We grew up just outside, then living inside the NCERT campus. We (my brother and I) were well known figures in the campus-almost as well known as our rather popular father.

Revisiting it as a 42 year old was highly interesting.

Qutb Minar has been something I’d look up and see towering on most days. We lived a 5km trail walk away from it. It was nice to see that old fellow.

Flame of the forest. These fellows were the only thing to look out for in the summer.

Summer rains. Loud and dramatic in Delhi. Much like everything else here. 😈

My cycle path to dance class, art classes and Table Tennis. Such joy just looking at the road. Also, childhood memories are all green! No wonder I still need it as a restorative.

The narrow lane home. When I was on this road, the first thought I had was how I’d fly out of my house, where that lady is walking, and go full tilt on the bicycle. Where did that girl go?

My strongest memory of the NIEPA and NCERT guest houses are when a whole horde of relatives stayed there for my Arangetram in ’92.

The badminton court where dad and friend’s played with floodlights on after work. After we swept the floor and put the net, we – brother and I – would play on the side. And when one of the bhaiyas playing was tired of playing with the grown ups, they’d play with us.

The unused park where we used to run around for hours with our own made up games, or play frisbee. And mum used to catch up on her reading, sitting on a blanket. We’d race back occasionally for some lemonade or water, and scoot away to play.

CIET and the then newly constructed Chacha Nehru Bhavan where they recoded videos for education of children across the country on DD. A series called Laya aur taal had my dance snippets to explain how music and beats work. Pretty snazzy stuff for the late 80s.

The swing I favoured in the kids playing ground. I spent hours daydreaming here. Usually 2 rounds of cricket were going on. The space was that big.

The stairs of the library-when I was leaving it, it meant the end of fun reading and the start of a school day. Or the start of something that wasn’t escaping into a book. This view usually meant, a heavy heart.

800-900 series stack. Where literature and children’s literature were. My HQ.

That moringa plant-my mum planted in ’89 when we lived there. Because, not so easy to find drumsticks in the north.

Peahens were a nice change. IIT used to have them but not us. Someone changed that situation 😁

I was overjoyed to see a beloved author and one from whom my name came-in that library. Felt very sacred. Or something equally big and heavy with meaning.

And that brings me to the end of my memory lane. It’s great to visit childhood haunts infrequently. And leave while the sepia tint is still on.