Alt HL- POV: You’re 12, it’s Lucknow & nothing has ever been this good.
There was a time when happiness had a price tag of ₹10, fun didn’t need a WiFi connection, and the smallest things in this city could make your entire week. No one told us to cherish it, no one had to. We were 12, we were in Lucknow, and life was genuinely, effortlessly, ridiculously good. Funny how the simplest era turned out to be the one we keep coming back to. Some highs, you just never top.
Sahara Ganj Mall just opened up, food courts, air-conditioned stores, massive trampoline for kids
It’s peak Lucknow summer, and Sahara Ganj just opened. Nothing has ever felt this significant. The moment those glass doors slide open and that AC hits your face, you’re convinced this is what heaven feels like. The food court alone could make you emotional. There are actual stores with actual price tags and everything smells new. And that trampoline? You told yourself you were too old. You lasted four minutes. No regrets, zero.
School picnics meant outings at Anandi, Amrapali Water Park or Kukrail Picnic Spot
It’s a school day, but somehow, miraculously, it isn’t. The teacher’s just announced the picnic, and the classroom has completely lost the plot. Anandi, Amrapali Water Park, Kukrail Picnic Spot, whichever one it was, it didn’t matter. What mattered was no uniform, no lectures, and a full day of unfiltered chaos with your entire friend group. You barely slept the night before. Bag packed, snacks sorted, absolutely buzzing. Some days just live forever, and these were those days.
Lucknow Mahotsav was the OG mela
It’s winter, and someone just said Lucknow Mahotsav has started. That’s it. That’s the whole plan. The lights, the noise, the smell of street food from three stalls away, the rides that were slightly terrifying but you’d never admit it, Mahotsav was the event of the season and everyone knew it. No mall, no multiplex came close. This was the OG mela, Lucknow’s biggest flex, and every single year it absolutely delivered.
Pizza Hut and Domino’s are the newest hype in the city
POV: You’re 12, and Pizza Hut just opened, and absolutely nothing will ever be the same. A birthday party there? You’ve basically made it. You walk in, you’re rich, simple as that. Meanwhile, Domino’s has everyone in the city low-key timing their deliveries with actual stopwatches, praying the guy’s even two minutes late so they can claim that legendary free pizza. The 30-minute guarantee wasn’t just a policy — it was a city-wide sport. And Lucknow played hard.
Buying ₹20 Archies cards & friendship bands before Friendship Day was serious business
It’s the last week of July, and you are on a mission, Archies is calling, Friendship Day is coming. And picking the right card for the right friend is not, repeat, not, something you take lightly. Twenty rupees felt like a real investment back then. You’d stand there for a solid twenty minutes, reading every single card, stacking up friendship bands by colour, absolutely convinced this was the most important shopping trip of your life. It kind of was.
₹10 for a 1-hour session at cyber cafes
You’ve got ₹10 burning a hole in your pocket, and the cyber cafe down the lane is calling your name. One hour. That’s all you need. You’d sprint there after school, grab your favourite seat, and suddenly the whole world was yours, Orkut, online games, and download speeds that tested every last bit of your patience. The fan whirred, the keyboards clacked, and that one hour felt like the most precious sixty minutes of your entire week.
City’s old single-screen cinema experiences were still alive
Going to the movies means Capitol, Novelty, Umrao, Pratibha, and there’s something about it that no multiplex has ever quite matched. The creaky seats, the interval samosas, the curtain that actually dropped before the film, the entire hall reacting together like one giant family. You’d queue for tickets in the actual sun, argue over the best seats, and walk out quoting dialogues for a week straight. Single screens hit different; they always will.
New books during new school sessions = visiting Universal Book Store
The new school session just started, and there’s only one place to be, Universal Book Store. The smell of fresh textbooks, the specific chaos of finding your class list, the slight panic of hoping they haven’t run out of your edition. Mum’s got the list, you’ve got zero interest in the books but every interest in the stationery. New notebooks, fresh geometry boxes, that one fancy pen you absolutely didn’t need. New session energy hit different back then.
Genesis City Club was one of the earliest spots for your New Year’s celebrations with family
It’s December 31st, and the family’s getting ready for Genesis City Club, and honestly, life doesn’t get better than this. You’ve been waiting for this night all year. The lights, the music, the buffet that you’re going to absolutely demolish, the countdown that feels like the biggest moment in human history. Sure, you’ll fall asleep before midnight, but you’d never admit that. Genesis near Kursi Road was the New Year’s spot before New Year’s spots were even a thing.
