Days of innocence

It is strange but definitely not a coincidence that ever since I started this blog, memories of my childhood are getting revived. We visited a period hotel in Mussoori which reminded me of the kind of homes we would reside in as children. The set-up and atmosphere was so similar to the typical Victorian settings, gardens and sprawling lawns. My parents, bless  their Souls, gave us a delightful and luxurious environment and loads of happiness . Nevertheless, I spent a lot of time with myself, often felt inadequate as compared to my   siblings! I would even make the plants in the garden my friends/students/servants and deal with them accordingly. My dad organized grand parties, fine food, service, dancing would ensue and it all looked like a fairy land all lit up and pretty! I remember being served breakfast in the lawns of our house in Srinagar, Kashmir. We lived in a  beautiful house on Gupkar Road next to the Governor's House. I would play in our orchard with pretty cherry trees, I recall the sight of the flowers so enthralling and sweet. It was in this house that I discovered my first experience of admiration from the opposite sex and attraction towards the officers that visited my dad! Well, I was innocent and naive.......did not have a clue about these reactions and let them pass me by. Loreto Convent, Shillong was great and pretty, where again I was rather introverted and shy and very, very studious......oblivious to much else. The Senior Cambridge group was a close knit one. We had all the experiences that life in a hostel comprises of......at times fun, at times hurtful and tedious. We concluded the final session with a jungle safari in the deeper forests near Gawahati! I had some strange experiences.....which is prevalent in boarding schools....being approached by a girl for sexual satisfaction! These are some of the maladies of poor interaction with the opposite sex in the cloistered convents! Parents need to give a balanced approach and exposure to their children. Thankfully I did not get impacted because of the Army Exposure.Boys and girls interact freely and in a healthy atmosphere......but it was certainly confusing! The other awful experience which left an indelible mark on my mind was being approached by an officer who was my guardian whenever I got leave from the hostel. More about that in my next blog......but believe me, I had no clue about my looks or femininity......these were the last things on my mind!