When life was simple, and so was I...

There was a time when life was simple, and so was I...
When Sundays meant Mowgli and Mahabharata and Medikar...
When riding a horse at Baludyaan was a thrill unsurpassed...
When school meant teachers and friends and all the fun which could possibly be squeezed into those few hours...
When math homework was the only cloud darkening my skies...
When escaping punishment for talking too much in the class was the only dread in my heart...
When tying my hairs into two plaits with ribbons seemed like rocket science...
When toffees from birthday girls was treat enough...
When quarelling for the "upar ki seat" in the rickshaw seemed like a justified battle against injustice...
When getting to write on the black board and running errands for the teachers seemed like an honour...
When front row seat in the class was the biggest bone of contention....
When the number of friendship bands on a girl's wrist announced her popularity...
When games period equaled nirvana...
When jumping in water puddles in the school ground and splashing dirty muddy water on my friends was the highlight of my day...
When samosas seemed like a culinary delight, especially with that special chutney that school canteen vale bhaiyya made...
When tamarind tree and soap nut tree provided shelter from the wicked sun, and their branches made for great swings...
When screaming cheers at the top of my lungs for my house to win on the sports day gave an amazing kind of rush that no drug can...
When winning did not matter as much and losing was not as disheartening...
When sticking chewing gum on the teacher's chair seemed like the wildest thing possible, and imitating them seemed like the best form of art...
When laughing like insane even without any reason did not seem unwarranted or silly...
When laughter and jubilation did not instill a sense of impending doom in my heart...
When eating tiffin in between the classes seemed like a laudable achievement...
When fire always burnt in the mountains giving me ample time to run run run...
When writing my exams was the only stress on my mind and running in the P.T. period the only strain on my nerves...
When my teachers pulled my ears for my errant behaviour and laughed at my silly antics...
When a paper star pasted by my teacher on my home work seemed like the real thing...perhaps even better than real...
When anger did not last forever and fights were resolved by the next lunch time break...
When dance and drama were a part of everyday life and "stand outside the class!" seemed like a boon...
When the opportunity to wear "coloured dress" seemed like the ultimate bliss and Christmas meant carols and cribs...
When children's day was meant for me and growing up only involved turning eighteen...
When no storms seemed impossible to weather and the ride was as much anticipated as the destination...
When dreams knew no bounds or reason, and the moon seemed only a jump away...
When the possibility of happening upon a prince charming did not seem too fanciful, and cynicism did not form a part of my vocabulary...
Those were the days...that was the time...
Amazing memories and hilarious moments...
When life was simple, and so was I.