‘My favourite hangout was Cubbon park’

I remember the days when we shifted from Kolkata to Bangalore. Immediately our search for schools started. I got admission in Sacred Hearts school on Residency Road. In those days the roads were so clean and empty. We used to walk all the way from home (near Woodlands on Raja Ram Mohan Roy road) to school. That was the highlight of my day. Along with my friends I used to embark on this journey everyday. We used to talk, laugh, joke; it was the best time I spent with my friends. My mother introduced me to sports.

Accompanied by her, I and my sister used to go to Kanteerava stadium everyday for practise. In those days the stadium was like our private playground. My sister usually sat in one corner with a book while I did my usual rounds. Our coach used to give sweets for each round. So I used to run the maximum to fill my pockets with sweets. Even in school my favourite subject was games. I used to just wait for the sports period. I was also interested in Bharatanatyam as a kid, but sports took most of my time. In the late 70's Bangalore was a totally different place. It was clean and green. Unlike today, there was no pollution. We could walk anywhere we wanted. Even as a kid, my favourite hangout place was Cubbon park.

Along with my family, I used to walk to the park everyday and spend hours just walking or simply sitting, breathing in the beauty of the park. Now, times have changed and so has the city. You cannot walk freely on the roads. Bangalore, once known as the garden city, has become a concrete block. All my friends from school have moved on in their lives. We are still in touch through Facebook, but the old days cannot be brought back.

(As told to Saloni Mital)