Street Charmers

An integral part of our childhood memories.

- Ritu Kamra Kumar

One day, as I entered the park for a stroll, I found a small kid playing with a balloon. He looked jubilant as he ran here and there with the balloon. At once, I recalled how in school, we sang a song as joyfully as we played with balls, bats and balloons, "If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands."

At home, we waited for the balloon-seller as he peddled his ware in our street. He had so many attractive things hanging on to a big bamboo pole: whistles of various colours, balloons of different shapes, small metal bus, kitchen sets, dolls, marbles, bows and arrows, small TV sets, etc.

We followed him as if he were the pied piper. We coaxed our parents into getting us all the stuff but had to be content with a balloon and a whistle. All day, we whistled, much to the annoyance of the elders in the family who then hid the whistle when we went to the school.