When I started schooling, all I carried with me of importance (to me) was a colorful tiffin box and a matching tiny water bottle, with my name tag on the strap somewhere. Ofcourse, those were the days when even I wore a tag, giving my name and the folks I belonged to; on the right pocket, and a hanky with some cartoon on it, folded in a neat triangle pinned to my left pocket. First few years were spent playing with putty and drawing mountain kind of structure with a pencil-the most important tool for the next five years. I remember the journey from holding a pencil straight (and my mother's struggle in the initial years, in making me do so),to growing up to be old enough to use a fountain pen.
A pencil was a very simple and unglamorous tool. Besides, it never seemed to get over . Those white camllin pencils with pink flowers and green leaves were just as innocent and cute as the years of primary schooling. However, they didn't seem to bring with them any adventure, risk (for long we were forbidden from using a blade for sharpening them) or repsponsiblity. So, the realtionship with pretty pencils by the time one reached fourth grade got itchier than the "seven year itch". The fourth grade was spent waiting to bid farewell to the pencils, forever. The prospect of a dallaince with the ink pen was too exciting. The longing to hold, use and rightfully possess an ink pen, would be better understood by people who had older siblings already using them. Finally, in a years time, you would be at the same pedestal as them.
The fifth grade is an important milestone in the student life. You are considered mature and responsible enough to handle a fountain pen. Also, the teachers back then insisted on using an ink pen, some even refused to correct the work done in ball pen. Apparently, the handwriting using an ink pen is neater than the ball point. A typical fountain pen requires little or no pressure to write. The ink lubricates the nib and helps in gliding over the paper. Thus, making writing smooth with a greater grip. Suddenly, your handwriting started to appear better. You tried to do all the written work before time, surprising not just your parents but also yourself. All for the love of the writing instrument. So much so that you even did rough work with an ink pen.
The whole idea of buying a new ink pen was exciting, because it meant you got to carry whole lot of papraphernalia with it. So, you not only shopped for a pen but also the ink (mostly camel -royal blue, chelpark- blue balck). You inevitably bought the plastic ink dropper and an ink rubber. The ugly looking, devoid of any fragrance, mostlly pink, blue or buff colored, ink rubber, meant business. Typically, they almost always had to be made a little wet (mostly tip of the tongue lent the moisture) before use and would almost always end up tearing the paper. Also, another thing that came in handy in case of an emergency was a piece of chalk, to blot ink or leaking ink pens. Later, towards the close of the fountain pen era, the chalk was replced by absorbent tissue papers. Apart from these, another important tool in the geometry box of the cleanliness freaks was a blade. That completed the geometry box.
However, the most important purchase till the teenage years, before getting bitten by the fashion bug, was that of a fountain pen. Specailly a day before the exam was legitimate entitlement. That was one day when you did not have to say what you wanted, but your father enquired if you wanted something for the exam. Naturally, that was one opportunity I never let go off. This was one preparation, which was to me, more important than actual preparation for the exam. So, the trip to the local stationery shop, trying out different pens, scribbling some gibberish on a peice of paper, practsing your ever changing ssignature resembling a swatteredd fly, provided a good respite from all the cramming.
My experience began with an ugly looking, fat, green ink pen, with a big nib. Getting used to the ink pen took a while. Holding the pen too close to the nib would not only leave a stain on the phalange of the middle fingure, but also leave a dent on that part from holding it too tight. The stain and the dent was an evidence of all the work you did in the school. So, nobody seemed to mind it much. Filling up my first ink pen was a messy job. In the absence of a dropper, I had to use the ink cap to fill the reservoir, mostly spilling some on my skirt.
Then came the era of Chinese pens. Their short hooded nib made it easier to use. But the problem was that they were very expensive and you had to prove worthy of possesing one. They came in charcteristic three colors maroon / black/ green bordering towards blue with golden cap. That golden cap lent it a certain class and style.. It was more like a BMW in the days of fiat.What also set it apart was the squiggly rubber sac/pipe would suck the ink in. Totally cutting the mess out. Though most unreliable as it hardly carried any ink, just enough to run out in an exam. Still to posses one meant being cut above the rest. The air with which you pulled out the Chinese pen, uncapped it, and wiped the leaking drops of ink on your head, whiffed of superiority
Then came the era of cartridge pens. These used pre-filled ink cartridges, totally cutting out the fun of filling n spilling the ink. All you needed was to load a new cartridge each time and you were ready to fire. The action of loading a cartridgre gave me the feeling of preparing for a battle/loading a gun. It was too masculine for my taste. Besides, it came in very regular colors and was expensive. Their cheap imitation was soon in market which used piston type filling mechanism. So, you dipped the pen in the ink pot and pulled decent amount of ink with the piston. Almost like filling a syringe. Eachtime I refilled made me feel like a doctor- with a difference- wielding the syringe and not taking it. Besides, they came in the most outrageous colors and combinations. Hot pink, purple, yellow and what not. I liked them.
Finally, things revolutionised with the coming of Reynolds ball pen. The characteristic blue cap and white body, with a fine tip undermined the importance of an ink pen. All this while, the famous "pilot pen" co-existed with the ink pen , but was more for the use of signing dossuments. My father always used it and forbade us from having it. He would carefully refill it with the tiniest ink bottle with nozzle on it.
However, the final blow to the ink pen was the roller gel pen.The ink pens have died a silent death. Unfortuantely, the new generation would never get to use it in schhool. Its considered uncool to use a messy ink pen. As a teacher, I never saw anyone use ink pen that I so proudly used as a student. Probably, just as my mother tells us about the 'takhti' (slate), I would tell my children about fountain pen.
