010 Flight to Moon in 1980s: True story from our childhood

 Flight to Moon in 1980s: True story from our childhood

Their full pants and woollen sweaters were getting dirty in mud. They knew that their mother will scold them but the joy of playing in the road so high that they hardly cared about it. Their cheeks were started getting winter rash as the temperature started going further down to extreme. Diwali was few weeks away.

Shop near school started selling fireworks. While coming back home. Pappu used some of his saving from piggy bank to buy crackers from shop. Pappu had come to play football with firecrackers in his packet. They were joined by a kid named Hari from another village who had come in the vicinity temporary. He was little older than Pappu.

After an exhausting match of kicking the ball from one bend to another bend in the road, Pappu brought out few red colour ‘murga chhap’ crackers. Hari laughed at him saying these small crackers don’t even make enough noise to make a mouse run. Pappu knew that his crackers are small so he put them back to his pocket.

Next day, while coming back from school, Pappu brought a green color ‘sutli’ bomb. In the evening, he came prepared with a page torn from his mathematics notebook, ‘chaavi’ brand match box and the bomb. He was sure of dazzling Hari with the blast. He put the page on the road, and few stones on paper so that paper didn’t go way with the wind. He opened the red paper tape of the bomb and then straightened the fuse string of cracker. He kept the bomb string one side of the page and then lite the fire on other side of page. They ran as the fire approached the string of cracker. There was a huge sound. Bholu started crying out of fear.

Hari was still not impressed and laughed at them. He said it was nothing. Pappu was very irritated and went on to hit Hari with his hands. Hari fought back and both of them has a small friendly brawl. Pappu told Hari that he has got nothing but the boasting a white lie. Hari overpowered Pappu and said he will show them tomorrow. His bomb will not only make a huge blast but also send an object to the moon. They knew from school and radio that an Indian named Rakesh Sharma travelled in space recently. Pappu showed Hari a downward thumb and all three of them teased him with their tongues out.

Next day, Hari came with a bigger ‘sutli’ bomb and an empty 1 litre Tin jar. He didn’t bring the page of his notebook and said that he will lite the bomb directly. He kept the bomb on ground and with the help of a small stone he kept the Jar upside down on top of bomb. Pappu and Bholu stood at a distance. Sanju went along with Hari. Hari lite the bomb directly on string. As the string caught fire, both the them ran away. Bholu closed his eyes and ears.

 There was a deafening sound.

Pappu saw in awe - Jar flying towards moon in two pieces.

First peace went up the sky and disappeared. Second piece took a flight down. It landed on the back of Hari. Who fell down on his stomach due to the impact. Tin pierced through his woollen sweater. Pappu gave him a hand and he sat down. He removed sweater, shirt and vest one by one. There was blood and small wound in his back. They rubbed mud on his back and he then wore back the cloths.

They promised not to tell anyone about both - neither the half which landed on Hari’s back nor the half which went in the outer sky towards moon.