There was a time when life didn’t buzz every few seconds. A time when happiness wasn’t measured in likes, filters, or followers. The 90s were not perfect, but they were pure — simple days stitched together with little joys that felt big at heart.
Reliving the 90s is like opening an old cupboard and finding memories neatly folded inside — slightly faded, yet filled with warmth.
Back then, mornings often began with the newspaper thudding gently at the doorstep. Evenings belonged to the outdoors — cycling with friends, playing cricket in narrow lanes, or simply sitting under the sky, talking about nothing important yet everything that mattered. Time didn’t rush us. We lived it, one unhurried moment at a time.
Music had a soul. We waited patiently for our favourite song to play on the radio, fingers hovering over the record button, hoping the RJ wouldn’t speak over it. Cassette tapes carried emotions — heartbreaks, crushes, and friendships — all carefully labelled and rewound using a pencil. Those tapes may have tangled often, but never our feelings.
Television came with rules. One screen for the entire family, one programme at a time. Sunday mornings meant cartoons and homemade breakfasts. Friday nights were reserved for movies, and missing an episode meant actually missing it — no replays, no streaming, no shortcuts. Perhaps that is why we valued moments more.
Communication felt personal. Letters took days, sometimes weeks, to arrive, but they carried warmth instead of instant replies. Phone calls were short, precious, and often interrupted by someone shouting, “Finish quickly!” Friendships thrived on presence, not online status. We met, we laughed, we argued — and we always returned.
School days in the 90s had their own magic. Heavy school bags, handwritten notes, report cards that made hearts race, and friendships formed without filters or pretence. We shared lunch boxes, secrets, dreams, and sometimes punishments — but never grew apart easily.
What truly defined the 90s was contentment. There was joy in small things — a new notebook, a favourite comic, a festival outfit stitched with anticipation rather than trends. Life wasn’t about keeping up; it was about belonging.
Reliving the 90s today feels like pausing in a world that rarely slows down. It reminds us that happiness doesn’t need to be loud, that memories do not need cloud storage to survive. They live quietly within us, ready to resurface with a song, a smell, or an object long forgotten.
The 90s may be gone from the calendar, but they remain etched in the heart — a time when life was lighter, connections were deeper, and joy was beautifully uncomplicated.
And perhaps that is why we keep going back.
Not to escape the present, but to remember what it feels like to truly live.
Image Courtesy: https://www.pexels.com/@tima-miroshnichenko/
If these words took you back to your own 90s memories, I’d love to hear your story — share your thoughts in the comments below.
– Dr. Arwa Saifi
About the Writer
Dr. Arwa Saifi is an acclaimed Career Writer with over 18 years of experience in the literary and education space. Honoured with an Honorary Doctorate in Literature, she is also an Amazon #1 Bestselling Author. Her career includes contributions to Education Times, a supplement of The Times of India, where she brought her expertise to one of the country’s leading newspapers.
Dr. Saifi has served as the editor of several prestigious school and college magazines in Mumbai, shaping young voices and nurturing a culture of expression. She is the author of 10 published books and has collaborated as a co-author in more than 40 anthologies. Her work reflects a deep commitment to storytelling, education, and empowering aspiring writers.
