Welcome to my Weltanschauung!

Yesterday was an unforgettable day! After nearly 15 years, I returned to Jagtial, the town where I studied until the 6th grade. Jagtial holds countless memories of my childhood. Since leaving in 2009, I hadn’t had the chance to come back, though I’ve long dreamed of revisiting and reliving those beautiful times. Yesterday, I was lucky to finally have that opportunity.

The idea of testing myself to see if I could still remember my home, school, and the places I used to play thrilled me. Back then, Jagtial was a small town, but now it’s a district headquarters, so I knew the landscape would have changed. It felt like a personal adventure, a mini puzzle to see if I could locate my old spots. I hopped on a bike and set off to rediscover them on my own.

Those two hours of exploring on the bike were unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. The excitement and adrenaline as I navigated turns and tried to remember old lanes from faint memory were beyond words. Passing through the colonies where I grew up, I was swept away in a wave of nostalgia.

I started at the bus stand, aiming to reach my old home. Along the way, I searched for ‘Bangalore Bakery,’ my favorite stop for fresh bread. But as I scanned the road, it was nowhere to be seen. New restaurants, stores, supermarkets, and shopping complexes had taken over, though two single-screen theaters—where I was first introduced to cinema—were still standing. Thankfully, they hadn’t been replaced by multiplexes.

After a few wrong turns, I finally found my old home. In my childhood, it was a vibrant place, bustling with energy and full of friends for hide-and-seek games and cycle races. Now, it seemed deserted, and the building had fallen into disrepair. No one from my childhood lived there anymore.

Standing on the terrace, memories flooded back, my heart grew heavy, and my eyes teared up as I looked at the place that defined my childhood. I vividly recalled all the games we’d played there and took a few minutes in calm reflection. It felt impossible to believe that my last time up there was 15 years ago.

Next, I set out to find a close friend’s house. I mistakenly went to the wrong one at first, but the people there directed me to his home. He was not there, but I surprised his mother at the door, and it took her a few seconds to recognize me.

From there, I made my way to my old school. As I searched, the background score of One Nenokkadine played in my mind, making me feel like the protagonist in the movie. Finally, after a bit of searching, I found it. The sight of my school filled me with immense joy. The school building had new colours and some glass walls, but everything else—including the small playground—remained unchanged. I went inside and asked the principal if any teachers from my time were still there, but sadly, none were.

After visiting my school and a some other familiar spots, I returned. The experience was unforgettable. So much had changed, yet so much remained the same. Time really does fly!