I spent my childhood in Ahmedabad, and, I remember everything about it even after 40 years. I used to live with my parents in a small rented house near Sanghavi school in Naranpura. At that time, I was in the first standard and used to play games that are extinct now, such as marbles and gilli danda, at a large ground near that school. It is hard to believe for today’s generation, but Ahmedabad’s city limit used to end at Sanghavi school followed by some adjoining barren fields.
When I was in the third standard, my little sister had to change two buses to go to our school ‘Balghar’ near Nehrubridge. Then came our saviour – a red coloured AMTS bus having route no 61/1, which I think is still operational. The bus used to take us directly from our society to Nehrubridge for just 7 paise! When the bus first stopped at our society, our elders welcomed it by putting coconut under the tyres and performed Aarati.
I still remember the ‘driver uncle’ of that bus, who used to wait for me and my sister even if we came late. Though he used to scold us for being late, he always made sure that we never miss the bus for school.
After getting inside the bus, I used to ask him to blow the ‘Bhopu’. To bring smile on our faces, he used to do that several times during the journey.
When I was in Diwan Ballubhai school, me and my friends used to bunk classes and watched numerous ‘A’ certificate films in some ‘C grade’ theatres, such as Pratap, Central, Lighthouse, English and Rozy. I don’t know if they exist today!
When we came out after the movie, the doorkeeper used to tease us by asking questions about what we ‘saw’ in the film. Since these films were not meant for school kids and we were still allowed to watch it by the doorkeeper, I used to give answers with utter patience to make him happy, so that he allowed us next time in our school uniform!
Nirmish Thaker is a cartoonist, columnist, poet and an officer with the ONGC.
—As told to Prashant Thakor
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