April of the 1990s were the best Aprils ever.
Sheer bliss when exams used to get over. Like life started after the dong of th bell post the last test.
On the last day of the exams, I remember getting say around Rs 20 - 25 (which gradually went up to Rs 500) in tenth standard. Eat whatever you want- have fun, folks would say!! And there was no hidden agenda. Not like okay have fun but come home and study. It was clear- it was my day!! Our day!!
Incidentally, all last papers would get completed fast and the warning bell would be awaited. Checking and re checking would be done and then till the bell went dong, one would think of mama chya gaavaala jaavuya (let's go to maternal uncle's town). Ding ding ding ding!! And then the rush outside the canteen to eat as much as possible of wada pavs and burgers and 50 piase pepsi colas and barf golas..
The cable wala would come and put the cable and that would be bliss!
Evening woul be packing for next day's journey to native place. And aah, the rush to meet cousins at gaav can come close to nothing!!
The bus journey would commence from Dadar TT on a hot afternoon and the bloated stomachs would ensure sleep on the hot seats of the semi private non AC buses (back then there werent any AC buses) . Two hours into the 17 hour journey and one would wake up sleeping parents and start asking "How much more time?"
That was something. To kill time, one would count the number of lamp posts and watch trucks rush by. Yes, read the Champak and as one grew, even the Mid Day entertainment page and Filmfare. Video games would be played a lot on the way to the bus stand only so they would get boring in the bus. Befriending some co age boy/ girl and talking away to glory- from last exam paper to the number of times one had seen Chaalbaaz or Jo Jeeta wahi Sikander- hell, may be Beta and Dil too!!
As the village came closer, one would think of all that would be done in the next one month during the stay there- right from eating mangoes and ice creams to raw mango soaked in salt and jackfruits- from playing hide n seek in the courtyard and drinking sorbets!
Fights, tears, smiles, laughs, joys, throat infections, mosquito bites, power cuts, movie viewing, marriages, food, temple visits, exam results, treats, beaches, picnics, - all of that made the vacations memorable.
As the vacations drew close to finish, monotony would sink in. Sulk!
June would start! Monsoons would come in. Wetting all newly covered text books and drenching despite umbrellas or raincoats! Shaaa! June was boring! Of course, then there was my birthday- but about that- some time later.
Right now, let me enjoy the April!
Appraisals, pay hikes, movie releases long weekends, Gudi Padwa.. aah, April is like that only!!
2 comments:
didnt u ever puke on that ghastly bus? and [i]Sorbet[/i] in the gaon? hehe.
keep it up.
quin
hey, don't listen to stupid khaliq.
i loved your post! it brought back memories, not all fond but some that struck a chord. honestly, going out of town with family are the most terrible memories i've had of my childhood (although that's just because i'm a cynical, antisocial b$%!@) but your post reminds me of the little things that made it all quite wonderfully bearable. :-)
I want to eat my first mango of the season now.
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