Nostalgia...My favourite word

I really miss my crazy friends, a pair of my favourite jeans that could put rag-pickers to shame. I miss those days I used to sit on the steps of my old college building sipping kaka's chai occasionally with `channa' or something.

I miss going out with crazy friends and sitting comfortably on the steps of the posh Safina Plaza eating raw mangoes, cucumber, pineapple all neatly cut and spiked with salt, pepper and lime from road-side, eying men who passed by and attracting weird looks.

Gone are the days when I would sit up all night on terrace just to see the moon. I just have to think of those crazy times to know what exactly the word `nostalgia' means.

Once I just decided I was into philosophy and bought loads of Osho and JK's books and piled them up in my room much to the despair of my poor aunt. She was just looking at the heap of books scattered all over the immaculately clean floor when I dreamily asked her if I could shave my head?

She was too shocked to even react for a moment. She said she would promptly kick me out of the house if I ever tried anything like that and banned me from even talking about it. And just when the shock was ebbing, I decided that I needed to learn whistling! (I had just watched a wacky, Rajnikanth's movie)

I started to practice by putting my thumb and fore finger inside my mouth just above my tongue that was folded upwards so that they (fingers) touched the roof of the mouth and blew as advised by an expert. After several attempts I succeeded! I would whistle day in and day out just for the kicks of it.

My aunt loved me too dearly to admit to others that I was losing my marbles. But she clearly thought I was a goner. And I could see it on her face. She winced every time I whistled. My cousin Appu on the other hand laughed at all the stupid things I said and did. ( It was much later that I realised he was actually laughing at me all the while!)

My aunt always kept my dinner in the fridge as I did night duties and got back home as late as 3 am sometimes. I would open the door with my spare key and enter. Occasionally I would find small notes on the stove or stuck to the fridge which read, `No need to wash your plate just eat and sleep' or `There is grape juice in the fridge. have it' and stuffs like that.

Once I found a note that read `mom has kept some wine for you in the fridge' scribbled by Appu. I was half way through my dinner and thought I was hallucinating. I jumped up from the chair I sat in and opened the fridge coyly. Sure enough, there was a small glass half filled with red wine! I gulped it up in one sip!

And then I would get up in the mornings as early as 10.30-11 and get out.

I miss those days I used to wander aimlessly on the streets thinking up unimaginable stuffs and day-dreaming. I miss those hours I would sit all by myself in some coffee bar with a book.

I would just call up or leave a message to my aunt telling her that I was staying with Malu when it suited me. And we would leave, me and Malvika on my bike at midnight from office, both singing. Malu sings like a dream and my singing has always been a nightmare. I sang nevertheless. It didn't bother me. ( Occasional pitcher of beer actually made me think I could sing! )

I miss those nights me and Malu used to sit on her terrace. Malu playing guitar...

So many memories... I'm reeled in nostalgia...