Years back, there was an incident when I was in class 8. In the backyard of my school, there was a huge ancient mango tree and from it’s branches were dangling yummy and tempting mangoes. Plucking those was strictly prohibited. Born and brought up in urban localities, I was curious to experience plucking and savouring those juicy kings of fruits direct from the tree. A plan was chalked out with two of my buddies, or to say accomplices, in this case. The transition time between two periods was scheduled to be the execution time.
I, with my two partners in crime, reached the destination at our pre-fixed time. Both of my friends made a bridge position to give me support for climbing the tree. With some balancing and effort, I took hold of the branch bearing my fruit of interest, but it was still away from my reach. As I was trying to grasp it, sounds of coming footsteps startled all of us. My mates cautioned me to come down then and there but I was in no mood to leave that most awaited moment of touching my object of ecstasy.
Seeing their cautions to me going unheard, they decided to rush back to the class to avoid punishment, leaving me hanging from the branch, like a living human fruit. Considering it as a ‘do or die’ situation, I, like a valiant did not give up and managed to pluck one fresh mango with enticing fragrance. Though I was high above the ground, with no option left, I jumped back to the ground just to have bruised knees and elbow. By then my class teacher had also arrived at the site to award me my penalty dose that was some harsh words and warning for future and that was more than enough for me as I was a brilliant student and this kind of mischievous act was not suited to my profile.
Whatsoever, later, I relished my hard earned fruit of labour i.e. mango that overpowered everything else in the world when I tasted it in my relaxed moments. Today, even after so many years, that memory is still so fresh and alive in my mind that fills me with laughter and joy that cannot be expressed in words, but could only be felt by my heart. It’s true that time never comes back but the moments that you enjoy become everlasting for the whole of your life. Such are the moments of my childhood and school days that i want to live and enjoy again and again. Whenever I recollect those memories, taking out time from my hectic schedule, they help me forget everything else and spread a broad smile over my face.
