Monsoon of Memories: The Joyous Era of Snail Mail
A rewind to the cherished times of ink and paper, red pillar boxes on streets, and the dopamine hit from the postman’s bicycle ring.
The shrill of the bicycle bell would reach us much before we could hear his footsteps and the ring of the doorbell. The piercing sound of the postman’s bicycle bell was always welcomed, even when it suggested the arrival of the school report card. The postman bhaiya would not hand over the brown envelope to us until mother parted with a box of mithai. And, irrespective of what the report card meant to us, he always received his share of sweets.
From wedding invitation cards and Diwali greeting cards to rakhis during rakshabandhan (from outof- town cousins), he was a big part of our festivities. As years passed, the postman bhaiya delivered us university admissions and employment offer letters. The postmen were often the most familiar faces in the neighborhood, and almost all of us knew them by name. As they (and we) grew older, the rapport they built with the community they served grew stronger— for they were always the first ones to know of the ‘breaking news’ of our lives. Yes, back in the day, when the ping of WhatsApp didn’t exist, the shrill of the bicycle bell is what gave us the dopamine high.
Not very long ago, it was common in India to spot the iconic red pillar boxes for posting letters in one’s neighborhood. These boxes were usually placed in prominent locations, and people would drop their letters into them for delivery. Now, their sight makes for good posts on Instagram, with hashtags such as #nostalgia, #goodolddays, #snailmail. It was also interesting to watch the process of the boxes being emptied at regular intervals, after which the mail was sent to the sorting offices. Our grandparents often mentioned the collection times to us, suggesting we post letters before the scheduled time to ensure they are collected on the same day.
It was an era characterized by a slower and more personal mode of communication than today’s instant messaging apps and emails and is one that many of us miss dearly. The charm of the letters lay not only in using ink and pen in writing them but also in waiting for a reply. We’d request the elders to allow us to use the fountain pens to write letters. Letter writing was an art, and other than yellow postcards, the blue inland letters were often relied on for communicating with loved ones.
As children, we’d also buy letter pads that often came with matching envelopes and were decorated with our favorite icons like the pop stars of the times, the Disney characters from the latest movies, and more. As communication was not instant, anticipation and excitement were associated with waiting for a reply. It could take days or weeks for a letter to reach its destination and for the response to return. Besides being taught the art of writing letters in school, the elders often advised us to address envelopes and notes using the correct titles and respectful language. Letters from loved ones had significant sentimental value. We often preserved and cherished the letters, creating a tangible connection to the sender and the past. Not only this, but we also learned about the concept of pen friends and would use the power of words and inks to forge friendships with strangers, even in foreign lands.
Purva Grover is an author, journalist, poet, playwright, and stage director. A postgraduate in mass communication and literature, she is the founder editor of The Indian Trumpet, a digital magazine for Indian expats in the UAE. She can be reached at grover.purva@gmail. com. To comment on this article, please write to letters@khabar.com.
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