It was a summer afternoon; I had accompanied
my mother to the market, we had guest coming over to our place offor dinner, My
mother was busy buying vegetables and dragging me from one vendor to another, I
was busy crying and cursing the heat, I wanted to go back home but the grocery
list was endless , Sweat was dribbling over my face and palms ,my cheeks had
gone red and throat ran dry ,I was panting , I was just dragging my feet and
after grueling hours the shopping came to an end. All the energy was drained
out from me, I can easily relate with one of the ads playing on TV now a day’s
“ a big straw attached to a kids head and Sun sucking up the energy” I guess I
was that kid. I looked up to my mom with fuzzy eyes and she read the agony in
my eyes. She picked me up in her arms and somehow managed to hold on to
the grocery too. I don’t know how she managed,but she did and I guess that what
we call superheroes power .
She carried me to make shift stall which was
at the end of the road , A huge colorful umbrella kept the sun at bay ,
there were kids like me standing around the stall desperately looking at
the man who was crushing ice with the help of an ice crusher . He then plugged
the crushed ice on to a stick and kept adding crushed ice until he got his
desired shape, then poured colorful syrup on it and gave it to the kids and
some elders to.. They were relishing it as if it was a savior, the happiness on
their face was unmatchable , my mom handed me a glass of lemonade ,the moment I
touched the icy glass it transported me into a land full on snow , now I
could understand their happiness , I relished each and every drop of lemonade .
Even today I remember the icy ,sweet and sour taste .
Later that night after the dinner with Khanna
uncle , I was playing with the tool kit given by my dad, and my doctor kit was
taken by Naina who was Khanna’s uncle daughter . I was busy repairing a broken
toy . Suddenly my father asked Naina.
“Naina What do you want to be ,when you grow
up??”
“Doctor” She said in a sweet soft voice
Now it was my turn , everyone looked at me.
Khanna uncle asked me
“And what do you want to be Sunny”
I looked up, I guess everyone hadtheir own
answers in their eyes
“I want to be a GOLA-wala” I dintknew why I
said that but there was asilence for a moment and then everybody exploded
into laughter’s .
So the question remains “ I alwayswanted to
be a writer ?? or a GOLE-wala”
Today I know why I said “ I want
to be a Gole-wala” as kid. The
happiness, the content , the smile , the pleasureon the face of the patrons who
drank the icy lemonade was unmatchable . I wantto keep people around me happy,
give them joy , give them smile . A writer is a Gole-wala , he adds
happiness , sweetness and a little bit of sourness in his stories and makes his
reader elope in a different world .
So the answer to the question is “Yes I
always wanted to be a Gola-wala”
Note : Gola-wala is a man who makes Ice
candy, Lemonade Juice etc
