I remember the days when we shifted from Kolkata to Bangalore.Immediately our search for schools started. I got admission in Sacred Heartsschool on Residency Road. In those days the roads were so clean and empty. Weused to walk all the way from home (near Woodlands on Raja Ram Mohan Roy road)to school. That was the highlight of my day. Along with my friends I used toembark on this journey everyday. We used to talk, laugh, joke; it was the besttime I spent with my friends. My mother introduced me to sports.
Accompanied byher, I and my sister used to go to Kanteerava stadium everyday for practise. Inthose days the stadium was like our private playground. My sister usually satin one corner with a book while I did my usual rounds. Our coach used to givesweets for each round. So I used to run the maximum to fill my pockets withsweets. Even in school my favourite subject was games. I used to just wait for thesports period. I was also interested in Bharatanatyam as a kid, but sports tookmost of my time. In the late 70's Bangalore was a totally different place. Itwas clean and green. Unlike today, there was no pollution. We could walkanywhere we wanted. Even as a kid, my favourite hangout place was Cubbon park.
Along with my family, I used to walk to the park everyday and spend hours justwalking or simply sitting, breathing in the beauty of the park. Now, times havechanged and so has the city. You cannot walk freely on the roads. Bangalore, onceknown as the garden city, has become a concrete block. All my friends fromschool have moved on in their lives. We are still in touch through Facebook,but the old days cannot be brought back.
(Astold to Saloni Mital)