2/23 Stone Building,
B.J. Marg,
Byculla, Mumbai-11.
The address of Mr. Henry Patrick D'souza, a address that is engraved in mind, that is imprinted on my heart. A place where I spent 27 glorious years, that seen highs and lows, happiness and sorrows, births and death. It was the place where I slowed danced with one that wouldn't be mine and had my first true love kiss in a relationship that would later end.
Stone Building is the place I lived for 27 of my years growing years in a one room hall kitchen, which though small, houses over 6 people and a dog, and still managed to feel like home. A place where you had common toilets and where the doors were always open, except if it was noon or night, or you had something that you didn't want your neighbours to know.
Stone Building was a place where your neighbours were an extension of yourself. Always curious and always ready with the latest gossips. You may have fought for the most pettiest of things or mere suspicion and reasons, but during your time of need they were always the first to come to your aid. I so remember my neighbours mummy, who I will always remember as my nana, putting off the fire, with her bare hands, when my grandmother tried to commit suicide, or when my aunt was serious, they came together to recite the rosary for her, or help my granddad to collect funds for her treatment, and when my dad passed away, they helped us make arrangements to get my dada's mortal remains and then stayed with us till the very end. Your neighbours were the first ones you would call if someone needed to be rushed to the hospital. They kept vigil with you. If you were to be left alone they ensured you were taken care of and fed.
Stone Building was a place where people woke at 4 in the morning, daily, to fill water and wash clothes, and in earlier days, to use the hand pump. It was place where people waited patiently to use the toilet, hoping no creepy crawly showed up or the current occupant was not constipated. It was place where children scurried to school in the morning and for tuition in the evening. Evenings meant playing after studies, but the lights came on, it was compulsory for everyone to return home.
Vacation time meant whole day playing in the sun and then running home to drink water and get shouting cause you could get a sun stroke. Afternoon meant time to keep watch on the chillies and other spices, which would go on to prepare bottle masala. It also meant time for comics and books. Throw in a Phantom, a Mandrake, Tarzan, Chamapak and Tinkles, not to forget Archies and Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys and the odd Mills and Boons. Evenings meant playing, badminton, cricket or volleyball in what we called the gutter. It also meant playing Lagori or seven tiles, hide and seek (with hiding inside the houses or third floor out of bound) and catch and cook and Sankali, only to annoy the tenants living below the terrace as mud would fall and their rooms would leak in the monsoon. So they would come up to scold and chase us away. But then we too were shameless, we ran away only to come back again a little while later, much to their charging.
Mornings would also mean going for jogging to the racecourse. Going to your friends place to try and wake them up, because they would show up once and the next day would sleep from the soreness. Then you would have to try and sneak out alone as you didn't want your family to see.
The first rain meant everyone on the terrace, enjoying the rain by playing football, or just sliding away to glory. It also meant time to get rid of those pesky prickly heat boils. Monsoon would have the children praying for showers of torrential rains so that the roads would flood and the schools would declare a holiday. Primary children eagerly enquiring from the secondary ones and if the schools did declare then it was time to make paper boats and rockets and throw it into the waters below. Stare at the people as they waded through the water and at vehicle as they passed by, creating ripples like waves. The heavy rains meant bringing down the tuft, canvas or plastics, whatever you had to keep the rains from entering your house.
Come unit test and exam time and you would have everyone studying really hard and discussing their papers and afterwards parents comparing and boasting about their children's results. Tenth standard meant wanting to know who got what percentage and then the distribution of pedas to everyone.
Stone Buildings was the place where birth, christening, birthdays, first holy communion and wedding were celebrated on a grand scale. A birth was always announced with crackers, one for a boy and two for a girl (or was it the other way round). And then you had everyone rushing to congratulate the family. Christening meant trying to see who the godparents are and to admire the dress of the child and enquired about the name.
Birthdays meant having your friends over and cake cutting (at that time we were saved from the concept of cake pack). You always wanted your cake to have the best design. So far I had a train, a house a bunny rabbit, some what I could remember. Your 21st birthday cake would always be a shape of a key or some element that looked like a key, cause now you were the man/ lady of the house. Birthday parties went late into the night mostly ending with a sing song session on the guitar or the gumat.
Communion meant everyone admiring your attire. As I my aunt never trusted me with keeping myself clean, she stitched a three piece grey suit. Morning was for church while evening meant a celebration.
Marriages were a whole different all game. The bachelor party or roce or panni meant breaking eggs on the bridal entourage heads which in turn lead to breaking of egg on everyone's head. If the groom was from the building, then the boys would rush to decorate the car as soon it arrived. If the bride was from the building then you would eagerly await to hear the bursting of crackers to come out and see the bride and admire her gown. Evening meant people rushing into the bus, as soon as it arrived, in order to ensure they got the window seats, but the boys always sat behind, entertaining the people in the bus with song filled with double meaning and colourful words. Being one of the few boys who knew to dance and jive, I didn't have a problem asking a girl to accompany me for the wedding march or a jive. As at the time, music was always by live band, you ended up jiving a lot and usually you had the camera focused on you. But then this could have a drawback if you dropped your partner.
Stone Building was a place where you celebrated most of the festivals. During Holi you witnessed the burning of the Holika and then see people play Holi. The next day you played with water pistols only to get shouting for wasting water.
Ganesh Chaturthi meant going around seeing different pandals, with your neighbours, admiring the idols. During visarjan day, you would have everyone crowded at your place as they wanted to see the Lalbaug chat Raja.
Diwali meant lighting of sparklers and crabs and fountain and enjoying it with friends. But you always ensured that all the remains were gathered at one place least anyone should get burnt. Then you also enjoyed the various delicacy prepared for the festival, in my case besan ka ladoo.
Bakri Eid meant feeding goats and then see them get sacrificed and then swear off mutton for the next month or two, much to the charging of your mother cause your freeze is stocked with it and you refused to eat. Ramzan Eid meant you were eagerly waiting for the appearance of the faloodawala and not to forget the sheer kurma.
But the grandest of all was Christmas. Christmas meant time for carolling. The time when got the whiff of the frying of kalkals and navri and sorpetel and vindaloo. Once you were done making it at your place, you went over to your neighbours to help them.
WChristmas also meant the making of the of the almost 10 feet star with a crib in it. Staying up all night to make it and then putting the finishing touches on the 24th to ensure that it went up, in the centre of the building, before midnight. Midnight mass was followed to with the customary trip to Cafe Mondegar and Bade Miyaan and then staying up all night at Gateway of India only to return home early next morning.
Christmas Day meant music and housie and request program (a chance for the secret crush dedication). Children rushing around to sell housie tickets and people wanting to call out numbers, people standing out of their house with their tickets. It was customary to go and wish your neighbours,also because you wanted to taste the sweets they made (marzipan being my favourite).
What followed was a week of fun and entertainment. Talent competition meant singing competition (at least then) with songs like Give me hope Joanna, Hey Mona and I was born a hundred thousand years ago. Fancy dress brought out the colourful best in the kids as well as the youth. Telly games brought a lot of excitement and some heated moments. And then you had the night cricket and volleyball matches for both boys and girls with the whole building out cheering everyone on.
But the best was Christmas party. You had children dressed I their best, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa. And when he arrived they wouldn't contain their excitement and rushed to join him as he went around the building greeting everyone, while Jim Revee's Jingle Bells played on loop. All eagerly to catch the candy that he threw in the air. Then you had games for the different age groups and snacks and dancing. The evening ended with the unmasking of the Santa, much to the anticipation and glee of everyone and the announcement who guessed the Santa right.
The weeks festivity culminated with the prize distribution and the winners of the raffle draw, on New Years. But before that you had the Old man walk. You had the children going around asking for old clothes and sarees, who then proceed to go to Byculla market to get hay to make the old man and old lady. Even though we were warned not to play in the play in the grass, we still played in it and then get scolded when we complained of itching. Evening meant loading everyone into an open truck for the old man ride and head to various places like Worli sea face and mazgaon but ensuring you came back before midnight, where the effigies of the old man and old lady were set on fire at the stroke of midnight followed by crackers and people wishing each other for the New Year and dancing and music.
As days and year went by, we grew up and moved on. The one room now felt small. Slowly and steadily people moved out and with it the spirit that bound neighbours together, slowly began to seep out too. Though Stone Building may still stand it is not exactly what it used to be. But whatever and wherever you may be it always draws you back to it cause you take it with you wherever you may go, an imprint on your heart, a photograph that's hung on the walls of your mind, a sweet memories that live on with you forever.
... no matter where you go
O'er land or sea or shore
You will always hear us
Singing this song
We are the Stone Building Boys
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