Present Tense, Past Perfect

Today, this friend of mine posted some classic advertisments on her orkut profile from the yesteryears. These included some of the ads that still linger fresh in my mind even after a decade or so. And some of these had the title song of old teleserials aired on the obsolete Doordarshan. Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi Surabhi Bharat ek Khoj He Man Spider Man Jungle Book Flop Show Dekh Bhai Dekh All in the 80's era.. As I type these names, it takes me back to those pleasant Sunday Mornings. When each week was spent awaiting these teleserials, when every kid used to be glued in front of those TV sets which did not have remote controls:) I still recollect the time when Ramayan was being aired on TV and people used to think that sakshaat "Ram" bhagwan was in front of us. In fact, it is so funny that my dad got a color TV so that the "bow and arrow" war could be best seen:O Yep, such were the days. My memory jogs down the fast lane to that Ground Floor flat that I lived in at Kalyan. All those events come in front of my eyes like a collage. Me waking up at 7 AM on Sunday to catch up on 'Rangoli' a serial that was telecast to air the 'recent film songs' at that time. Followed by 'Fairy Tale Theatre" with all the beautiful princesses and awful goblins. Interspered with reading the newspapers. Especially the Sunday magazine with crossword puzzles, Jumbled words and cartoon strips. With mom making hot tea and a breakfast of poha, sabudana khichdi, dosa and regular things that now are 'comfort foods' for me:-) At sharp 9 AM, it would be time for either 'Mahabharat' or 'Ramayan'. 1 hour when there was pin drop silence at our place. When the entire neighborhood would be found in front of the TV. Then would be time for 'Ducktales', in midst of inviting frowns from my mom who totally got irritated at the duck quacks:D and moreso because all this meant that she would have to chase me and my sister to get a shower:)) At noon, the family would eagerly wait for Bournvita Quiz Contest (in late 90's of course). The morning TV marathon would then culiminate into leisurely meals. Since both our parents were working, Sunday would be the day where everyone were "at home":) Afternoon naps, tea time conversations were big! Evenings would be spent knocking at all the doors of Building # 2, collecting people and going to the Terrace. Never having to worry about calling in for appointments with friends. After playing all the dumbest kinda games, we would hear the frantic callings from anxious parents wondering what pranks we were upto. We would go home only past dinner time and inviting stares from mom after we revealed that we just had 2 plates of "Paani Puri" from the 'Bhaiyya' outside the gate:P Then we would depart to the dreamland with a satisfied tummy, clear conscience and contented mind:) Those were the days, when life was indeed good. Even now when I look at it, the entire scenes come in from of my eyes as of I just lived those moments few days back. As if they are frozen in time for me to see them with rose tinted glasses. The TV channels might have become thing of past. The programs may have changed. People's idea of fun and family time would have changed. But, the terrace still exists and kids still play and I still retain most of what I cherished at that time. And somewhere in our hearts we still have that kid, whose eyes light up by seeing some things that bought cheer then:) After all, "Is rang badaltee duniya mein, kya tera hai kya mera hai" Holds true even now:D And what a better day, I could ask for..in 2 years of my existence in Blogworld, this post marks the 200th one :)