arms up in the air when dad got excited talking about his childhood:0
DeleteLoved reading this... took me back to my childhood :)
ReplyDeleteHey Thank you !Missed you at the blogger meet ..
DeleteAh, childhood!!! lovely post :')
ReplyDeleteA.
http://e-pinion.blogspot.in
I can identify with a lot of that: even the wonderments at the abominable acts of our creators!It makes me so nostalgic. But remembering all that helps me think from my kids perspective too.
ReplyDeleteI am sure most of us went through that phase.Thank you for reading !
DeleteA nostalgic visit down the memory lane...times have changed.
ReplyDeleteIndeed they have Alka.I seem to be having these visits down the memory lane,more often lately..
DeleteWe always see the past with rose tinted eyes. Convinced that our kids are missing out on all the fun that we had, when we were their age. Mourning for their loss innocence..
ReplyDeleteIt's a cycle that repeats with each new generation :-)
I Agree.I am still subjected to my dad's "hamaare samay mein..'
Delete