Try to recall the oldest memories in your mind. How old were you then? Four or may be Five. The memories do not seem that old, do they? You had your own ideas about the world, conscience, and about yourself. You had those childish dreams which seem so unrealistic now.
Making friends was so easy then. You just had to lend the first two fingers of your hand, kiss it off and you get yourself a friend. If things didn't work out the little finger came to the rescue, “katti – foo”! Dosti – Katti were two transitions that used to happen as frequently as sunrise – sunset. You had no idea what betrayal is. May be some cheating from their side during “hide and seek” always ended up you as a seeker. Or umpired out of a forbidden fast ball in the “galli cricket” Things never were complicated back then.
You did some terrible things like giving a funeral service to your buddy fish in the aquarium which died on a hot sumer afternoon. It was crazy but felt right. School taught to help the helpless and you brought home a cute looking puppy, which was not welcomed by mom. You emulated all the fight scenes in movies and imitated your favorite hero with shirts unbuttoned!
Aspiring was easier than dreaming; oblivious to how exactly you going to achieve it; not caring whether you have the capability in the first place. Gradually education made you smarter in laws like gravity and you realized that flying like Super-man isn't really possible Those cool maneuvers of Turbo-Kat jet by the Swat-Kats defied all laws of centrifugal force!! All the powers Shaktiman had weren't real!
You had no idea about caste and creed. It was never an issue. Names were enough when you made friends. The fact that this person has the bat or ball to play cricket sufficed and not his ancestral background. History taught about great divide among the people. And suddenly you became very very aware of the surnames.
World is so complicated that figuring it out is like playing hide and seek again. The difference is that you are the seeker every day. When young you counted till 10-Mississippi before all the friends hid themselves. Every morning you get up the Mississippi count is over. You wish you didn't have to open your eyes.
Every day when you look back in the past you are elder. You understand you are more intelligent and smarter. As a child you always wanted to become a grown-up. And then when you look in the mirror; the present; you ask yourself whether the choices and decisions you made were right; whether this is the image of the grown-up you always wanted to become.
