HEART OF MY HEART - MY SCHOOL DAYS GANG

'Heart of My Heart, I love that melody

Heart of My Heart, brings back a memory

When we were kids on the corner of the street

We were rough and ready guys

But oh, how we could harmonise....'

Cochin followed by Jaipur, I am overwhelmed by nostalgia, memories. 1951 to 1954, 3 Hospital Road, St. Xavier's High School, the gang mostly from that street. 

There was Pramod Pareek, his house just across the street. Four years my junior and his elder brother, Vinod was just a year senior. But those days, I was thin and of small build, so I fitted in with a younger lot. Youngest in the gang, Pramod was fondly called 'Puddy'. Pramod was fond of Cricket, so we had a common interest and used to play in the long driveway of the official house of Pitaji, my Nana. Pramod was a Polly Umrigar fan and adept at imitating cricket commentary of  'Vizzy', Maharajkumar of Vizianagram. Telephones were few and far between those days and Pramod was proud of the fact that his father had one. So did Pitaji and Pramod and I were constant users. I remember Pramod's number, 312, although I have forgotten ours! The 3-digits have expanded to 7, though Pramod's number still ends with the same three digits, 312. 

Pramod followed me to NDA and joined the Army. In the early '80s, we were posted together in Bombay. Our houses in Colaba were close by and we used to meet often. After retirement I moved to Delhi and Pramod to nearby Gurgaon. Unfortunately, Pramod fell victim to Covid end-2020 and passed on.

Pramod's cousin, Suresh, of about the same age, lived in a house just behind ours and used to climb over the boundary wall to join the gang. He was a fast bowler who used to meet with a fair amount of success. He went on to become a doctor, child specialist, whose treatment was a mix of Allopathic, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic medicines. He still lives in the old house and we often consult him and, if necessary, request him to come over in emergencies. Todate, he has never shown any reluctance to answer our call. 

A few houses down the road stayed Krishen Bhargava. He was not a cricketer but, of course, a Xaviermate, one year my junior. He wasn't averse to watching Cricket and I have recounted elsewhere our trick to approach our Test playing heroes for their autographs by posing as photographers armed with his dud and filmless Donald Duck camera. He had a good sense of humour and he introduced me to Archie comics. He was a topper of his class and joined the IAS after which he was in and out of Jaipur but one of the few friends to come to Bijnor for my wedding. He passed away a few years ago.

As did Vinod Jain, Krishen's classfellow. He literally stayed on the corner of the street in the last house before the curve towards Statue Circle. Another non-cricketer but fellow bicyclist to School and good company. He joined the Rajasthan state government service and was not quite in touch with me thereafter.

Ashok Sarin was good company too. 3 years my junior, he joined the Indian Air Force and became a pilot but, alas, met his end in a crash shortly after his initial training.

For a short while, we had Yogeshwar Dayal in our gang. He used to stay on Vivekanand Marg, the road parallel to ours. He was my classfellow for about a year before he moved to Delhi. He became a doctor and went abroad. We lost touch for more than 50 years before he met a common friend in the USA and got in touch with me. It was a delight meeting him in 2015 when he came over to our house in Delhi. 

That brings me to the last of the gang, Yaduendra Sahai, another fast bowler and in the School Cricket team with me. He was two years my junior and stayed close by. He became the Curator and later the Director of the City Palace Museum. He was constantly in touch with me and we would get together every time I visited Jaipur. Fond of a drink, our favourite haunt was the Polo Bar at Rambagh Hotel. Fate took him away at an untimely middle age.

'Heart of My Heart meant friends were dearer then

Too bad we had to part

I know a tear would glisten

If once more I could listen

To the gang that sang Heart of My Heart'.

Note: "Heart of My Heart'' sung by The Four Aces entered the US Billboards in 1953 and retained its popularity for a very long time. Many other versions followed including those by Bing Crosby, Frankie Laine and Trini Lopez.