Here are 11 Desi games that modern children are unlikely to play:
1.Yasu Panju
'Yasu panju haar kabutar doli'. A minute of silence for
those who were slapped and a round of applause for those who smacked the
victims. The game had no concept, and it was the victim's groan after receiving
a slap that gave us cruel children the greatest pleasure. A look of betrayal
and unshed tears were unmistakable indicators of achievement.
2. Barf Pani
The entire community would ultimately play. The path to glory was never straightforward, as two teams had to compete and attempt to freeze as many opponents as possible, while youngsters from your own team would 'pani' the 'barf' kid so that they could begin racing wildly again to save his tiny butt.
3. Street Baseball
Those were the times... Typically, the border might be the park fence, the end of the block, or the walls of a wealthy child's home with a vast lawn. If a window was broken, cricket was replaced by sprinting. It was not an out to catch the ball, but rather a "outtayyy" that was invariably followed by a warped version of the desi victory dance.
4. Chuppan Chupai
Chuppan chupai turned out to be more of a romantic encounter for the older group, whilst for the younger group it was a serious business transaction. Back then, the most popular hiding places were behind the curtain, in your parents' closet, and underneath the bed. Choosing who would search for everyone would be more of a conspiracy theory than a game of fairness, given that the unfortunate child was never anyone's favourite.
5. Dark Room
Occasionally, I wonder how in the world these games were ever conceived. Okay, so dark room was the ultimate game that everyone would use to terrify a beginner. This game comprised a dark room, a few individuals hiding, and one individual searching for everyone. This was a terrible attempt at creating a spooky house. Please quit making eerie noises while the lights are dark; it's not cool.
6. Kho-kho
I have no idea what the original name is, but this is what I refer to it as. I recall a lot of running, zigzagging, standing, and pushing, which was essentially a child's version of the film The Matrix. The key to winning the game was avoiding the opponent, while for the opponent, catching you was the ultimate objective. The crucial word was "kho-kho," which was required to be yelled when pushing a teammate from a standing position so that you could collect your breath. Both teams would end up like sugar-high children.
7. Chor Police
Bro, this was some serious s***. Again, Chor police consisted of children attempting to flee from the so-called police by running amok on the ground. The police consisted of either a single individual or a large group, but they were hell-bent on capturing the chors and snatching the prize.
8. Ludo
This game saw more clashes amongst players of all ages than any other game known to us Pakistanis. If you did not roll a six on the dice, your 'goti' would have been trapped inside that tiny coloured box. Killing the opponent's 'goti' was a source of the purest joy, and using a 'jota' to torment all the 'gotis' behind you was similar to assuming the role of the devil's advocate. Pure wickedness, I tell you.
9. Oonch Neech
All we ever did was seek out high ground, also known as "oonch," in order to escape raging lunatics, also known as children. Neech was the forbidden land, where running meant you could be captured by your arch-enemy. Our "two times" defence was our best defence. This was a wild goose chase.
10. Gilli Danda
Gilli danda was an imitation of cricket, and street children have always had a sweet place for it. You only need to hit the ball hard and let the crowd know that you're the next Aamir Khan Lagaan hero. As he did, the harder you hit the ball, the more likely you are to impress the ladies.
11. Beech Ki Billi
This was the local volleyball championship, with the exception that instead of a net, we preferred to use regular people. The trick was to throw the ball to your teammate on the opposite end while preventing anyone in between from catching it.
12. Kings
This game would begin with all of the participants sitting in a circle, but would quickly devolve into kicking feet and shouting. You only had one chance to kick the other player's foot, and if you were successful, you could continue playing. Quick feet, deception, quick reflexes, and sprained ankles were the theme of the game.
13. Carrom Board
Carrom board was not less fascinating than Jumanji simply because you did not get to roll a dice and see a lion emerge from the board. In order to score the little puck through the hole, you had to be a skilled marksman. The inability to score has always been a cause of frustration, I mean... Just a gotti yaar.
14. Maran Kuttai
The term 'kuttai' suggests that it was mostly a game for men, but this one may have been played by the toughest women in the group. Guys high on sugar chased each other while attempting to strike them with a ball as hard as they could; if you were struck, you were 'outtayyy'. I'm sure that must have been really painful for you guys. Not sorry, however.