Memories – Lost and Found

It was yet another summer vacation and all of us cousins had gathered together at Malleshwaram. At 4 p.m., my aunt sent Roo to fetch milk from the milk booth. (Do you remember the milk booth where you had to drop coins to collect milk?). All of us thought it was an honor to be given the task of getting milk from the booth – for the sheer pleasure of dropping the coins !!!

The rest of us were playing cards in the spare room – apna adda – on the first floor, very oblivious of happenings on the ground floor. We were just waiting for the “kaapi” call – where aunt would serve best home made filter coffee with tidbids like sev, churmuri etc. Trust me, aunt still makes the best coffee I have ever had!!!

So, Roo went with the money to get milk and did NOT return. I guess it was almost 6 p.m. by the time Aunt realized that Roo had not returned. That was enough for her to have a panic attack. She called all of us down.

Hearing the panic in her tone, was enough to bring us down without tantrums and questions. She sent us all in different directions to search for Roo. We split ourselves as 4-5 search parties. One went in the direction of 8th cross, one towards Malleshwaram Ground, one towards Guttahalli, etc.

And eventually, all of us returned with no clue about Roo. Aunt was so shocked, that she started crying. She was feeling guilty of sending Roo instead of her own daughter. She started crying and would not get out of the shock.

We called our uncle, who was at his stores (or Angadi), we called our parents, who rushed to Malleshwaram and most importantly, we called Roo’s parents. I guess, all elders were too shocked for words. And we too were really worried about Roo, who was perhaps in her 2nd or 3rd standard (can’t remember exactly!!) when this happened.

However as time flew by, Roo came home (Or did she reach uncle’s shop and was brought home by uncle, again, these details are too hazy to me). But importantly, she came back.

And we heard what had transpired first hand from her. Apparently, a man approached her near the milk booth and told her that her mother had ordered for a Gas (LPG) cylinder. He had the cylinder with him and wanted Roo to go with him to guard the same. Now, poor Roo had heard her mother talking about booking the cylinder. So, thought this was true and went with that man.

Now, this man took her all the way to the triangle park at Guttahalli, which again was very familiar to her because it was us cousins usual playground. She knew it like the back of her hand because my parents house is close by to the Triangle Park.

The man made her sit in the park saying he would bring the cylinder. Luckily for Roo, a lady came alnog and asked Roo what she was doing there, all alone. Roo shared with her what had transpired. Immediately that lady cautioned Roo that there were too many kidnappers around and Roo should run away. May be the man was not telling the truth Or that he may be after Roo’s gold earrings. If I recollect, he had asked Roo to take off her earrings and give it to him so he could keep them safely.

When Roo heard this, she got worried and I guess decided to just walk out. So, she started walking all the way to our uncle’s shop (luckily for her, all that area was very familiar – thanks to our regular walking jaunts to movie halls and our hotel for snacks, etc).

But when she reached Uncle’s shop, it was closed. And closed because uncle was summoned home to search for Roo. Nevertheless, the gutsy girl walked all the way to Malleshwaram to a glorious welcome from all of us. What a relief it was to see her back.

And very scary incident when I look back… From then on, none of us kids were sent to the booth to get milk. If only we could go, we had to be escorted by an elder.

But I guess this was a sensational incident that we talked for months and months – and shared with all our relatives in and outside Bangalore….