Title: From Dusty Playgrounds to Digital Screens: A Journey Through Two Childhoods

"Dusty joy vs. digital silence — two faces of childhood."

Childhood — a time so precious, so pure, that no matter how far we move ahead in life, a part of us always longs to go back.

When we were young, we dreamed of growing up. We’d proudly announce, “I’ll be a doctor!”, “I want to become an engineer!”, or “One day, I’ll be an IPS officer!” Our eyes sparkled with ambition, unaware that adulthood often meant stress, responsibilities, and a yearning for the simplicity we left behind.

Back then, our days began not with alarms but with the chirping of birds and sunlight sneaking into our rooms. Our minds were not cluttered with social media notifications or school stress. Instead, our biggest worry was: “Aaj kis game mein jeetenge?”

At Home:
We played games that required no batteries, no screens — just imagination. We tore pieces of paper into “chits” and played chor-police. We built clay stoves and tried cooking imaginary meals. The result? A delicious mess only children could enjoy. We’d play “teacher-teacher,” pretending to scold imaginary students, or mimic our parents, laughing at how grown-ups behaved.

Outside:
The world beyond our doors was our real playground. Cricket with a taped tennis ball, kabaddi in the backyard, hide-and-seek in every corner of the…