When I was a kid....

Everyone was a kid at sometime ...before they entered their adulthood. Some remain kid throughout their life, through their actions, behaviour, heart or whatever...
I was also a kid..physically...though some people still say, I am still mentally!!
Anyways, I have faintly memories of childhood. My grandpa[my father's father] died, when I was 2 years old--I hardly remember any interaction with him. Though, when I go through the old album, I find a lot of pictures with him. The one of the incident I cherish "when I was a kid" is taking a sleeping pill, when I was 3 yrs old.
My grandfather [mother's father] was a patient of nervous breakdown, so doctor used to advise him to have sleeping pills. I saw him taking one from a pack of 10 tablets. All were white in colour, except one, which was pink colored. I thought, it to be a lozenge. I saw him keeping it on a shelf. Once he left the room, I took a chair, climbed up to reach the shelf & then got the tablets. I opened the pack, opened my desired "candy" & then started chewing. But its bitter..I came down & told mom, "Maa, this tablet is bitter...". She started questioning me, what did I eat?I told her everything. In the meanwhile, my grandmother got to know--she got scared. She used to love me a lot--I being her favorite grandson. She started hitting me lightly, & telling me, "Why dont you do all these stuff at your home?Why here?". Anyways, my mom took me to the doctor, doctor just laughed it away saying good that I would sleep for sometime, nothing much. Else, if people are too worried, they can take me to hospital for washing away the tablet. Doctor advised my mom, that I should be given to drink tea [perhaps an antidote???]. Anyways, this story ends here...one of the funny events[??] of my childhood.
My grandfather passed away, when I was 4 yrs old. I remember, I was in the nursery. My uncle & mother came to meet the teacher & told her that my grandfather was not in a good condition, so we must move to my maternal uncle's. We all left.
The day he died, I didn't know what was death. I saw people crying, mourning on his death bed. I was just roaming around. My mom, grandmother, father, maternal uncle, & few relatives, neighbours--all were there. I saw some flowers which has dropped from his death bed. I was collecting them & put them on his chest. However, after all left for the cremation of his body, I came to learn from my mother, that was crying....perhaps, I could feel what was death, by then.
I also have faintly memories of nursery too. Few glimpses I remember--I was ever playful. People used to comment that I would either be a philosopher or a poet. However, my play was all alone..seldom with people. One habit which I had, was to untie my shoelace & throw it away from the window. I did it several times....& my mother used to run after me for that. At the end, I needed a punishment. It was a hot summer then. The pitch was about to melt. As usual, I opened the shoelaces & threw it away. My mother saw this. She didn't tell me anything. On the way back, she opened my shoes & let me walk on barefoot. I remember, I was crying, as the road was too hot. I already said, the pitch was about to melt. My feet turned red & after that, she washed my feet with cold water.
During my childhood, most of the frequented place was my grandmother's house/maternal uncle's house. Every vacation, holidays, my mother used to take me there. I told you, that I was dear to my grandmother. Whatever I used to hear from people, I used to tell her. Good, bad, positive, negative. I remember, my mother used to tell me mythological stories--mostly being of Hindu Mythology. I used to tell my grandmother all those stories, with facial expressions.
Whilst our ancestral property was being renovated, we used to stay at some other place. The neighbours there were devotees of Lord Krishna. They used to sing bhajans, prayers etc. Whenever, they would something for God, they would always call me, & decorate me with all forms of marks etc, like the way a Vaishnava puts the divine marks of Krishna in their body.
In the year 1990, my father went to US to meet my uncle in California. I went with him till the airport, but I didn't want him to leave. I was crying a lot in the airport. My father wanted to relocate to US during that time. Everything was done...Visa, ticket all were ready. But my mother changed plans, owing to my grandmother's poor health. Else, we would have been in the *States* by now.
At the age of 6, I got a sibling. He was too small for me. I used to play with him...even now, when I am in Calcutta, I play with him. Often he would fall from my hands & would start crying..n then back to normal.
When I was 7, I lost my grandmother. She used to dream that I would be university blue. Many a times, she used to tell me, when I would visit her. She was suffering from breast cancer, which further went to brain. I remember, the day she passed away. The previous day, all my cousins & I was staying over in the neighbour's house. My grandmother's condition was critical. I got up around 6 am in the morning, of May, 27 1992. The senior lady of the neighbour's house told me, "Your grandmother has gone to heaven". I could not understand. After a glass of milk, I went to my grandmother's house. I saw many people sitting in the drawing room. "What has happened?" I asked myself. Gradually, I went to see her living room. What I saw?She is being garlanded, lying on the bed, my mother & many people are sitting around & crying. It was so terrific for me to believe. I also started crying & went out of the house. Later, I could hardly enter the room.

In 1994, we went to Bhutan--a small kingdom in the foothills of the mountain. I remember the whole trip.It was entirely by road from Calcutta. We four & my father's friend also accompanied us. We stayed in a hotel in Thimpu, the capital city of Bhutan. I remember, my father was telling us everyday during our stay there, "We will go for a sightseeing today..". We went out to find a cab, my father would bargain with them & finally when they could not agree, he cancelled the plans. Anyways, mostly we were around only...the big post office, the beautiful gardens, small markets selling indigenous goods, the mountains, shops, theaters etc. Also at that age, I tasted wine for the first time. But never appreciated it!!!

Few memories I have of my primary/elementary school. Till Grade 4, I was good in studies, if not the best. However, in grade 2's midterm, I flunked in mathematics. My mother went to see the answer sheets, what went wrong. It was simple addition mistakes I did. Anyways, almost everyone was trying hard for me, during my finals. Every family member, relatives came to me, on the day prior to the mathematics exam in finals, & started giving me sums ...Ohh..I remember of practising it all the day. Finally, I passed secured 81 of 100!!!
I had been always poor in mathematics, rather a teacher used to term "Mathophobia". Could be.. :)

Being influenced by many detectives around, in the TV, in the books, we also started a detective agency in school...of keeping informed what is happening around. The school lockers/washrooms were often the only place, where the students can express their feelings--for teachers, for girls etc. We used to trace them out...it was total fun...

I remember, when I used to see my father shaving everyday, I used to sigh "When will I grow up & start shaving??"..but now??? "Ohh...I wish I could shave once in a week!!" Things were seemingly inevitable & hard those days, but now...those days are the best days in life....when I was a kid.