15th August

15th August always meant something very special. While I won’t lay claim to being the most patriotic guy around, but something about that day felt very good. Back in school, it was those chocolates that were distributed before the day began. Then the parade for which Jha Sir made us prepare for ages, until we had got it right – we also helped our case by delaying the ‘perfection’ element – because you got all those classes off! Apparently, getting that 8-platoon parade to make one round of the small school field not look like Brownian motion and being elected to lead any platoon for the singular moment of turning right when the parade marched in front of the guest-of-honour, was a big enough tribute to the nation. Everything said and done, while you could have that chocolate gazillion times you went to shop, but the ‘independence day chocolate’ was always very special.

And then all day long the same set of songs used to blare out of all the loudspeakers in the colony – ‘mere desh ki dharti’, ‘jahan daal daal par sone ki chidiya karti hai basera’, ‘aye watan, aye watan’, and the like. Everything around seemed geared towards making that day look and sound the same year on year.

Even when in college, while getting up in the morning was the herculean-est of tasks, I made sure I got up on 15th August and 26th January at 7am, when the national flag was hoisted, not to profess my undying love to the country, but to have those independence day- sweets. Missing them seemed to be the ultimate disrespect to the nation. It felt almost criminal not to savor that one mouthful of boondiya, one motichoor laddoo and another sweet, usually sohan-papdi. Neither the excess ghee nor the soiled packet could deter the enjoyment one derived out of those sweets.

Fast forward to present: submission deadlines looming, the term is going downhill, and it is raining like it’s never rained before – quite clearly, everything is contrived to make sure that the gloom is pervasive. I have no thrills about tomorrow being 15th, no looking-forward-to-the-laddoo anticipation – heck! I don’t even know if I m going to make that extra attempt to wake up early to be a part of the celebrations. No same songs played out of those poorly earthed loudspeakers. No haphazard parades to practice for, no ‘independence day chocolates’ and flowers in class. It just ain’t the same anymore. I should have savored those chocolates and boondiya more.

Happy 62nd Independence Day (Sigh!)