Reunion Picnic

At the beginning of this year 2011 first Saturday of the first month, we went to picnic at Dhulikhel. It was pretty normal for Nepali to find themselves, in any picnic spots on any given Saturdays. Almost all the picnic spots are crowded with picnic enthusiasts.

But a picnic at Dhulikhel was organized by the new committee members of new bread of Ex-Bal Mandir students ( where ex-students from Shifal and Panchkhal also automatically falls. It in fact, was a reunion gathering, which was held to reunite, all the lost friends and their extended family members. So this picnic was giving us opportunity to catch up, all the lost childhood friends after more than twenty years time.

When, a middle aged man came to me, asking for “did you recognize me ?” I was clueless, it seemed I know the voice but not the face. I did tried to remember, but could not and I gave up. Then he said, I “I am Raju.” Around me, the same kind of events was going on, when we gathered at the Shifal’s big ground, which was a meeting point; from where, three bus was leaving for Dhulikhel. Fifty unexpected people had showed up making the total of the crowed to 200 plus. Every body was so excited, to catch up, with so many childhood friends.

Ramsaran, came to me and asked in mellow tone, “Sunita, don't look back at there, but tell me, who is she who is with Junkiri and others?” I have just heard the loud laughter and the phony anger in Sanumaya’s voice, for he, not remembering her; so I was sure that he was asking me about Sanu. When I told him, he quietly went back towards Sanu, and pretended that suddenly, he remembered her. Of course, it was not easy to forgive them, when you have shared the same kitchen and had gone to same school and played in the same ground for so many years. Everybody was surprised, that it was not easy to recognize, many standing in front of us and we had spent time together in Bal Mandir for so many years.

Whenever, I find myself in this vast circle of group, I feel so secure and comfortable. We have nothing to hide from each other, about our past and pretend, who we are not. Everybody knows, others problem and understands it. No doubt, its over crowded but still, its fun at the same time. There will always be, many small groups, on that big crowd and everybody finds their own group, in all that small groups.

At the picnic spot, it was very nice and sunny day. I danced more than three hours. I danced mostly on the young crowd. On the dance floor, a girl named Nisha, kept complaining me that, “how could I not remember her ?”, her disappointment did not wore off, even though, I joined her on dance floor for almost the whole time she was there. The idea kept nagging her, whole day, that I have no idea, she was there in Bal Mandir with me and I just could not remember her at all.

Food quality at the picnic was just okay, but who is complaining; it was almost not the highest priority on my list, compared for others. I was purely happy to catch up with so many childhood friends and danced all the day.

Nar Dai, was busy video taping my crazy, whakey and funniest dance, which he had never seen before. There were other guys also, who were holding their mobile phones high above their head to record my dance. As I was doing some Govinda steps and then some Shila ki jawani with a dance director friends of ours and then there was this drunkard on the dance floor, to copy. It was pure joy and fun to copy him and more than I was enjoying it, it was the viewers, who were having more fun watching me and my exaggerated move to copy him. He had taken some alcohol on an empty stomach and he was trying to do some somersaults on the dance floor.

I just love watchting guys dance under the influence of alchohol . Its more fune to watchg them rather than join them, or perhaps copy them.

I have seen a lot of people behave like crazy under the alcohol influence and dance them even they are scared of dancing. Please protect them when some people within the group like to take undue advantage and at times, some even try to tangle in an unnecessary argument with them.

We had a late lunch. While returning back home at bus I was with different group of people, [ not my age and time at Bal Mandir ] however, I could not change the bus. The young bunch of guys bored me to death with singling, ‘Pan ko pat, maya timilai samjhachhu din ko rat.’ They repeated this line for umpteenth times, under the influence of alcohol. Without much of break stop or bumpy ride, they were swinging back and forth and at times on the sides of the bus too, like a leaf. They were about 8-10 such guys there on the last bus.

Nisha, was with me on that bus. When a boy younger than her, came to her and greeted her very warmly, then asked her, “do you remember me ?” she could not remember him at all. He told her, who he was. She felt real bad after this conversation with the boy. She said sorry to him again and again.

Then she turned back towards me, saying you know what, its because I was angry with you whole day, so I met this boy at the end of the day only to remind me, we do forget some people in our life, who once used to be, so close to us. Then she said, “I am sorry.”

Well, I am looking forward, one more picnic this Saturday, with the same group. Cant wait to see them again.