The four of us Father,mother,my brother and myself left for Calcutta by Coromandel Express,the very next day.A highly remorse filled uncle had come to see us off at the Chennai Central station.Knowing that both my brother and myself were avid reader of books,he took us to the Higginbotham's stores inside the station premises and purchased story books,left ,right and centre.I just stared in awe as he picked up books and also magazines at random. I still remember fondly,that inspite of my repeated pleas, requesting him not to spend so much on books,he remained defiant and we were overwhelmed.
Unable to express my gratitude in words,as I waved my hand from the moving train,a visibly troubled and shaken uncle was sharing my sentiments.He was trying to control hard but as tears rolled down his cheeks,I was choked with emotion too.That's my dear uncle....he roars but in reality he is tender hearted..
When I think of my golden bygone days, as I recollect now, I remember a few articles…..simple
products that we used everyday in the sixtys and the seventys. I remember
scented erasers topped with a strip of translucent green and a cheaper eraser
called the Sandow. The long pencil with a small plastic hand with sharp fingers
at the end was grandpa’s favourite.I remember the slate and the slim chalk
pieces that screeched on writing .The teachers used the fatter ones in school ,we carried broken chalk pieces in our pockets and it was a pleasure to write on the black boards and erase using the dusty duster....We waited for the teacher to give us a chance to write on the blackboard and those who were denied an opportunity during the class hours ,made up for it when a teacher was absent,during breaks, in between the periods or after school hours.....That was Fun Unlimited....
“Good Morning Miss !” we screamed in
unision. Mrs Narayanan,the chemistry teacher hurriedly reached out to the new wooden box and pulled out
a white chalk.As she started writing on the blackboard ,we screamed yet again…”Maam
! It screeches.” Aah ! an ear sore…Please break it and use it “….the girls
shouted in one voice.”That is an unforgettable moment of school life for all of
us…Am I right ? “By the end of the day,the box was empty and chalk pieces, red.
green, blue and white lay strewn on a powdery floor. The following day would be
no different , for we did not care to stay quiet but Maam was set to rule
thereafter.
Life was bubbly and
carefree.Lifebuoy was the soap I washed my hands with . Hamam ,Margo or Cinthol
were the bars to bathe with ,except for people with aspirations, who bought
Moti, a fat round of soap ,too large for my small hands . Pears was a luxury
and any household that routinely used Pears was a home that also bought Kissan jam,Kissan orange squash, Kissan Ketchup ,where the children went to convent schools and owned complete
sets of the Amar Chitra Katha comics and the Enid Blyton series....
While the Dove has
flown in today ,we still have the Chandrika and the Mysore Sandal loyalists.The sandalwood soap that
was considered a luxury still reigns over millions of hearts .Chandrika continues
to be a hot favourite for some and has stood firm ground...that it foams and
dissappears soon is a reality even today. Surf came in a cardboard box ,in a sky blue colour
and did not boast of breathing oxygen into the clothes.Tinopal and Ranipal were
the only whiteners to stay on for a long time in the markets....till Ujala and more recently Vanish entered the markets.Vicco and Dabur
are a few names that still hold sway.The Vicco and Boroline ad jingles are
popular even today.
Nearly everybody used Colgate and that hasn't changed,
but for a while Binaca was a real
contender and most of us know that Binaca sponsored the Radio Ceylon programmes "The Binaca
Hit Parade" and later , film songs “ Binaca Geet Mala.”There was a
short-lived star in the toothpaste arena, called Signal, which came in white
and red stripes. Forhans and Kolinos were very popular too and the Dabur Red is my favourite today.
Talking of Binaca ,also
brings to my mind,memories of a baritone Mr Ameen Sayani…He was probably the heartthrob of many till Amitabh Bacchhan and later Tejeshwar Singh hit the screens....one reigned over tinseldom and the other shined on the small screen.Tabassum was a favourite
too with her Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan on DD and Monday nights I was hooked to S.Kumar’s kee Filmi Mukadhama on
VividhBharati.A trip to the movie theatre was incomplete.if we missed out on
the news reel at the beginning and the national anthem at the end….
We have come a
long way since my childhood days and the marketing mantra is important to advertise the innumerable
products .Ponds & Cuticura have also managed to survive the onslaught of
talcum powders.Tooth powders were a craze too……The senior citizens and even my Chandru uncle sweared
by the Bandhar chaap danth manjan.......though my mother still maintains that
there can be no substitute for the faithful neem bark,the nut meg ,shikakai,milk
cream, natural sandal,honey and perfumed turmeric to enhance ones beauty......
The train was just entering into Vijayawada station and I was fast asleep on the upper berth.As my father called out saying...."Nayaki...We are in the Vijaywada station.Would'nt you like to get down and grab some Kondapalli toys,my dear ? "...Sleepy faced but absolutely delighted ,I jumped down much to the amazement of the fellow passengers.......
