Woh Kagaz ki Kashti

There are no kids in the apartments we stay in,except for a three yr old Monish or monu in the next flat,he is the only kid and he plays with toys,toy cars,planes , soft toys,and he knows about video games and racing cars also.
He likes me,well,i am sure he does:) he is very shy of people,he just runs into kitchen when anyone visits his house,but he comes to our flat daily,when hubby is yet to reach home Monu becomes the hero of my house,he becomes busy with teddy bears,monkey and tweety,the soft toys in my house.
He keeps asking me a 1000 questions,he calls my hubby "anthoo" he cannot spell ka and la still.The moment my husband enters house he rushes off,crying in case we try to stop him,he is fond of all the chocolates and milkshakes my hubby gets for him,but hubby dosnt stand anywhere in his favourites list.
He keeps asking me if i have to college every day? why cant i play with him all the time? he holds the iron grills with his tiny hands and keeps waving to me till i get into the auto.When i reach home i find him at the same spot waiting for more goodies from me:) I love buying things for him,but i wish i could get him a childhood,that innocent childhood which i belonged to.
where we grew up with neighbours,friends from next house or next street,where in the evenings the local park or streets were filled with kids of all ages shouting laughing,running around and moms standing in small groups busy with gossiping yet having an eye on their kids.,
those days of galli ka cricket,gullidanda,marampeet,cycling,aais-paais (I Spy), chhepan-chhepai and pitthoo,running race and skipping race,kabaddi and Kho Kho and ring game,by 7pm we were busy sitting in front of books,No TV in most of the houses or No cable TV,but we had so much to talk about,to share with each other,when chitrahaar,rangoli,Ye jo hain zindagi ,Ramayan were the shows we used to be busy with on doordarshan on a sunday morning.
Summers were spent at granny's place in villages,flying kites was a challenge we lived for,festivals used to be of more people joining in the happiness,sweets made by mom,those days of sitting down in the kitchen and eating from a banana leaf on special occassions,waiting for dad to be home by 7pm,whole family planning to go out once in a month and that used to be such a wonderful exp with small joys,no expensive shopping but getting that candy or icecream,ballons and jasmine flowers for mom and when 50paisa melody chocolate tasted really sweet.
Getting drenhed in rain and making paper boats and coming back from school all wet and smiling even when mom screamed at us:) there were no mothers day or fathers day but we sure had more time for them and they had all the time for us.

As i read somewhere in a mail sent by a friend "I belonged to a time when " we were crying and laughing more often, moreopenly and more sincerily …When we were enjoying our present more than worryingabout our future … When being emotional was not synonymous to being weakWhen sharing worries and happinesses didnt meangetting vulnerable to the listener …When blacks and whites were the favourite colors instead of greys …When journeys also were important and not just thedestinations,I really miss it all .. do u?

Was listening to this song on radio today..........

Yeh daulat bhi lelo, yeh shoharat bhi lelo,
Bhale cheen lo,mujhse meri jawani
Magar mujhko lautado bachpan ka saawan
Woh kagaz ki kashti,,woh baarish ka paani


Muhalle ki sabse, nishaani poorani
Woh budhiya jise, bachhe kehte the nani
Woh nani ki baton mein pariyon ka dehra
Woh chehre ki jhuriyon mein sadiyon ka tera
Bhulaye nahi, bhul sakta hain koi
Woh choti si raatein, woh lambi kahani
Woh kagaz ki kashti, woh baarish ka paani
Woh kagaz ki kashti, woh baarish ka

apne ghar se nikalna
Woh chidiya, woh bulbul, woh titli pakadna
Woh gudiya ki shaadi pey ladna jaghadna
Woh jhulo se girna, woh girke sambhalna
Woh pital ke chaliyon ke pyaare se tohfay
Woh tooti hui, choodiyon ki nishaani
Woh kagaz ki kashti, woh baarish ka paani
Woh kagaz ki kashti, woh baarish ka paani

Kabhi ret ke, oonche keelon pe jaanaa
Gharonde banana, banake mitaana
Woh maasoom chahat ki tasveer apni
Woh khwabon, khilono ki jaagir apni
Naa duniya kaa gum tha, naa rishton ke bandhan
Badi khoobsurat, thi woh zindagaani