Once Upon A Time In Childhood

   
                                         
                                          By Arjun Bhojane


             

                              I came from the office in the evening around 6:30 pm. As I entered into the gate and I rang the doorbell once, twice but no one responded. Again I  tried it.
"Wait coming." Ramu kaka hurriedly opened the door.
'Why so late kaka'? I asked him with tiresome face.
'I was busy in the kitchen, Saheb' he answered.
Where are the others? I asked.
All are at home, in their rooms, they must be busy.  I kept office bag on the sofa in the living room and went to my room for getting fresh.
              Radha, my wife was fond of painting. Our home was full of her paintings . She gave me tea and some snacks.
Where are the kids? I asked her.
'They are playing in their rooms.' She replied.
I went to Menu's room.
Menu, my daughter, 7 years old, was playing game on iPad while lying on her bed.
              Next to her it's big coloured teddy bear was kept in the corner. Different toyes kept in the wardrobe, her tiny cycle stood in another corner, untouched for many days.  On her right side, one painting was hung on the wall in which some kids were playing 'Lagori' popular game of kids once upon a time in childhood.
              I remembered the days of my childhood when my school used to get over in the afteroom everyday. I would go to the farm with my friends playing 'bicycle tyre.' We had competition who would play tyre as long as for the day, would be the winner, as a reward he would get the lots of berries from the tree.
             Once upon a time in childhood we played glass marbles/Goti, where my friend Raghu was most of the time winner and he took all the marbles in his pocket of half pant. We were eagerly waited for summer holidays. Once our school shut for vacation. We went to our grandmother's home when we went to swim into the river every for hours and hours.  In the afternoon we would play 'Gilli-danda', hide-and-seek or 'Vish-Amrit' but playing kite on the terrace was my favorite.
             Suddenly my mobile rang and broke my childhood memories.
'Oh! papa, when did you come? Meenu asked me.
'Just now, dear' I responded.
             I sat next to Meenu and she started telling me, curiously how she had completed the final round of the game and her proud feeling of winner. As if It was a great achievement for her. But my mind was questioning to myself.
'Is this same childhood I had?
Don't you think that touch screen and internet snatched their innocent childhood? These children may have bright future but no childhood at all.


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