The open air theater.
This was the focal point of our colony.
It stood out prominently amidst the neat rows of houses on either side.
Loved by the entire colony who came to watch Hindi movies every week.
The songs would begin two hours before the show began, when the yatra toward its interiors would begin.
Seats had to be 'caught'..so kids came at 5pm armed with bed sheets and once inside, scrambled for choice ones.
Balcony ones were preferred by some.
No ceiling, only blue skies..an open auditorium, with cemented, hard benches.
Nobody seemed to mind.
Then just before the movie began, the parents would get in, locate their 'caught' seats and wait for the 'triiiiiiiiiing' anxiously.
A roar reverberated through the audience as the action began.
Eyes riveted on their favorite hero running around his heroine, not even an earthquake could distract them then.
The inevitable villain appeared..the crowd screamed as dishum dishums followed.
The hero won..he had to. Cheers.
While he moved into blissful land with his gal and villain safely behind bars...
the ending song began and the crowd slowly trooped out.
One evening, a mawali, colony guy tried to ape some villain.
He approached our rotund Miss' daughter, a slim, smart lass. He misbehaved.
She, the fearless heroine, with extra large eyes, slapped the main rascal across his cheek without hesitation.
The villain, learned an important lesson, he'd never forget, as he trooped back to his seat with his henchmen.
'Never mess with a Miss' daughter.'
