Nostalgic Tales

Sweet and tangy memories cling to my fingers—the days when Alpenliebe, Kacha Mango Bite, and a shelf of wrappers formed our edible encyclopedia. Long before Kacha Mango Bite wore that green wrapper, Mango Bite came draped in yellow, curling only at the top. Do you remember? First Taste of Candies and Gums My earliest candy memories are a vibrant collage of Mango Bite — its iconic yellow wrapper curled only at the top, a distinct difference from the twisted ends of other sweets. Then there was the zesty Orange Candy, the intriguing wooden stick 'Imli' swaddled in shimmering golden plastic, and the savory Hajmola Candy. But the first chewing gum I ever encountered was 'Bubble Gum.' I recall my dad sharing a pack with a friend, remarking, "This is good. Kids chew toffees and always want more. But these gums, no matter how much you chew, they just don't finish!" I can still vividly picture the spot where this conversation unfolded. As the initial sweetness wan...

Rulers and Rubbers: A Stationery-Laden Childhood Natraj honed our tools, sketched our dreams and erased our mistakes. Camel carried our stuff and painted our little worlds. These are not mere brands for us, but a box containing memories of our innocent childhood. Last week I was at a stationery shop when I saw colourful erasers of different shapes. “Did you own any of these rubbers in school?” I asked my friend. “Nopes!” he answered. “Neither me,” I said. “I used the Natraj rubbers.” Those were the erasers we used in our early days — with their orange-yellow films that we preserved as long as we could, just to hold on to that "new" feeling. And Natraj pencil sharpeners ? We raced them like toy cars. A new Natraj pencil with golden tattoos on its black back brought us joy. Collecting the wooden petals after sharpening? Felt artistic! I looked through the transparent display at the shop, and noticed — most items were now from Doms . Their packaging is flashy and co...