They Came, Broke ME n Went Off... - 1 "Kamal"

They Came, Broke ME n Went Off... - 1

Kamal

Have you ever fell in love as a Kid?

  In the love of parents, brothers and sisters, even friends, everyone falls in love.  But ever fell in love with a stranger girl or boy as a kid?

  I remember very clearly.

I was in the second grade.  Favorite student of all the teachers as I was a very smart student at least in that school.

Recited together with my elder brother.  Even then, English does not come into contact till the fifth grade.  But I was a little boy who recites twenty-six letters of English A B C D with my brother (elder brother).  But I was very noughty.  All this while in the first and second grade, everyone (even the teachers at school) used to ignore my naughtiness as a kid.  This is true.  I remember a little and heard lot more things from papa and mamma.  Yes, it happens to me as a child.  A very slim skinny body in nature.  The height is slightly less than normal boys.  I took fairness from my mom.  (But today my face is very tanned.) Always a cute smile was on my face.  But I was self absorbed in my own happy world. 

I used to sit in the first row in our class.  There was no benches then.  We used to sit on a long wooden planks on the floor.  Even sitting in the first row, my pranks never subsided.  The teachers were lovely.  So I used to get a little shout from them but still they never hit me with the cane.  I don't remember if anyone else received any punishments.  I used to enjoy my world.  The whole class was my friend.  Never felt lonely.

Once for some reason, our second standard was placed with third standard children.  Maybe our teacher had not come for some reason.  When our class was engaged in razzle, we were picked up and taken to the third standard room.  How we were seated in our class, as and in the row we used to sit in.  I mean I had to sit in the first row.  The teacher asked me to sit besides to a girl in the front row.  At that time, it really didn't mean anything differences in a boy and a girl (or male / female) and there were no feelings at all about men and women like there are today, like intimacy. 

Our teaching was also going on with the third grade.  As I was always spending rest of the time  with my brother and remembered what he was being taught, I was absorbed in it.  (remembering for sure).

Sitting next to the girl, the pranks were not reduced.  Being the son of a teacher, the grandson of a renowned headmaster and being smart, the teachers paid special attention to me but always ignored my pranks.  So me and that girl got together instantly.  On the same day I found out that her name is Kamal.

 I still remember her name.  Just Her name.  But now I don't remember what she used to look like.  During the mid-term break, we both ate our tiffins together.  We mingled so quickly that it was as if we had known each other for a long time.

On that very first day, we don't know what kind of bond was formed between the two of us.  When I went to school from next day, instead of sitting in my classroom, I started sitting next to her in her classroom.  The teacher used to take me to my classroom but I used to cry out very loudly, so the teacher got annoyed and allowed me to sit next to her.  As a remedy, Kamal would force me to sit in my classroom asking me to listen her advice very wisely.  And I used to listen to her sincerely.

Once, our school took us on a long trip.  I mean the whole school.  I don't remember exactly where it was taken by.  Probably our teachers may have taken us to a nearby garden considering our age.  From there we were taken to the homes of a few children of grade III and IV.  I don't remember what festival it was.  We also visited to a teacher's house.  As well as, we went to Kamal's house in the end.  I was really happy.  She had introduced me to her parents.  After the eating some snacks & having tea and the childish chats & pranks, we returned back at our home. 

Once on such a holiday, I missed Kamal so much that I went to her house without telling my parents.  (It seems today that I have dared. You can imagine at age of seven and in 1980's in an Indian small city.) That maybe during the Diwali holidays.  She welcomed me with the same affection. We might have had some snacks together.  We may have had some chats as well.  But I do not remember anything about the kids chat.  Going exactly to Kamal's house is still engraved in my mind. I still remember where her house was. When we love someone deeply, we remember the smallest things of the person for the rest of our lives.  I think that was the same case.

Passed in 2nd grade as always with first rank and I went to 3rd grade.  As I moved to the upper grade, Kamal also moved to the fourth.  However, the fourth grade class of our school used to be held in a different place because of not having enough space.  But I never knew where it was.  All I knew was that Kamal went to study elsewhere.  I always wanted to meet Kamal but I didn't know where her classroom was.  So once again (dared again) I went to meet her at her house.

But Kamal did not meet.  Her parents had changed their house.  Those who lived there said that Kamal had moved to another place and they did not know where.

 Honestly, that was my first shock at such a young age.  I don't remember how I got home from there or what was my state of mind then.  But I was definitely broken inside.

Kamal was very close to my heart.  She was about a year older than me.  However, I never called her as Tai, Akka (Nick names of elder sisters in Maharashtra).  I always called Kamal by her name.  Our relationship and our love were very different.  Even today, no name can be given to that.  Kamal was very loving to me.

 I will never know where she is now or how her life might have turned out.  Maybe she doesn't even remember anything about our that year of togetherness.

 I don't even expect Kamal to remember those things after almost forty-five years.

 But I really fell in love at that young age.  Even without my knowledge.