Merci to all those who matter!

For days now, I have been wondering what my next post should be about, then I thought why not take a trip down memory lane and revisit those days of innocence as I grew older.So, here is a toast to all the people who have helped me grow up,adjust and be the person that I am today, from as far as I can remember!

Phase 1:(Jan 1991 to May 1995)
Ok, this is a part I can barely recollect. You know, kindergarten and all.With both my parents working, I was sent to a play school. It was called Kridangan, located somewhere in Malleswaram,Bangalore. I have no idea if they have pulled it down or if it still exists, but I have extremely fond memories of the place.The park, the story rooms, the class rooms, the sand pit, the teachers, the 'aayahs' etc .Ahhh... I think I even remember the names of a couple of them, Geetha was the one I used to hate,actually no, I used to be scared of her, she was the strict type, and there was 'Chinamma' and 'Putamma'. They were th eones we always ran to because they were so sweet. And we had our own principal Mrs Lalitha, what a lovely report she wrote for me when I left the place :-).I had loads of friends there, everyone who played hide-n-seek and lock-n-key with me were my friends.Hehe.. There was a set of triplets too, two guys and a girl. I only remember the girl's name, Indu.But we had fun all the same, building castles in the sand pit and secretly locking the door from inside, not letting anyone sleep during the afternoon nap time that was set, talking and laughing. Bliss!
Then came school,I can vaguely remember Priyanka and Sneha and Akhila from school. Though I have no idea where they are right now, they were my first so called 'best friends'. I don't even know why we were best friends, we probably just sat together in class and shared lunches and snacks. Days of ignorance when happiness revolved around getting straight A's in class, playing a part in the christmas plays organised every year, getting to be a part of the school choir, getting our merit certificates,reading the news in the mroning assembly, making clay models, being voted the class leader etc etc. Things which seem almost silly today :).I was a sad kid as all three of them left school after Kg and moved to another state.
Apart from school,they was the girl next door-Nandhini. She was a couple of years older than I was.Hair always braided into 2 neat plaits. For some absurd reason, my parents would never let me go to her house, but we played all the games that girls of that age did.A few dolls(Yes, I owned a pink one with a cap and everything), and the kitchen set. I was also the proud owner of a doctor set. I don't know who bought it, must have been dad. Ha.. how I used to show off with it. I would walk around everywhere telling people that I would be a real doctor someday. Lol..so much for the dreams :P. And then yeah, Archana didi and Chetana didi.. the two girls who lived in the bungalow opposite. Archana was already a doctor then, they were just a few years younger than mom itself I assume. But I used to be their favourite and I reveled in the affection they showered on me.Next to their place were the Marvadis, who always put mehendi and the like for me during the holidays (It was banned in school).I would sit there and think 'What pretty dresses they are wearing even at home.' My own mom, though far more beautiful would fade in comparison because she always chose her clothes in dull colours, something I learnt to appreciate as I grew older.There was also a girl who lived with them, younger than me, but I can't quite recall her name :-(. I only remember her because she was what we considered a pain in the ass back then, non stop nonsense. :-).
Of course, late in September 1993, came my little brother, after months of everybody pestering me "Suchi, do you want a younger brother or a youger sister?" My answer would invariably be younger sister.Mom would always tell me "Awww, but if it's a younger sister, she'll fight with you for your clothes and jewellery!" Stubborn me would still stick to the "I want a younger sister only and no other sex is welcome in the house". But come September, when I saw my brother wrapped in those nice cosy blankets about an hour after he was born, all that younger sister thing vanished in thin air. Here was the most adorable baby I'd seen and I would not have anybody else but him. I remember how when they brought him back home, I would behave and pretend to be responsible just so I could have him on my lap for a few minutes.I wanted to be with him all the time, watch him as he picked up his first words, as he walked his first few wobbly steps.