Sometimes when it was dark and I’m all alone. When the curtains of my room start reverberating with air or the Stridultary organ of Cricket start chirping in the darkness of night. My heart start beating fast, and I slowly open one of my closed eyes, to inquire the provenance of disturbance, recalling that ghost doesn’t exist. A smile aroused on my face. I go back in my childhood days when I had my own theory of ghost, My own beliefs which i can still recall:

1. Ghosts are afraid of Fire.

2. Ghost can’t harm you, if you have a locket embarking a God’s Picture or OM in your neck.

3. If you see a Ghost and anyhow Ghost come to know this, He’ll surely kill you.

4. If you start chanting Hanuman Chalisa after seeing Ghost, Ghost can’t harm you in anyway.

5.Ghosts have feet in opposite direction.

6.Ghosts work only in night shifts, They remain invisible during day time.

7. Ghosts are purely non-vegetarian and Blood is their favourite food.

8. Not all Ghosts are bad.

9. If you are sleeping in open space along with others in night, then Ghost must attack firstly who is sleeping on edge.

10. While sleeping in open you must not point your finger in sky nor throw Torch’s light otherwise Ghost come to know about your existence.

11. Black is the favourite color of Ghosts.

12. Bullets, Electric shock can’t harm Ghost, only TRISHUL can harm him.

13. 13 is the favourite number of Ghosts.

14. Most often Ghosts reside on Pipal Tree.

These were my myths regarding Ghosts, I can’t stop smiling when I remember all this. Life was far easy when we fear Ghosts and The fear of Ghosts was not that fearful. I wish I can go back to GHOSTY Days

It was an ordinary summer noon. My vacations were going on and I were enjoying the vacations. My father had gone office and I was all alone with my mom in my big and sweet home. My mom asked me to bring wiper from a nearby shop. When I got out, I found that street were all empty without any human soul and the whole universe including the street were convincing me that there caouldn’t be a better time for practical implementation of my wonderful hobby. How could I ignore when the whole universe were wishing something from me. I saw left, I saw right but how stupid I was I wouldn’t seen the straight. Alas! Sharma aunty were coming. The operation was implemented and the bomb had been triggered, my hands had already done something that I wouldn’t forget for next 20-30 years. I had no choice but one i.e. to run. I wished india was the host of Olympics in that year and I was the first one from india to win gold in athletics, but who cares for the dreams of a poor child.The only wish I wished was that she wouldn’t had recognised me, while running, but not every wish is destined for accomplishment. I returned back with that bloody wiper and unlike other time with no chocolates. With the hope that if the case had been tracked and accused were detected than there should be consideration of the fact that that the accused had sacrificed his lovely chocolates. My mom was eagerly waiting for me at the main door of my home and behind were standing the stone hearted Sharma aunty. She opened the gate and then what happened I can’t write it in words. The only thing I remember is I had been again sent for bringing wiper after 2 hours, the old one had got sacrificed and I had gained 2 inches in my dimensions.
That was an end of my wonderful hobby but the creation of an everlasting mesmerizing memory. Who said pain doesn’t give us smile..? I’m smiling today remembering the sweet pain that I got on that day.

Anywaz it was a different saturday morning for me, there were two reasons for it. The first and the logical one was I don’t have a test on Monday and the second and the stupid one was I watched a movie till 2:30 in night. So I make a promise to myself that I’m not going to wake up till 11:30 next morning. But all vows, promises and resolutions came to an end when at 10:30 I found someone pushing me up by my leg, with unspecked and half opened eyes, I tried to recognize him but my mind refuse to do so. “Sir, can I please change the sheet..?” He was house-keeping guy. I wanted to kick him out of my room, but even in that unconscious state, I remembered the most pronounced word of Infosys i.e. AASHI. I found it too risky to think on his eligibility criteria of imposing an AASHI on me. I sat on the chair, while the guy was changing the sheet, after sometime he was gone and so was my sleep. I dropped the idea of further sleep. I had no other option than going to class.

I went to class and as always, the first thing and the most common thing that I used to do is to check my mailbox. There were 6 unread messages with 4 bearing the same subject and the rest 2 having the same subject. I opened the one from two which stating something that it was some ridiculous photo taken 100 years back, you should get good luck in next 15 mins if you forward it to 10 more peoples. I recalled that I don’t have a module test, I deleted it. Opened the one from the list of four, It was stating something like .  “Today its world Cancer Day”, though I’m not good at learning dates, but I remember the dates of “World Cancer Day” and “World No Tobacco Day”since I was in class 10^th, crosss checked my knowledge from Google and feel myself pretty satisfied. While I was emptying my MailBox I came across a mail that I got some one month back and that was from a  NGO named Pratham. It was a flagged mail, indicating its importance. I recalled in the first week after joining Infosys I gave my name as volunteer. After that twice I got a mail from there stating volunteer meeting. But due to training overload, I didn’t find it feasible to go there, But I really wanted to go. Thinking it was the right opportunity, I dropped them a mail stating Volunteer participation. After 15 mins, I got a reply saying that the NGO wouldn’t work on Sundays and they had a knowledge bridge session on every Saturday at 4:00 pm. If I’m interested I can attend that. I desperately wanted to go there. I wanted to meet the children and knew them. I believe that there can’t be a better way of enjoying a weekend then devoting it in some social work. I know I’m lucky being educated but I feel myself luckier If I depart this knowledge to those who really need it. The next quest was to find out someone who can accompany me. I aksed few of my friends for same, but they were bit busy with their studies and wanted to devote in the test prep that was on Wednesday. But we all have some friends who are always there to accompany us in anything we do. I called one of my such friend asking her to accompany me, She liked the idea and finally we left for Pratham. It was a typical address, we called on the number that was  there on the e-mail. The guy explained us how to reach there and with little difficulty, we reached there.

It was a small building, on the main road looked more like a house than an office. We entered it, there was a big room having a computer on one table and a laptop on other. There was a showcase having different books on different subjects. There was a chart lying on one corner that had some beautiful words encrypted with wax caryons, stating “The way a man answer the questions depicts his cleverness but the way a man asked the questions depicts his Wiseness”. Perhaps those were one the wonderful lines I had ever read in my life. The chart itself was speaking that its been made by some child not more than 8 years old, but it immensely impressed me that how can one think so deeply. Finally we met the person who was  incharge of that office. He welcomed us, and told us about different programmes that Pratham runs. He told us that they had seven locations in Mysore with 500 students where they run knowledge bridge sessions. Volunteers go there and deliver sessions on any topic which can enhance knowledge of those little children. Since it was our first time, he suggested us to go on any of the seven location and watch the session so that we could get an idea. He then show us a clip, that was devoted to the poor children in India, stating certain facts and figures on illiteracy rate in india. The clip was really touching with an emotional feeling. It was all about children who had to leave their studies because of one or other reason.

Finally we reached one such location, It was in some remote part of Mysore city. The location again resembles more a house than a school or office. We were welcomed by bunch of children, in the age group of 8-15. The children look better than my expectations. They were clean and smart. There was a lady who told them something  about us in Kannada. They were around 25 in number. Each one was having a notebook and pen. The children started conversating with us. They all seems to be intelligent. One of them asked us our name. Me and my friend introduced us to them. I aksed them how many of them knew English, around 15 of them raised their hand. We again asked how many of them understand Hindi, around 4 of them raised their hand. There was a kid who stand up and told me that he knew four languages i.e. Kannada, Telugu, Hindi and English. That was more than a surprise for me. I aksed the children what they studied on the last Saturday and how many of them went to school nearly all raised their hand and one told me that on last Saturday they studied on savings. Water Saving, Electricity saving and Money Saving. I was impressed.  I asked one of the girl who seem to be eldest in the group, how can we save Water..? Irrespective of my expectations she knew each and everything from water cycle to chlorination. I was extremely happy. My friend asked them If they are interested in playing quiz. She told them what actually quiz is and told them that she would ask questions and anyone who knew the answers should raised his hand. The first questions she asked was What is the capital of india..?  Around 6 children raised their hand, one glibbed out Delhi. She told him it was not Delhi but it was New Delhi. He got confused. Next question she asked was how many colors are there on our national flag. I was answering it in my mind as three. But one child answered it as four. I saw at my friend and smiled perhaps she knew the reasons and just said I expected it from you Dumbo. Then she asked many questions like Who is the prime minister of country..? What is the capital city of Karnataka..? Which one is bigger ½ or ¼ and many others.. When we were told that the person who had to take their session had arrived. He was a tall handsome guy. He shaked hand with us. He introduced himself as a localide who was in his final year of B.E., We watched him teaching those small child for sometime, say good bye to them and then left out.

There were mixed kind of emotions going on in my mind, Seriously speaking I had learnt so many things from those small children. There can be 100 excuses of not studying but 1000 hurdles can’t prevent you from studying if you really wanted to study. Education is the basic moral right of every child and to exploit this right is a crime and against human nature. Our Govt. spent millions of rupees for the betterment of these small child but the sad story is not even 10% of it reach in the right hand. We human beings have become so selfish that we can even snatch share of a 5 year old kid. A share if once given to him, he will not live his complete life as labor or as criminal. Man is a social a animal but these days he is howing his animal nature more than his social nature.Things have improved a lot and are still improving, hoping the day is not far away when we have litteracy rate of 100%.

My Mother used to tell me not to share my water bottle with anybody, but it was she with whom i never fear to share anything. We had been distributed pencils when the day started, but I always brought with me the pencil that my Father once bought for me from Dehradun, while he had gone for some Bank training and I usually gave that pencil to her, so that she shoul be happy. We used to sit together and I never liked when somebody else sitted with her. We usually fought on the stupid topics like if Ghosts exist or not..?, I used to tell her Stories of ghosts, that were created by my Brother to take an undue advantage of me, I remember how my brother asked me to do some task and said if i refused to do so, he would ask his Ghost friend to bite me and I usually told her that my brother had a Ghost friend, but she always told me that her Abbu said there was nothing like ghosts in this world, and then we fought. I once been to her home when it was her birthday, She came with her Elder sister at my home for invitation and then how my mother refuse to send me their because of muslim locality, but my 2 hours long weeping finally won over my mother and I was dropped and picked by my brother.

I don’t know how I still remember all theses things, and why I remembering her after such a long time. Her face was like a dream but still I believe I shall recognise her if she come in front of me. We studied 3 years together and then my Father being promoted and transferred to Farrukhabad, I don’t remember last time I saw her, perhaps that was on the Parents Teachers meeting when we had been distributed our Report Cards, but i never realised on that day that after 17 years I would miss her and write a post for her. That’s life we never know how easily persons come and go leaving their footprints on our heart, Though sometimes they go but we still feel them around us in the fragrance of air and warmth of sunrays. My Old friend I miss you

I have lost the days
when each morning brings a new friend for me
when the songs of birds amused me
Smiles of flowers make me smile
Hands were only for hugs
Lips chanted only “Maa”
My gigo is my best friend
Butterflies made me to walk behind them
My little garden is my playground
nd wet clay is best food
Loneliness made me play
Longings made me walk
Lost….
Still memories Live
Classroom live, Friends live, Birds live
and so the child in me….

The child’s family background was full of glory. The grandfather of Child’s Father was “Zamindaar” and child’s Grandfather had done MBBS even at that time.. At that time MBBS was considered more tough than IAS, PCS, of today.. Even after qualifying MBBS child’s grandfather had push himself in his family business.. due to family limitation.. But the philantroph person devoid his child from this thing and gave him the best education , he sent his son outside the city to continue his graduate and post-graduate studies.. That’s all about child’s Father.

The child had been named by his Father “Pankaj”.. the national flower of the country.. The cynosure of all flowers and the king of flowers..!! The child was the dufferest child of the world.. When started crying ..don’t stop before 2-3 hours.. Alwazs wanted himself to be in her mother’s lapse.. Asked her mom to remove “Dal” from “Chawaal” when they are intermixed.. dats what he is..!! He had been admitted in the best school of the city but on the first day .. the child beat his teacher snatched her hair make dracolean marks on the beautiful face of his teacher by his strong never cutted nails.. and ask him to allow him to sit in his Brother’s class… That was the first and last day or better to say the only day of child’s Kingterdon Garden period..

But child’s mother had belief on her child.. She taught her child by herself.. She loved her child very much and had full confidence in him.. After 2 years child had been again admitted in the school and directly in class first.. and at this time child didn’t make any mistake .. At this time he created a history.. He got 99% marks in all the three quaterely examination.. Child’s parent had been called and they had been rewarded at this time the real person i.e. the child’s mother had been rewarded child’s mother was feeling so proud of the child that no words can express… She kissed her child The child had won another battle of life… He was considering himself to be a king and why not..?? and so history repeats many time in class 2^nd , in class 3^rd, in class 4^th, .. the child was always 95% plus.. always toper of the class with an unbeaten, awesome record of 100 in maths always..!!

The child’s favourite sports include Cricket, Ludo and “Ghoda Jaman Sai”… the third one was very close to child’s heart bcoz noone knows how child always knew whenever “Koda” was placed behind him… He was always winner in this game.. Child’s Brdr (Pawan), Gopal, Rani, Alloo, Megha, Prateek, were the persons who accompany the child in this game..

When the child was in class 6^th Child’s Father had filled the application for him for Sainik School, A school of child’s Father dream and its very tough to get admitted in it … and like other time child again proved himself and passed the written test of entrance exam. But child’s Grandma didn’t got ready to sent him away from his eyes.. according to him child was too small and no place in the world is better than mother’s lapse . Then come the first happiest moment of child’s life .. Child’s Brdr had topped the district in class 10^th .. and that was when .. when he didn’t attend any coaching class unlike other students.. There is a photo of child’s Brdr in the newspaper with a brief interview of how he achived it.. Child cutted that cutting and put it in his file .. In the same year Child’s Brdr participated in International School Debate Competition and won gold medal in National Level Science Exhibition.. So atlast child got a role model for himself.. He always wanted to be like his Brdr.. and why not since he is the cynosure of city..!!!

Then Child has beem transferred from his old school to a new one to the one in which his Brdr is a scholar and at that time child was in class 8^th there was a change in the board from CBSE to ICSE .. child is facing difficulty in English .. In the very first year of new school child does not meet the expectation of his parents, he had been ranked 7^th in the class with a percentage of 86.. The percentage although was not bad but doesnot meet the scholaristic record of child. Again this time Child’s Brdr topped the district in class 12^th .. But child’s performance doesnot matches with his Brdrs one … So it’s a time for child to prove himself.. Maths is always strong subject of child but then he is also good in Hindi, History, Biology, and when these all combine in the examination hall its beauty is seen in the result card of child .. He had again topped in the 9^th class, But in the same year he had been declared as the most naughty student of class. He has been caught red handed with a “Chatai” in his school bag and he had been fined for it.. The child had been kicked out off class for 2 days… bcoz of asking nonsense question and disturbing the whole class, for playing idiotic pranks over his chemistry teacher and making a mock of him.. but when you are good in studies than your other faults have been forgived . This most remarkable year ends with the most joyous moment of child’s life .. Child’s Brdr had cleared the toughest exam of world.. He had passed the entrance test of IIT-JEE with a mains rank of 3102 out of over 2 lac students.. not only this he had been under 700 in the other toughest exam of so called AIEEE. But unfortunately , due to of non avalaibility of good branch at that rank he had to give up his admission in IIT.. but this time child get a aim for his life .. He want to complete the half completed dreams of his parents.. But his first target was board exams.. The child make his whole hearted attempt and once again proved himself .. He was better than his role model and a topper in the district .. This very year was most memorable year of child’s Life .. In the same year child got his MP3. He got his best friend Anurag who helped him out in getting his MP3 .. since child didn’t had enough courage to commit.. That rastogi gal was the only gal with whom child always wanted to speak .. but these things never effect child’s academics. So at the end of year child find himself with books count more than 1000 pages… since he was in class 11^th…. But he was payin more attention towards bulls eye  i.e. IIT-JEE and as a result his performance in class 12^th was simply satisfactory 82%.. Now comes the most gloomy and emotional year of my life .. The year about which I wrote most but the year about which I want to write least.. I don’t know what I called that year the best year of my life or worst year .. or simply one year at Kota.. Kota the most clean city of world .. Which has produced the best scholars of world and which is known throughout the world .. I was in the best coaching of city and in the top batch among 30 batches .. below me were 28 batches which always gave me a false consolation that my success in exam is 299/300.. I was truly honest with myself .. Good in Maths.. average in Physics … a little bit poor in Chemistry.. I alwazs remember the fact that my parents had some dreams with me and I’ve to fulfill them this thing always motivate me.. I wanted to complete the incomplete dream of my brdr.. I don’t know where I lack but during first test my performance did not meet the requirement of the previous batch and I’ve been suffled two batches below and then again.. I’ve been suffled two batches below truly I’m honest.. I attempt whole heartedly .. I labour with best of my spirits and dats why I agin everything and in the last I’m perfect for the test .. which is so called the toughest .. I’m confident enough to crack it .. but who knows where I lack .. simply I missed my dreams by 5 marks .. I can’t believe that 5 marks can change life but dats not an opinion but dats a fact.. But I’m lucky that atleast I got something .. Ilearned so many things in this year that I couldn’t learn in my whole life .. I got admission in one of the best private college of UPTU.. truly speaking I never feel comfortable while speakin its name.. but dats brutal reality.. I’m a student here.. I’ve missed something in my life.. but that something is not everything .. Now I’ve stopped deaming because it hurts most when you see a dream that does not get fulfilled .. I got so many things here that are sufficient to live a peaceful and happy life .. If you are satisfied than you are happy and it’s the fact that I got the best things of life here..!!