Growing up in a very large, joint family and then a large extended family is in of itself quite an experience. Those of us who grew up in Faridabad Old or similar small towns, will appreciate the closeness of the community. The distinction between family, friends and acquaintances is so thin and fluid. One merging into another with time and season. For me the experience was so much more special, being the son of a very respected and well known family in town. Being the youngest in the family added another dimension of all round love and affection. Being good in studies was the icing on the cake. Farther than my own memory takes me, I was told that the huge house that we lived in at one time housed 12 families. Fortunately for me, by the time I came along it was one joint family. The yard was huge enough that we all learnt bike riding in the front yard and we did attempt scooter riding lessons there too. A place to have two-three buffaloes with their indoor-outdoor "haudi or Khorh" for "saani" feeding and shed to store their feed and bhoosa. Kutti ki machine that provided daily sense of awe as to how strong the older siblings were who could work it. The nice smell of sarsaun ki Khal. For the unitiated saani was "Khal Bhoon" in punjabi. A huge kitchen garden that provided most vegetables and even tobacco for my grand father's hooka. The fun reached its best when the workers would stream the milk straight into our mouth while milking.
Of course, the first set of friends are the siblings, I was lucky to have seven. Every one in the city was chacha ji, chachi ji, bhaiya and didi. You didn't have to go join a cricket team as the siblings and a neighbor or two and you even had an umpire. My earliest school was Faridabad Public School round the corner from home. I joined the school as soon as I could walk out the house. By dates, I must have been 3 yrs and 4 months. Primarily, because I did not want to stay home while my older sister went to school. I still remember my mother or the servants tied my shoe laces for a long time. Sometimes, the shoe lace tying ceremony created a major upheaval in the house because I would step on the chakla ( for rolling the roti) to get my shoe lace tied. I must've been the tiniest in the class as you can see on the cover picture. I made several friends for life, even when I call them 30 years later, they receive me with the love and affection that comes from growing up together. I must name the brothers, Mukesh and Rakesh (mukki and Rakku for me) Gupta. Arun Gupta, Narender Gupta (Nindo) and his brother Mahender. Then there were Anil and Sunil Garg, Archna Garg and Rahul Kakkar who were with me in school till much later. Before that, however, I must mention Sunil Parasher, who I had a special bond with because both our fathers were great friends too. Unfortunately, Sunil is no more. In the Friends/ Family category we had Sunil Choudhry and Sanjeev (Goldie) Saluja and his little brother Pawan or Pavvi. A few years later in Govt High school it was Mool Chand (moola) Raj Kishor and Ram Kishor Verma. Two other names that linger from those days are Kishan Pal (transport fame) and Krishan Pal ( better known as Gurjar) Those were quite innocent days. It took so liitle to make one happy, so little to make one cry. The needs were so few, The joyous moments were of playing hide and seek, gulli danda,lattoo, kanchey, pithoo, gaind taarhi and then progressing to cricket and group movies and some group mischief. In door games in the summer months were ludo, snakes and ladders, carrom, and cards. There was so much time spent outside with friends. Learning cycling on 24 inch bikes with Kainchi style as the first lesson. Even though we have been away for so many years but when we meet, I see them as they were in our childhool. I must add that all of us have now reached pinnacles of our careers and fortunately have done exceedingly well. Bravo my friends. !!! Best to all of you.
Comentários