but love hunger was a fact to reckon with. Jan.28.2014.2.27 AM

Love
I am painting a love to you on the backdrop of 1963. My school at village mirzapur consisted of one big kacha room. This room was further partitioned into a bigger part for classes and smaller one for teacher and sometimes for miscellaneous purpose say some special occasion when external guide or inspector used to come and sit with the teacher for some discussion part of the school activities. It was flanked by a big lawn that further extended into small portions of land divided into plot s where we were tasked upon to grow certain plants of our choice as part of say extra curricular activities. Probably teacher used to be of this opinion  that jobs are something not feasible in those days also. He wanted to inculcate an instinct in us to become self reliant under the village environments so to speak like. I remember parents never interfered in the school way of functioning. I and some other co students planted onions in a plot. Another plot we chalked for growing flowers. There were total four big plots for such purpose. A hand pump that was installed almost in the mid area was used for small time irrigating the plants. There was no fashion of bringing the food to the school. I do not know if we ever heard the concept of ti fen so to say. One day it was around 3 O'clock afternoon , we were doing our this activity of planting and looking after the plants. I remember two of us, me and some other chap of my age only were feeling very hungry. Dad never gave us any money nor mom had the habit of keeping purse etc. Dad was having a barter system with the local shop keepers for purchasing items meant for house and farm related activities. I dont think I ever thought the pros and cons of the system. Option of taking something from the local /village shop keeper was ruled out at our psyche level. We started looking for those onions which were a little thick or say developed so that some mouthful food may be there. I remember I was eating the onions as if chocolates or say pizza or say tandoori chicken or say momos . It was tasty but too pungent at the same time but love hunger was a fact to reckon with.