This is my review of the book that I just finished reading.
“Like it Happened Yesterday” ,a book having the memories of past and describing
the events, joys and fun of the childhood of an individual, by ‘Ravinder
Singh’, the first author whose novel I read completely. I read his two novels
yet, the first one is
“I too had a Love Story” , the debut novel of the author.
This book is my favorite. This book made me cry so badly. The true story of the
author ,touched my heart. Because I am a person who believes in ‘love’. And
this is the true love story of this man.
But this time I am writing the review of the second book
that I read of ‘Ravinder Singh’. It’s not his 2nd book but I read it
at number 2.
The book starts with the chapter, telling the story of
Ravin’s (author’s) first day at school. It is really interesting to memorize
those days again. Some people forgets the incidents but the author describes
his first day very clearly. As every child does, he cried when his father took
him to the school. He wants to go back home to his mother. He is just crying
and making all his efforts, and fighting with all his strength to leave that
place but he tells that he hates his father now for putting him in that strange
place. But then after a year, he manages and realizes that now he had to live
in that place for some more years.
In the 2nd chapter, the author describes the
‘Happiness in Little Things’. Somehow this quote is true, we dream for big
things but the happiness comes in small packages. Ravin gives a whole sketch of
his hometown Burla. Reading about his town, I really feel like to go there and
enjoy the beauty of that place. The story is of 90s, so all the things in his
house are of that time. He lives with his mom ,dad and his younger brother
‘Tinku’.
The 3rd chapter is a little interesting, showing
the innocence of two brothers. Both went to a photography store with their
father. They get their picture clicked with a bicycle placed in the
photographer’s studio. And here is what a child’s love for that bicycle comes
out. Tinku wants to take it to home with him. But Rinku (Ravinder) sincerely
holds his hand and ensures him that we will get a bigger one.
In the 4th chapter, the author tells the fear of
a child. Every child is afraid of a needle and so does Ravin.
In the continuous story of chapter 4, in the 5th
chapter Ravin tells the whole incident how the doctor took him and tried to put
the injection. He fights with the doctor, the nurse and even with his father,
just to get rid of that injection because it was going to hurt him. Yes every
child wants to get rid of this dangerous thing.
The incident in the 6th chapter is most funny and
a pure example of childish innocence.
It was the birthday of Ravin, he was so excited and happy.
His day goes well, and suddenly late at night at exact 12 am , when he closes
his eyes to sleep, a mysterious question arises in his mind.
Though this question is obvious for any child but generally
no kid thinks about it. His question was…
‘It had been seven years since my birth, but how the hell
was I born?’
Yes now he wanted to know how he took birth on this earth.
He imagined many things but still he was not sure. Finally he decided to ask to
his mother. He asked her and her mother smiling at his innocence, tells him
that she didn’t know how he came but she found him in the gurudwara. How funny
it was. But he believes. And then, when he asks the same question to his
father, his father answers something different. His father told him that, I
bought you from a faraway shop. This was more funny. And then he found that
both of his mom and dad lied to him. He was still confused and one day when he
was asking this question with his classmates, a girl gives him the answer,
“You’ve come from your mommy’s stomach”. This answer was something more
mysterious because now he don’t know that how he reached inside his mommy’s
stomach.
But he was still curious to know, this question wouldn’t let
him sleep. He desperately wanted to find out the answer, he wanted to know how
he got birth.
And one Sunday, his confusion got cleared when he was
watching ‘Mahabharata’ with Tinku and his mom. He was still thinking about the
question and suddenly a scene came, where Kunti gives birth to her child with
the blessings of Surya Dev. This was interesting to see that how Ravin got
focused on that part of the show, it was the world of gods but still he
believes what was going on in the episode and finally he takes a sigh of relief
when he knows that how he took birth. There was a spherical water vessel in
Kunti’s hands and she was pouring water towards Surya Devt, after which a white
light flashed and a baby was there in her hands now. This is how a baby gets
birth, believed Ravin.
And the next day he saw something same as he saw on Sunday
in the episode, her neighboring aunty was holding a spherical water vessel in
her hand and was pouring water towards the sun. Ravin got curious again to see
that the aunty was going to have a baby in few minutes. He continuously watched
the lady. But at the very moment her mother came and took him inside because he
was getting late for school.
In the 8th chapter, Ravin was in class 6th
now , and got the rights to use a pen. He got an ink pen, which he loved very
much. It’s sharp pointed tip was his favorite.
As he grew up he wanted to have a bicycle, but because of
his family’s financial condition, he didn’t get it. His hindi was weak and he
always gets low marks in it, so he tries to improve this subject.
After passing class 7th , he had to take
admission in a new school because his school has only classes upto 7th
standard. He wanted to take admission in a convent school because his friends
told him that girls there, wear short skirts. He wanted to enjoy that view. But
his family was not so rich to afford the fees of that school so he had to take
admission in GNPS, as his father was a priest in the gurudwara so he was exempted
from the school fee there in GNPS.
He was now alone in that school, his old friends were not
there and his first day at the new school was also a little embarrassing.
Now in the next chapter, a view of teenage desires is given.
How the kids in teenage wanted to know about ‘reproduction’. It happens with
all.
Ravin was in class 10th now, and he had a chapter
in biology. The day when it was going to be taught in the class, all boys were
present. The attendance was full. This shows the eagerness of the students to
know about that. You should read the book to know what happened next in the
class when their female teacher taught them the chapter ‘reproduction’.
In the next chapter, something is same as in the previous
one. Ravin’s physical maturity comes out in the incident of this chapter. His
friends gives him a magazine called ‘Manohar Raaten’ , and Ravin really wants
to see every page of that magazine. He discovers something new about himself
after watching this magazine.
Now the chapter 12 shows the story of first crush of Ravin.
This happens in the life of most of the people, ‘love with a teacher’. Not
happened with me but It is interesting here in Ravin’s story. He fell in love
with her young and beautiful teacher and even he fights with his friend for his
teacher.
His first impression in front of her was not good, but after
that he wants to make his good image for her.
In chapter 13, something bad happens with Ravin. That’s why
the chapter is called ‘One Dark Day’.
He went to see movie with his friends but when he returns to
home in the bus, an old man tries to do something bad with him. He was scared
and suddenly the bus conductor helps him to get rid off by that old man. But
Ravin was still in the fear of that man.
The episode of Ravin’s crush with her English ma’am
continues, when the Annual Function of their school was scheduled. He wanted to
participate in the function, so he gives the audition for the anchor.
But he had to do it in hindi. He got selected and also got
an opportunity to spend time with his crush.
The day of the function arrived. His ma’am gifted him a
handkerchief. He was totally in love with his teacher. But then their winter
break started and he had to live for many days without seeing and talking to
her.
Their winter break was over now and he prepared a greeting
card for his teacher. He was so excited to gift it to her. He went to the staff
room in the school to meet her. But there was a big news for him to hear which
tore him apart. He was totally blank now. He didn’t felt anything around him
and was frozen. The news was that his
English ma’am’s marriage was fixed. He was shocked and felt cheated.
He tried to get good marks in his 10th board
exams. When results came, he didn’t topped, his percentage was less than 70 for
the first time. He felt ashamed, embarrassed, guilty and humiliated at the same
time.
The last chapter is the story of the end of his school life,
“Grand Finale to School”.
Now he decided to focus on his studies and get very good
marks, even he was the topper now but a new wall came in his life. A new boy,
who was now the topper of school but he became very good friend of Ravin. At first
Ravin was jealous of him, but then he felt that the boy was good, he was not a
rival. So now Ravin was not tensed. The result of class 12th was
coming that day. Ravin and Nitin (his friend) went to school to see the
results. Ravin knew that Nitin was again going to top the school. They checked
the results. Ravin saw his name, it was not in the top 10s, he was sad, he was
shouting that his name is not there and then Nitin made him relax. Nitin got
his name.
Ravin topped the school.
I wrote the review of this book, because the childhood
memories of the author made me to write this. The incidents of his life are
somehow very similar to every individual. I also found some incidents similar
to mine. Yes, because everybody’s childhood days are same in every manner.
Childhood is the best time of our life. Another reason to write this review is
that, many of my friends say that I want to go back in time and want to live my
childhood days again. Those days were very beautiful. In this modern world
where everyone is so busy, they will get a little relax when they will recall
their days of innocence and fun.
Ananya if you are reading this, you told me that you also
want to go back in time. This is not a girl’s story but if you will read this
book, in some incidents you will also enjoy and laugh. You will surely imagine
your childhood days when you were free from every problem, every tension and
thinking about the consequences of every little thing.
