The question!

My memories up to the age of 10 or 11 are greater than the later years. Our family is a big one, with a total of 7 sisters and 4 brothers. We are spaced almost equally with a gap of two years. The four of us - the brothers, were in school. The two elder brothers, though having age difference, were in the same class ...I wonder how! I was 2 classes lower to my elder brother, and my younger brother was two classes lower to me.
At home, we used to have a lot of fun, playing, fighting ...and what not? On many occasions, we tested our knowledge by quizzing, asking mental maths etc.

On one occasion, my younger brother, who was 6 years old, came up with a question to my elder brothers. He was fresh with his maths class, where he was taught to find out the sum of 1 item, given the price of 4 items. He challenged my elder brother to solve a problem. He simply asked, 'What is the price of one mango?', without knowing that it was only a part of the sum. When my elder brother replied, 'How do I know?', my younger brother teased him by saying that he, being in an elder class, didn't know the simple sum which he knew. The elder one got wild, and slapped him on hid cheek. Poor chap ....he didn't know why he was beaten!

The assassination!

Assassination of Gandhiji affected me in a different manner. I was too young then. We were made members of the RSS (Rashtriya swayam seva sangam) movement in our school and volunteers from RSS regularly visited our school to give training in games, drill and other physical activities.

Since the assassin of Mahatma was said to be a member of RSS, the police wanted to round up all those connected with RSS. My parents were also talking about RSS people going. underground. As I was too young, I did not know what they meant by "Going under ground" and I was wondering how a person could live under ground. Police started questioning students too to know about the RSS leaders whereabouts.

That way, they came to our house also. As soon as I saw them, I ran to the inner most room in the house to hide myself and I refused to come out for a full day as I was so scared .When my parents forced open the room, I had almost fell unconscious ,as I was with out food for the whole day. Despite my elders explaining things to me, Still I was scared and fear bound for days.

This is still green in my memory ….and when ever I recollect this, I feel like laughing aloud.

Howazzat!!!!