There was a time when having a phone connection meant you are rich or atleast well- to- do.In my school,children from all walks of life studied, and so in our school environment atleast this was the notion. We got our landline connection in 1992.It came one fine day in a carton on which was printed”Phone Set: Colour: Ice Blue.”These words are as if imprinted in my mind and I fondly remember the first set, though thereafter many others came after each got repaired. But the first remains my favourite till date.

In our class, only five of us had. I was the new addition .It was automatically presumed that all six of us were “rich” Little did they know we got the connection 10 years after we had applied!

And I used to proudly and happily give away my number and in case any friend  used to give a call, I felt like a Prime Minister when whoever picked the phone would shout-“Hey phone for you” With a broad smile and  feeling very important I would run to the phone, infact take a few more minutes and speak so as to feel how it is talking to a person over the phone…clear her doubts or homework for the next day and hang up the phone and I still remember would look around with immense pride at this great achievement of successfully talking and solving the matter over the phone. This would be all the more thrilling if any guest or relative had come and I would get a call and a sense of importance that followed.

Now, slowly neighbours started pouring in and would either call or receive calls and we would go to them and let them know the message .This went on for a few more years and there were people still coming to our house for the phone calls...

One by one our neighbours got their own phones and the number of visitors drastically reduced. Same in school .I had a whole lot of numbers in my diary and I was no longer the only “rich” member of the class. The Tatas and Birlas had multiplied in no time!!

The phone no longer a measure of richness, the focus shifted to washing machines!! I remember my friend once saying to all of us - “My mother said she will not put the clothes in the machine (stress) if I dirty it today” Now all of us around her used to inwardly feel “How is it like to wash clothes in a machine? But no one dared to ask it aloud though.

Now kids have everything, atleast in the well developed areas. With the abundance they have there is no thrill or charm associated with any of the goods as they see it right from the time they are born. There is no longer the “rich”,”poor” tags,no innocent smiles,no proud beaming face….