It was in the 80s, ... the late 80s...
The boarder town of Samdrup Jongkhar
Then I was a kid and die-hard-fan of
the Indian Cinema. A movie used to be screened for a
week and then change every Friday. My gang always went to the movies on Saturday, as it was a half day and the next day
was a Sunday. Sunday was special, we spent all day talking and enacting the movie.
I don't remember what my Dad did to earn a living, but, money was hard to come by. Every penny meant a lot to us. For most Saturdays, my
Mom gave me the Indian 50 paisa coin for buying the ticket. But at times, my mother didn't have the money to spare
for my movies and, my heart broke into a million pieces. I was too small to understand
ECONOMICS and, all I could do was to cry a lot and wet the pillow.
The movie
theatre was just a stone throws distance from my house and could hear bit and
pieces of the movie screening, this added greatly to my misery.
Not watching the movie on
Saturday had an impact in the friends circle too, you can't contribute in the discussion and participate in re-enactment of the movie on Sunday, you just remain on the bench. I have been on the bench a couple of times and it was a very painful experience.
I know my Mom did her best to always give the money for
buying the ticket and when she failed, I saw the helplessness in her eyes and her heart
might have had broken many times more than mine.
