I was surprised to receive a colourful birthday card in my mail on my 2X birthday! The card had what I presumed to be... naughty graphics, a sketch... of a girl with long hair on backside going halfway down the buttocks bathing in an old tin-bathtub with all other goodies concealed! The card had a 'blank' spot for sender's name but had a message that read..."from your barsaati friend who will be turning 2X next month!"

I could not make out who sent the card to me. I am now out of touch with all of my school and kindergarten friends from back home. I flushed somewhat on reading the message... all in pink colour... and that sketch! I searched my brains to figure out what barsaati means since I am not a 'bar-goer'... you know what I mean, not to mention somewhat intrigued, that someone who knew my 2X birthday and current address had sent the card to me all the way from homeland spending airmail postage without a return address!

I called my mom who is of age 5X now. Chatted with mom for a while... took issue with her about how she used to lock me up in a closet in my kindergarten days when I refused to take bath in winter time. She laughed and said that she would take me to the second floor balcony of the rented house we had at Delhi where there was a spare bathroom on the second floor with most of the floor area left vacant, except for the bathroom. She mentioned how she used to strip me to bare essentials as I stood inside a round shaped bathwater tub.  She assured me that she always bathed me in hot water in winter time on barsaati floor, but, I still remember the chills I felt as I stood gazing at the open sky. I suddenly remembered what such open floors to sky were called in Delhi... 'barsaati'  where one could also put out a cot and sleep at night... counting stars if you will... during summer time.

I queried mom to find out who all were living around our house in those days. She mentioned that we were friends with another family who had a girl child about my age then. They also had a similar balcony and barsaati that was next to our barsaati. She also mentioned that I would agree to bathe on the barsaati floor in the open as long as no one looked! I bet she had a twinkle in her eye when she mentioned that... I could not be certain since it was a long distance phone call.

My phone call to mom got wasted. Mom could not recall name or current location of people who lived next door to us with a girl my age then! I will now be spending sleepless nights wondering who lived next door in my kiddy school days! 

My Bar~saati please reveal thyself! Close