Author: Munira Dalal
The human mind is an excellent hub of memories and emotions. It is a treasure trove of images and flashbacks.
Some incidents are so deeply in-grained in this intricate network that they refuse to fade even with time.
The incident that I am about to narrate is truly unforgettable. I was about seven to eight years old when this took place. Though small, I clearly remember that evening at Chowpatty beach in Mumbai.
I was building sand castles with
my brother and sister. The beach was very crowded. There was some Sadhu Sammelan to take place at night. At the far
end of the beach, there was a stage. Loudspeakers were blaring some announcements. Some policemen were
standing at some strategic points.
Soon, the sun started setting, and it became dark. We gathered our pails and got ready to leave. My father instructed us to sit with our mother as he went to buy ice
cream. Disobeying my father, I quietly followed him. Very soon, I lost sight of him. Since it was dark and crowded, I couldn’t find my dad. My mother didn’t know I had sneaked away after my dad.
When he returned and found me missing,
he started frantically searching for me. Meanwhile, I was lost in the crowd as the Sammelan began. Some good samaritan found me crying and handed me to the policeman on duty there. As luck would have it, loudspeakers were there for the event. I sat on the stage, and
the loudspeakers blared out my name and description.
Again, with pure luck being on my side, my parents, after frantically searching for me everywhere, were about to leave the place
to go to a police station to file a lost child complaint.
Hearing my name, they came running towards the stage. I was sitting there with the sadhus. I ran towards my father,
crying, and hugged him tightly.
The memory of that scene still haunts me. Now, at this age, I shudder to think what would have happened if there had
been no event on that day. There would be then no loudspeakers to announce my name. What if my parents had
left the place before the announcement of my name?
Sometimes, I wonder who must have safely handed me to the policeman.
Even today, I get anxious to attend a crowded place and dread visiting some unknown place.
About the Author:
Munira Dalal is a B.A. graduate in Sociology. A renowned teacher by profession, she has taught in various schools and has conducted coaching classes for students across all boards, for nearly two decades. She is also a level 8 trained teacher in Abacus . Having a flair for designing greeting cards she has successfully launched her brand SHABNAM- a collection of exclusive greeting cards specially designed by her . Her poesy on various themes has been appreciated and awarded in different literary forums like Asian Literary Society, POEMarium, Prose and Poetry with January Khan, StoryScrapers, Penmancy, Poetry Planet,Beyond The Box .
Asian Literary Society has felicitated her with the SAMPOORNAM MEMORIAL AWARD 2018 in recognition of outstanding contribution to literature by a woman writer on their forum.
