Although this picture is during my early days at Vizag and I look quite pleased as punch in my Papli' lap I don't remember any of this emotion. I am however told by my parents that I was quite a gurgling delight and had a fascination for mangoes at a very early age - to date it is my most favorite fruit.
My earliest vivid memories go back to St Joseph's High School, R.C. Church, Navy Nagar, Lion Gate, Band Stand, trips to the Sea-side and last but not the least Guru’s shop all of them being in the south most part of Bombay in the years of 1968 to 1971 – that was when I was 3 years old. My father Lieutenant Inderjit Sharma was serving the Indian Navy and was posted in Bombay. He was the Captain of INS Nirghat - I remember marching up the wooden gangway of his ship occasionally looking over at the water below and wondering how deep it was and trying hard to catch sight of some fish before I got on board!? Trips to the ship meant my younger sister Mala and me getting dressed in our newest party frocks tailored by none other than my Mum, Chander Rekha Sharma - I have always been Miss Vanity Fair and loved ogling at myself in any reflective surface from the earliest time that I can remember. In particular, I recollect wearing my pink polka dotted umbrella cut dress with a matching hair band holding back my thick black locks on one of the ship visits, with netted self designed socks hugging my skinny limbs all the way up to my knocked knees and shiny white pointy buckled shoes completing the attire.
Papa, Ma, Mala and I would take the bus to Lion Gate or at a later date we would ride on Papas Lambretta Mala standing in front enjoying the breeze while I sat between papa and Mama squeezed and sweaty. On the days we took the bus, on reaching Lion Gate we would walk to Nirghat. Walking to the ship was always a great experience -- we would pass by a fleet of grey blue ships that looked so impressive and gigantic and I would gape up and back at them as Ma or Pa pulled me along and dream of myself sailing off to the high seas on a long voyage across the world; we would catch sight of senior officers that would zip past us in their fancy cars and Jeeps with a flag on their bonnets (I often wondered when my papa would become a senior officer and zip around in a fancy car with a flag); and enjoyed most seeing the several officers in uniforms of different types and color but more often than not in white and on foot saluting my Papa as we walked on - Mala and I would try to copy them and salute back and keep checking with Papa if we were saluting well enough and who was better and that if I could become an officer when I became big!!??
At the gangway of the ship after papa was saluted, the officers in the ship would assemble to greet us as we came on board and shake hands with us. I found that very weird as their hands were always so large and often very tough. My tiny hands kind of got very lost in them :) A visit to the ship also meant yummy treats from the pantry of the ship and drinking the ever favorite coca-cola and gorging on ice-cream.
We lived on the third floor (I think) in M17. The house had 2 bedrooms with built in cupboards and attached bathrooms, a small study, a living cum dinning room, a kitchen and a servants quarter for good ol' house maid Anandi and her drunk husband Ganpath. I loved this home very much and remember playing with my Russian dolls that would close their beautiful big blue eyes if you made they lie horizontally. I loved making my doll lie down and then would prop her to stand and stare at her eyes and would wonder how she was so much more beautiful than me. I loved playing house house with my dolls in the living room.
Papa, Ma, Mala and I would take the bus to Lion Gate or at a later date we would ride on Papas Lambretta Mala standing in front enjoying the breeze while I sat between papa and Mama squeezed and sweaty. On the days we took the bus, on reaching Lion Gate we would walk to Nirghat. Walking to the ship was always a great experience -- we would pass by a fleet of grey blue ships that looked so impressive and gigantic and I would gape up and back at them as Ma or Pa pulled me along and dream of myself sailing off to the high seas on a long voyage across the world; we would catch sight of senior officers that would zip past us in their fancy cars and Jeeps with a flag on their bonnets (I often wondered when my papa would become a senior officer and zip around in a fancy car with a flag); and enjoyed most seeing the several officers in uniforms of different types and color but more often than not in white and on foot saluting my Papa as we walked on - Mala and I would try to copy them and salute back and keep checking with Papa if we were saluting well enough and who was better and that if I could become an officer when I became big!!??
At the gangway of the ship after papa was saluted, the officers in the ship would assemble to greet us as we came on board and shake hands with us. I found that very weird as their hands were always so large and often very tough. My tiny hands kind of got very lost in them :) A visit to the ship also meant yummy treats from the pantry of the ship and drinking the ever favorite coca-cola and gorging on ice-cream.
We lived on the third floor (I think) in M17. The house had 2 bedrooms with built in cupboards and attached bathrooms, a small study, a living cum dinning room, a kitchen and a servants quarter for good ol' house maid Anandi and her drunk husband Ganpath. I loved this home very much and remember playing with my Russian dolls that would close their beautiful big blue eyes if you made they lie horizontally. I loved making my doll lie down and then would prop her to stand and stare at her eyes and would wonder how she was so much more beautiful than me. I loved playing house house with my dolls in the living room.
It was Dec 1971 when ... when papa had gone on war with Pakistan. All of navy nagar and I am told rest of Bombay too was blacked out by pasting black paper on all the windows. We would see ante firing in the dark evening skies and cry thinking that we were surely to get killed by the Pakistanis. One evening I remember Mum taking Mala and me to a neighbours house where we heard a recording of Papas voice where he was telling us he was well and he also sang a song -- I was quite amazed at this and wondered if the neighbours were hiding my Papa somewhere in their house. During the war time Mala and I were making small glasses of sugary juice one evening with the intention of putting poison in them and we had planned to offer the juice to the Pakistanis if they rang our doorbell to kill us. I wonder what would happen if that really happened ... Sigh the imagination of a child!! Papa came home after several days and I remember him having a bandage on his leg. He said he had got hurt in the war? I asked him if the Pakistanis had hurt him and if he fought them with his sword? He had actually just hurt him self while getting down one of the endless ladders of the ship. When I grew up I learnt that Papa was awarded the Vir Chakra for the 1971 war where his ship INS Nirghat and that his ship had sank PNS Khyber... I often wonder about what the families of the officers of that ship must have gone thru when they got the news. To date Papa' name is taken with great honor on every Killers Night that is celebrated on 04 December.
Mummy was a teacher in St. Josephs, R.C. Church and Mala and I studied there too. Our principal in those days was a nun Mother Helen who was the sweetest lady ever. I remember my teacher Mrs. Goese in grade 2 and Mrs. Star in grade 3 who I thought was simply amazing and in my class 3, I made my earliest pals -- Anisa Poonawala, Ramona Dhawan, Sangeeta, Geven, Shola, Seema. I also remember standing 2nd in my class in the 3rd standard and was very happy when Mum showed me my report card.
I also have fresh memories of visiting the shiv temple near the sea and thereafter taking a walk at the seaside; Meena Masi and Bunty visiting our home; Bunty sucking on a piece of orange and then chucking the remnants up to the ceiling -- it took a while and quite some effort to get them off the roof; stealing money from Mum's cupboard and visiting Gurus shop at the corner of K block to eat ball ice-creams.
Trips to Bandstand were rare and undoubtedly the best treat ever! Taking rounds of the park on the horses that stood in line with their respective owners calling out to you for a ride on their special horse. I loved choosing to ride on white horses and felt on top of the world when I was atop the horses back - I felt taller than Mummy and Papa too :) After that would follow a few games in the park with Malee and some yummy bhelpuri in paper cones followed by chilled cocacolas ... this was the absolute highlight!!
When the decision to transfer to Vizag was announced to us I was not sure what lay ahead and was sad that we would not be able to do horse riding and that Mother Helen, My favorite teacher Ms. Star, Guru the tuck shop guy, all my friends including the one who ate worms(??!#@!) would be left behind...
