Sakshi didn’t tag me for this: D, but I thought of roping myself in it, forcefully: P. Summers are here and like most people, I’m nostalgic too. Now that I’m working, I miss those school days summer vacations, those tension-free strolls with friends, those cricket and badminton sessions. Summers were more fun as a kid.

Grandma’s kitchen: I distinctly remember, I used to go to nani-dadi's place for a month or so. I was the first kid on either side of the family so I was the most pampered one too. I was crazy about "nariyal barfi", I still am. My nani use to make those awesome nariyal barfis for me, and also a big packet was packed for me when I was about to leave. Ohh that thing was heaven. My nani is an amazing cook and it’s amazing what she can do without onion-garlic-ginger. My uncles were quite younger to my mom so no kids there. My sister and I were the rulers. Our wish was law. I miss those late night terrace sessions with my nanaji. We use to talk about everything from various constellations to various mythological stories, from world politics to Ghalib's shayari, from Sanskrit sholkas to Urdu lessons, from my studies to my friends. We use to sleep on terrace. I miss those "odomos" nights and early morning wake up calls.
From there I use to go to dadi's place. It was a joint family there, so already bunch of kids waiting for me and my sis. And then hell unleashed. Mumma and chachis use to bang there head on wall. I miss watermelon time (my dadaji use to call it "bakra" lol: D). I miss that chaats/paani puri of Aligarh and those amazing and yet cheap pastries of "ram bharose bakery". I miss that wall climbing sessions. I miss those cricket sessions with super bouncy rubber balls. I miss those math sessions with my cousin (I m a good teacher!!).
Coming back to Ujjain used to be almost a nightmare.

Sports: now I’m a pulp of fat, but as a kid I use to be pretty athletic. Fastest bowler around and one of the better fielders. Those days morning was booked exclusively for cricket. 6 o'clock in the morning and I’m cycling like a blaze to the ground, sometimes to avenge yesterday's humiliating lose, sometimes with a determination to repeat that classic yorker of last game. “Aftis” were reserved for TT sometimes or sometimes watching WWE with friends or playing cards with mom. Evening was for badminton. But in badminton it was rather better case for me. I was a champ. And I was usually hailed as one as well. I used to walk court with utter dominance and grace. And at 7 in the evening it was time for swimming. I had family pass, but alas Ujjain is not a town where u can see girls in family time. Nevertheless, swimming still is my favorite form of workout. Man!! I’m one lazy fat boy now.

Ice-creams/popsicles: I remember them for very different reasons from what most people do. As a kid I had severe tonsillitis. I was not allowed cold water of fridge, let alone ice-creams and popsicles. But I was a very good kid. Mumma says that I never made a fuss about it, will refuse politely even if someone offers me one. I was not allowed anything that was cold. But what!! I make up for it now. :D

Discovery channel: as a kid I was crazy about it, use to watch everything. (Only exceptions were news, cartoon network and matches.) No matter if it was biological/genetic shit or wildlife adventures or some travel guides. I'll watch it religiously. Right from my childhood; I have that knack to know everything. Unlike some people who want to be king of one thing, I am always inclined towards a basic knowledge of everything. I’m scared of a thought that I might end up in a bunch of people where I have no idea what they are talking about and I’m just staring their faces. That fear is still in me, and may be its getting stronger everyday. So whenever I talk to someone and I come across something new, first thing I’ll do after that is to hit “wikipedia”.

Maths: There is something between my family and maths. At least finding maths interesting and equally amusing, is a genetic disorder in me. My mumma always make sure, that during summer vacations, I do some maths. She will get next year’s maths book and make sure; I finish it well before next session even starts. My papa has always been my maths teacher. And I never realized when this interest turned into love. Condition became so bad that while I was about to get in 9^th, I was pretty competent with 10^th-11^th maths, and much better than kids in those class.

Maths still is my first academic love. And as GB Shaw said “First love is a little foolish and a lot of curiosity.” Come on, call me geek!!

Food: Summer is not the best time of the year for foodies, but there was a lot to drink. And two of my favorite fruits use to stack up in fridge. Watermelon and Mango are my love. I distinctly remember, papa used to get fresh mangos daily on his way back home from his morning walk. And then there was mango shake. That was a must have every evening. But I live because of my love for “lassi” and “shikanji”. People drink bed-tea, but I used to drink “bed-lassi”.

I still have my share of fun. Still like sitting on terrace in the night in cold summer breeze. Summers are all about minimal clothing, multiple-shower-sessions, crew-cut hairdos, ice-creams and cold drinks, midnight longdrives, hot babes in shorts and skirts and sports season finals. But vacations are not the same anymore; life is not the same anymore.

Labels: I, Memoirs, Tags