AN INNOCENT DESIRE! 

           During my early childhood days, I have seen myself growing amongst dogra people, speaking dogri dialect. I have spent best part of my childhood at Jammu where my Chacha Udham Chandji lived. Chacha’s family consisted Chachi Lilo, Ashok, Nirmla, Durga and Guddi. They used to live in a rented house. This house belonged to Bnarsi Dass Dogra who was a famous halwaii of canal road market. His son Omi Dogra was of my age. Ten years old Omi Dogra who was a lively kid, had become my dear friend. 

          There was a talk in  Dogra Mohalla that Amrit and Omi were jolly good friends who always created havoc and an atmosphere of happiness, fear and surprise who were always found running now upstairs and then downstairs! Whole Dogra Mohalla was fan of our activities full of thrill and unexpected maneuvers of naughtiness of innocent  boyhood! Once at dinner, I  asked Omi that if I might be called ‘Dogra’ because I love being called so! Omi looked at me helplessly.  I wished if I were a Dogra too!

          Back home at Ladori at the age of 12, I was in class 6^th. Being an over enthusiastic boy, I was quite known and famous, not only in the class but in the whole school! Also, being talkative, dramatic, stage actor, speaker and immature footballer, I had earned above average reputation in the school while managing stage at the time of school cultural programs.

        I had a very dear friend. Raju….Raju Dogra who was my bench mate and we had, at several times, shown the people around, the flawless, real, true and pious friendship. Here too, I came more closer to a Dogra boy, Raju Dogra! Raju once told me that they had a Ber Tree in their courtyard. I asked Raju to bring some Sookhe Ber that I liked most!

         Neelu Pathania, my classmate at Ladori High School had also become my good friend. We used to exchange homework almost daily. She always shared her food or eatables with me that she brought to the school. Neelu’s elder sister Jyoti Pathania was married to a Jammu Dogra Rajput boy. It was, however, unbelievable when I came to know that Jyoti Pathania was married to Karan Dogra of the same Dogra Mohalla and his house being next door to the Bnarsi Dass Dogra’s household!

        On my next visit to Jammu, I met Jyoti Dogra who was very happy to see ‘Ladori Boy’ and classmate of her younger sister Neelu!  In a short period of time, I became wanted in Dogra Rajput family and on the other hand, I felt to be more 'Dogra' like myself!!