“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.”

Today I am going to write about my childhood memory which now a days keeps on coming into my mind…and sometimes I wonder is it trying to give me some kind of signal …!!??!!

“Good friends are like stars.... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there”

Well this is when I was 1st grade and I remember our school was a co-ed and hence the whole class was made to sit as one gal and one boy! You will never see any two gals sitting together or two boys sitting together.
I also had a bench partner – a Punjabi Jatt guy Harpal Singh, I often remember him..in fact even now I remember him in his maroon turban the one the kids have not the grown-ups. It was only on Wednesdays that he used to wear a white one since that was our PT day and everything has to be white. But I used to like him very much in the sense I always used to feel I have a special bench mate with the turban where as all other boys were without turban!
Harpal, though a true jatt in physical aspect because many times new teachers often used to ask him if he is in 5th grade and I remember I used to tease him a lot!!!!
Gosh, I always thought I was a sober, shy and reserved person but now I think I wasn’t: D
But Harpal’s behavior was more or less was like a child…a careless, carefree and selfless kind. We used to fight a lot because we had so many differences but somehow I always used to appreciate his innocence –yeah it was only in my mind. I never expressed it and probably that’s why am here today with my story :D

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.”

He had a craze about Trains…such a bad that I think probably he used to even dream during day time :D…! Any free period we used to get he used to ask me what am I going to do and I used to tell him ..am going to write and he as usual says – I am going to draw rails (yes these were his words) and he used to make the steam engine so black that am sure his grand-parents always had to store pencils for him :D!
This guy will either draw train or else he will make the noise of the train whistle with his hand and friends its not only that but the whistle no one was able to hear as all the saliva used to come and spread like a sprinkler on the desk. I used to get mad at this and I remember we often used to fight for this simple reason!

We used to become friends also very quickly and let me confess it was him who used to forgive everything and come to me to talk and he will also apologize and say that now on I will make sure I don’t do like that :D….now when I think …he was so innocent and loving guy!

I remember one day it was games period and the teacher was sick so we had another teacher who just made us to sit in the class and said do what ever you like but with limited noise.

“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.”

I remember I was drawing some mountains, sun and peacock where as this guy started his train and I said you always draw trains and nothing else..! He said ok today am not going to draw and make a mess of the desk so he packed his bag (since it was our last period and he always like to get ready and set out of the school as the first bell rings for us to go home) and started his brrrrr noise with his lips trying to drive the truck ………….GOSH! that was it as his saliva started falling on my drawing and I got so mad that I pulled out his turban and I remember it got loosened a bit and he started crying….:( I guess that’s when I was too harsh on him. I apologized immediately but I made him understand how he should behave and you know what he told me guys….I have no younger sister or brother …am the youngest and my elder sisters they all scold me or spoil me with pamper and my grand-parents they never scold me and always protect me from others scolding!

You are the one who always make me straight and when I go home and tell my Didi’s (elder sisters), they all make fun of me and probably that’s why I fight with you but now on I am not going to fight with you…we will be always good friends and we will show our class that we are the best buddies :D….!
It was sad that next year he never joined my class and when I enquired he had left the place as his grand parents and sisters they all were moving to Punjab!

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart”

Harpal no matter where you are…whether you remember me or not…but I do remember you…the real friend with who I grew up and Trains always remind me of you.

This is a true remembrance from my side for my friend – Harpal Singh

“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.”