There are times when your deep attachments raises their head in the form of nostalgia. Now that the strong physical thread of my parents in Vasai will cease to exist with them moving to Kerala, I wonder when would be the next time I visit the place which was witness to my childhood and adolescence.
My first memories of my life itself was me riding double seat on the little tricycle along with my brother on the verandah of Master Building Chawl and shitting in the open fields outside with my bro accompanied by an uncle. Watching Giant Robot on TV with the neighborhood while devouring a chapati is still so fresh in my mind. Looking at Rajiv and Ranju's colour TV and wondering when we will get one is another. Living in such poverty and yet being so oblivious to it, hope I still can cultivate that indifference to life's realities now.
My first step of getting introduced to the outside world was my first day of school. I still remember me crying like crazy and not understanding why my mother has left me here and then the relief and joy while running towards her at the end of the day. It was the beginning of my love-hate relationship with education for the next 15 years. In this institution, I learnt friendship and the bonds that come with it. Chirag and Chetan were my best friends then.
During this time we moved from the chawl to a flat - Jiten apts in Diwanman. Being more aware than others of my age group, my tryst with love and it's other appearances were underway. Supposedly, I hugged a girl when I was just 4 (My bro and mom vouch for this, although I have no such memory). Life went on, although I still do remember me questioning myself at times as to where does yesterday and previous day go when today goes (hmm, some intelligence carried forward from my previous life). Also, this was the period which would foster the strong relationship with my brother. We used to play together, go to school together in his bicycle with the winds and fight as well. We also witnessed the hardships of life of with my father bed-ridden with a chronic back pain and my mom taking tuitions to make ends meet.
Maybe, we were the only kids who never pestered our parents for anything but our graduation to real life was much earlier than many others.
Then we moved to Kailas Bhavan, where love really blossomed for my brother. I was at my most evil by diclosing his romantic adventures to my parents. Haha, he had to bear all the brunt at that time. We got our first video game here and still remember how much we used to play Contra and Super Mario.
At the age of 14, we moved to Vasant Nagri (Vasai East). The time to rediscover and remember oneself was on to me. The 1996 World Cup was the beginning of a great love story between me and cricket. Also, my infatuation with a girl ended on a sidenote with her liking my brother and not me.
From a boy's school to a co-ed college, it was quite a challenge to beat my shyness around girls. Yeah, it was even bigger than the hurdle for getting an admission there in Vartak College. The age of 16 is my great turnaround period in life. For the first time I fell strongly in love (not it's appearance). If being tiny ugly duckling was not enough, I did so many stupid mistakes that ended up me being slapped across the face. I never stood a chance in this chapter of love, but then it paved the way for a different form of revival.
Self-alienated, I started knocking at the door of philosophy armed with nothing but then an Ayn Rand book and conversations with my brother. Discovering Conversations with God was great and so was discovering understanding the world of movies outside bollywood. "Shawshank Redemption", "Without Limits" and "What Dreams May Come" were a revelation to me.
At the same time, love had helped me discover a lot about myself. Sitting below a pillar and looking towards the girl I loved was not the only activity then. It was accompanied with lots of questions and unsure answers. Ahh, the solitude and the joy in it.
My last year of college saw the start of one of the most beautiful relationships in my life. Her presence and essence helped me open up and socialise with others around. It was love but never a possesing kind, just pure and devoid of any need for being together. There was, maybe, mutual admiration. I was able to express my gratitude and appreciation to the 2 girls whom I loved as they had played a role in me getting close to life, love and it's philosophies.
With the end of college, came another beginning. It was beginning of a fight for survival and daily food. Yeah, had to look for a job. Appeared for about 16 interviews before being picked up in 1. Then one fine August evening in 2002, saw a newspaper ad for Fresh graduates required for an MNC in Bangalore. I did go for that interview and got selected. Relocated to Bangalore, fell in love and now happily married, I still wonder what would have been the story if I had never left my other beloved 'Vasai'. Who knows?
But the romance will continue with my nostalgia and my memories of the place. In the movie 'Amores perrros', it is correctly stated that "Whatever you lose too becomes a part of you".
P.S.: For my malayalee friends, please watch the following clip from "Rapakkal". There is a little scene from the 6th minute (6.04) between the brother and sister which is quite close to what I might have felt during my last trip to Vasai. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSUnMoeK8CY)
My first memories of my life itself was me riding double seat on the little tricycle along with my brother on the verandah of Master Building Chawl and shitting in the open fields outside with my bro accompanied by an uncle. Watching Giant Robot on TV with the neighborhood while devouring a chapati is still so fresh in my mind. Looking at Rajiv and Ranju's colour TV and wondering when we will get one is another. Living in such poverty and yet being so oblivious to it, hope I still can cultivate that indifference to life's realities now.
My first step of getting introduced to the outside world was my first day of school. I still remember me crying like crazy and not understanding why my mother has left me here and then the relief and joy while running towards her at the end of the day. It was the beginning of my love-hate relationship with education for the next 15 years. In this institution, I learnt friendship and the bonds that come with it. Chirag and Chetan were my best friends then.During this time we moved from the chawl to a flat - Jiten apts in Diwanman. Being more aware than others of my age group, my tryst with love and it's other appearances were underway. Supposedly, I hugged a girl when I was just 4 (My bro and mom vouch for this, although I have no such memory). Life went on, although I still do remember me questioning myself at times as to where does yesterday and previous day go when today goes (hmm, some intelligence carried forward from my previous life). Also, this was the period which would foster the strong relationship with my brother. We used to play together, go to school together in his bicycle with the winds and fight as well. We also witnessed the hardships of life of with my father bed-ridden with a chronic back pain and my mom taking tuitions to make ends meet.
Maybe, we were the only kids who never pestered our parents for anything but our graduation to real life was much earlier than many others.
Then we moved to Kailas Bhavan, where love really blossomed for my brother. I was at my most evil by diclosing his romantic adventures to my parents. Haha, he had to bear all the brunt at that time. We got our first video game here and still remember how much we used to play Contra and Super Mario.
At the age of 14, we moved to Vasant Nagri (Vasai East). The time to rediscover and remember oneself was on to me. The 1996 World Cup was the beginning of a great love story between me and cricket. Also, my infatuation with a girl ended on a sidenote with her liking my brother and not me.
From a boy's school to a co-ed college, it was quite a challenge to beat my shyness around girls. Yeah, it was even bigger than the hurdle for getting an admission there in Vartak College. The age of 16 is my great turnaround period in life. For the first time I fell strongly in love (not it's appearance). If being tiny ugly duckling was not enough, I did so many stupid mistakes that ended up me being slapped across the face. I never stood a chance in this chapter of love, but then it paved the way for a different form of revival.Self-alienated, I started knocking at the door of philosophy armed with nothing but then an Ayn Rand book and conversations with my brother. Discovering Conversations with God was great and so was discovering understanding the world of movies outside bollywood. "Shawshank Redemption", "Without Limits" and "What Dreams May Come" were a revelation to me.
At the same time, love had helped me discover a lot about myself. Sitting below a pillar and looking towards the girl I loved was not the only activity then. It was accompanied with lots of questions and unsure answers. Ahh, the solitude and the joy in it.
My last year of college saw the start of one of the most beautiful relationships in my life. Her presence and essence helped me open up and socialise with others around. It was love but never a possesing kind, just pure and devoid of any need for being together. There was, maybe, mutual admiration. I was able to express my gratitude and appreciation to the 2 girls whom I loved as they had played a role in me getting close to life, love and it's philosophies.
With the end of college, came another beginning. It was beginning of a fight for survival and daily food. Yeah, had to look for a job. Appeared for about 16 interviews before being picked up in 1. Then one fine August evening in 2002, saw a newspaper ad for Fresh graduates required for an MNC in Bangalore. I did go for that interview and got selected. Relocated to Bangalore, fell in love and now happily married, I still wonder what would have been the story if I had never left my other beloved 'Vasai'. Who knows?
But the romance will continue with my nostalgia and my memories of the place. In the movie 'Amores perrros', it is correctly stated that "Whatever you lose too becomes a part of you".
P.S.: For my malayalee friends, please watch the following clip from "Rapakkal". There is a little scene from the 6th minute (6.04) between the brother and sister which is quite close to what I might have felt during my last trip to Vasai. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSUnMoeK8CY)
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