Wondering what Hoppingo, Battingo means?

Well, it’s a game where you are supposed to hit your friend (Hoppingo when standing and Battingo when he/ she is sitting)

Well, it was quite a popular game during our school times.  I mean during the 70s and 80s and we used to literally play with each and every peer!

Now can you imagine someone playing this with an elderly person?

Can you imagine anyone playing this with their teacher?

I guess I have done it all with this particular incident which is still so fresh in my memory after maybe 30 odd years.

She was our language teacher, teaching us Marathi. We used to call her Deshmukh madam.

I was one of her fave students. I was like this good kid in front of her but behind her I used to do lots of hera pheri… During one of her classes, I was hiding behind the class room door and when she entered… I just went behind her back and hit her on her back saying “Hoppingo!”

She was sporty enough and resorted back to me with “Battingo” and the whole class were rolling down on the incident laughing and giggling… Immediately she composed her self back and then stormed out of the class to inform the principal…

Here’s what happened later… Read along… I was called to his room where I was interrogated… Here are the excerpts..

Princi : Whats your name?
Raj : Rajan father… ( I was almost close to peeing on my pants)
Princi : Why are you here?
Raj : Errrr… hmmmm… I… I…
Deshmukh mam: Tell him what happened?
Raj : I… I.. hit Deshmukh mam (So weird it was???)
Princi : What???? (He almost jumped from his seat)
Princi : Why?? Why did u hit her?
Raj : I was playing hoppingo/ battingo with her father!
Princi : Do you know what you have done?
Raj : (A very sad as if I-did-nothing look from me… almost crying situation)
Princi : I need to meet your parents tomorrow…
Deshmukh mam: Yes father! These kids these days I tell you ( I mean those days guys!… for all teachers its always these days)
Raj : OK father, I am sorry father (I said OK, now i need to source out my father to meet this princi)

That day I was doomed to be expelled from school…. I went home.

I didn’t have my mom then. My dad was working in the middleast and all I had for myself was my grandpa…

So it was kind of easy to convince him of my endeavors!

I pretended I was sick and tried doing shivers in front of him so he would think that I have fever and that way I can skip my school next day. Wow great idea that was… I went to the bathroom and out of fear cried like crazy. when I came out my eyes were red and swollen.

My grandpa wondered what happened and took me to the doctor… I was the happiest person then… Good I thought… I can fake the doctor with my sickness and get to be at home tomorrow, I thought!

But who can fake a fever to a doctor? My doctor (Dr. Padwal) interrogated me like crazy as if he were an FBI agent. After many many Q’s he finally took it out from me… (Still remember that moment) I finally had to spill the beans… “Dr I actually played a prank on my teacher and hit her on her back”

You cannot imagine the kind of laugh he had that day… Atleast I brought a smile on your face, I thought. He didnt charge me any fees (Ya he was very good doctor) He told my grandpa not to worry… “Your grandson has nothing, he is all well and he just needs you to go to school with him tomorrow to meet the principal”.

Then I had to narrate the whole thing to my grandpa. He was actually cool about it. He would support me on anything I guess. So, it was pretty chillled out! Not everyone gets a grandpa like mine! Yeah, I am lucky to have had him…

The next day was pretty cool at the princi’s place. My grandpa promised him that I will not get into any such acts later… I kept my promise… I mean this time onwards I ensured I was more careful… not to get caught…

Wow! That incident is still so fresh in my memory even today… Good I am sharing this all with you…

Guys, please let your kids be kids. Let them do lots of masti. Let them have a ball. Don’t interrupt them. Just ensure that they study well. Thats all. There is only one lifetime, one childhood… Give them those moments!

Don’t care about others Hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I loved writing it!!!!