Time

"Time is the heartbeat of the universe"
-- Terry Pratchet

That summer afternoon i was only a kid,who just finished eating his share of watermelon,standing in the varandah of his maternal uncle's house watching the trains pass by. I was about to throw away the watermelon when my brother came and said that its next to impossible to hit a crow by throwing something.I aimed and threw the piece and to our astonishment it did hit a crow!After that we uncovered a secret: if you want to hit a crow use watermelons!That was just another realization among the others like finding out that the guards of the goods-trains wave back when you do so, the house shakes when the trains pass by etc..

On my recent visit i suddenly found these memories still preserved there.Maybe this particular visit was also on a similar summer afternoon that made me remember the memories.I have went there many a times but never felt like these.There used to be another building which was for rent.It was along the wall which separated the house from the adjoining rail lines.That building was taken down many a years ago.The jungle there is dominated by banana trees.Which as is said started with someone accidentally planting a banana tree.Its like a very small Macondo banana factory gone wrong like in the book:"One Hundred Years Of Solitude".Due to many reasons many family members have left the house.Its quite hard to say how many will remember the name of the house:"SARALA BHAVAN", if asked now.

I tried to understand what it was.Memories?Emotions?Or just the passing of time?It was the whimsical time which decided to help me remember my childhood siestas,the warmth of the room, the smell of the old building,the passing of trains etc.It was all there.The amazement that i got in that afternoon was returned to me, but in disguise.Mixed with my new experiences which i gathered while growing up.Its the time who decided when to remind what.Things probably are forbidden to leave the prison of time unless the time is right.And the memories,emotions and everything will have to go by that routine too.They just cannot spill out.