Eyewear

Running down the memory lane.......I would like to take you all to some memorable incidents of my childhood, which led me, to my first spectacles. In those days television and music system were a luxury item, and a very few houses used to have a Television. The one who was owning a television was considered richest in that colony. And the children of that house would boast about it and their attitudes too would be of showy prince or princess with pride. All  the near by people will crowd around in that house for watching the TV programmes or movies, which Doordarshan telecasted on weekends. I  a movie addict, too, was a frequent visitor to my neighbours house to watch the weekend movies till we owned a television. The year was 1982 the year of Asian Games and the introduction of colour to the Indian television by Doordarshan. From that year full fledged telecast started and Doordarshan became a National Broadcaster. The colour was introduced for the live telecast of the Opening Ceremony of Asian Games which was being held in Delhi India, and for the upcoming sports events. A real proud moment for India and Indians and the occasion too was a big ordeal. In order to watch the Asian Games,my family too bought a television I was flying high boasting about the television to my friends in school and my neighbours. In order to check the colour telecast, Doordarshan was telecasting its first Hindi film  on television.The film was Geet Gata Chal,which was to be shown at 5.30pm on a Sunday. Our living room had turned into a cinema hall, curtains drawn lights off,  Sofas sidelined and sheets laid for sitting on ground. All our neighbourhood had come over to watch the film. The drawing room was overcrowded. I was feeling high over heels and was sitting right in front of the television.  Me,  a Bollywood freak used to think sitting in front would take me closer to my hero. And since the television was now my own, the feeling of my hero in front of me was more realistic to me. I never used to budge even a little for any one. Oh !oh!  I forgot to tell one thing. This precious television was always kept high on a showcase so that nobody would reach it or touch it. So you see,  me sitting in front will have to protrude my neck long enough /high enough like a giraffe🦒 to watch my hero. The film started with the beautiful title song🎵 Geet gata chal o sati......I and all my viewers were fully engrossed in the movie and were in the peak of enjoyment  when the television started humming khar......khar......khar....khar..khar....... khar...villian was the FAN of our neighbours, staying on second floor, below our flat.They belonged originally to Dhaka so they usually visited during vacations to this house, most of the time their house  used to remain locked without maintenance and this led  to a creaky sound in thier ceiling fans. The khar khar sound of the fan was so strong that it not only gave a splitting sound to your ear, but lines on the TV screen as well. Those days technology wasn't that hi-tech so these problems were there, even if you run your mixie the screen of your television got disturbed. Thus a perfect time slot had to be maintained for your cooking and watching television. The whole excitement of watching the film was lost. "Pura kachumbar ho gaya"  The film couldn't be watched any further. Everyone moved out slowly with a drawn face. All excitement of watching the film drew into anger😠but since fighting and fight with neighbours wasn't our ordeal so had to be calmed down myself 🥶.  The neighbour down stairs never used to stay long, but whenever they came our TV would definitely turn into a dabba.  Me a ardent TV addict used to find out various methods to watch my movie. One such method was sneek peek. There was a building close to ours which was a feet apart. Those days windows of houses were very huge. One was least bothered about privacy etc.Thus I used  to sneek into my neighbours drawing room, from my balcony. And my neighbours too was kind enough to keep their windows open for us to sneak into.  This was my practice every Sunday. For Doordarshan  used to show movies only on Sundays. Now to my story these immense watching of television took a toll on my vision. And at a tender age of 12yrs I owned my spectacles. My beautiful eyes was forever behind the eye wear. Amma was the most shattered.  I was now called as Chasmish,  or chasmulli, by my siblings and teased along by my friends in school.  Till now I am a chasmish but now I feel this chasma is my glamour. And I feel this lifts my personality. I am still a Bollywood freak and love watching films. Thanks to the technology and network which kept my company during this lockdown period and lol!! My mobile phone, which is my best friend now who helps me writing down all these to reach you all.😊

Pic courtesy Google images.