This is a photograph that I cherish a lot. Both the sunglass and the bike is special for me. They were presents from my eldest sister. I took great care of both and had them with me for a long long time. The photograph was shot by my eldest brother on the first floor porch of our old house at Colonlegunj. I must not have been going to school then and was perhaps around four or five years old. Schooling in those days started late, there was no concept of nursery education. Children learnt their first alphabets and the three R's at home, usually from their mother. By the time it was felt that I was ready for school, I could read, write and speak English, Hindi and Bengali; could carry out the four basic functions of maths and knew a bit of history and geography and science. I was directly admitted to Class 2. The bike had multiple uses, apart from being a normal bike used for riding. Sometimes it will turn to car racing furiously through the city's busy thoroughfare chasing the robbers, at other times it will turn into a horse driven carriage that we called tonga, occassionally it will be converted into a rickshaw and quite incredibly perhpas, sometimes it will turn into film projecter screening my favourite film. Incidentally a childrens' film Jagrati was my favourite. I had a happy and secure childhood. Perhaps slightly overawed by the presence of elder brothers and sisters; all seven of them, but nevertheless carefree and enjoyable.