Windows of the World.

"Windows of the World", might sound like a very strange, or rather unwacky title for a small post on my blog, but believe me, it is not all that devoid of meaning. A window and all the sights and sounds we see and hear through the window, often bring to my mind, nostalgic images and thoughts, of those days in my childhood, when we used to live in a small flat on the second floor and the fleeting glimpses of life, which have left their permanent impressions upon my heart.

In those days, I was never very athletic, nor did i really admire the wonders of television, or rather, the small canvas of Doordarshan did not offer too much scope for relentless T.V viewing as of now. But I used to spent hours, simply sitting by the window, and often, it was a very engaging pastime.

There used to be a flat constructed opposite ours. The labourers working throughout the day, passing bricks, carrying huge boulders, making cement in those huge noisy machines. I used to be really happy just seeing them work and rest as dusk neared. Beside, this flat, there used to a huge ground, very huge, it used to belong to Kalakshetra( a dance school ). During evenings, all the children from the nearby slums, used to literally spill out into this ground, flying kites, playing games, cricket or with marbles etc. There was never anything more entertaining, because one could see all kinds of games being played, all kinds of antics, mischief, acrobatics, children crying, walking, being consoled by their parents who came to watch etc.

But, it is really difficult to engage a small child`s interests with the same activity for long. Similarly,when bored with the playground, I often got interested in the small water pump, where several women, men and children used to come from afar, to fill their colourful buckets, with water for their daily needs. Most of the times, they used to fight loudly, sometimes, they used to help each other, sometimes they used to just sit and talk. Life was a daily event and everyday, something new was expected with much anticipation.

Apart, from these daily events, there used to be special occasions, like during festivals, processions, rituals, in the temple below our flat, circus troupe performing etc, when the windows used to be highly in demand in our house, because the entertainment aspect was at it`s peak.

Today, in my house, there are not just windows, there are balconies, but somehow there is nothing much to see, or there is the domineering presence of the television, or perhaps, the child in me, who used to be interested in "The Window", is now too old.

But today when I remember about those old windows I wonder whether, all people all over the world have such feelings, towards their windows, or are they just there, for ventilation. Do they ever get intimate, with life and society through those windows.

Windows of the World, Are thy
alone? Are thy not loved ? Not looked through ?

Future looks bleak, but Windows shall always have a special place in my heart, and perhaps due to this, a place, in my child`s heart as well.