Right Choice Baby, aha!

50 paise for the small one and 1 rupee for the big one. That's how much I used to pay for Pepsi Cola. And this was many years, maybe even a decade, before Lehar re-introduced it in India. So where did I get it from and that too for such a piddly sum? My school canteen!

It did not come in a glass bottle but in a plastic tube. It was not brownish-black but multi-coloured. It didn't need an opener, just one's teeth. 'It' was not a drink but a Godsend-divine- crushed-ice thingy that made everyone long for recess! And the dirt and grime in the ice box that it was stored in added to the flavour, of course! What a hit it was especially during sports time and awfully hot summer days, which were aplenty in Madras! But by the time I was done with school, it was gone. Replaced by cooler drinks and fancy ice creams that became a part of every child's life, therefore every school's canteen.

And now, it's back...'Chillicks' is its new avtaar. It's packaged differently, stored in a cleaner way and costs a whopping 10 rupees. But I can't get myself to try it. It feels weird.

Pepsi Cola in a clean tube for 10 bucks? Nah. I'll just hang onto my memories of the old one...the original.

Stocking up

She was a collector, there was no doubt about that. Not art or expensive things or even stamps. Just sentiments. No, not mentally but in the form of cards, letters, little notes...you get the gist. Over the years, her 'collection' grew, moved with her across continents and cities and finally found its resting place in a huge red plastic tub. A tub so big that it couldn't hide anywhere. Sometimes, things need to be jarring, loud...almost an eye-sore to be taken note of. Either by oneself or else, a significant other.

After much debating, she decided that it was time. To sort through, clean up and maybe just let go. And so she began reading through years of laughter, joy, sadness, fun....memories. One last time before she said goodbye. But she just couldn't get herself to say bye to all of them! Important dates, important moments and important people, especially those that were no longer with her...how could she? So the pile became smaller...much smaller. But it was still there, tucked away in a little bag.

The rest? Tucked away in her heart.