Tuesday, October 29, 2013

School days


Quite some time ago a school friend was compiling a CD of the favourite songs of the class of '92 at Apeejay School Noida. He asked me to send him a write up which I did. The CD never materialised but today as I was digging into some old work files I found the following write up. Enjoy!


A journey called life. It sounds lofty and tedious but really it’s like a dream that goes by before you have the time to wake up and lock it into memory. I think most of us were about seven years old when we joined the school at the edge of Delhi and UP. The principal an ex-military man never tired of telling us-“ Jesus was born in a barn and our school was born in a godown.” Those were the days when we would jump out of the school bus and run to our favourite swing with our favourite friend. Sometimes the bus was late and someone else had your precious swing but the disappointment didn’t last for more than a few seconds because you still had your favourite friend by your side.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of you have that elusive childhood friend that you just can’t find now despite google, facebook , linkedin and a plethora of networking sites on the world wide web. Once in a while you catch yourself thinking about those childhood games like iggo duggo, pitthu phod and ice pice(eyes spy) and you wonder if your friend is married with children. Do you remember a special school bag that you carried? I had a small green attaché that I used to carry during exams only because it wouldn’t hold my regular load of books. The most wonderful thing about exams was the fact that there were no classes afterwards and the moment an exam got over there was a riot that was hard to contain.

Then there were break time. Food and water especially in summer were of great importance. A lot of us finished our food in the 10 min short break and then raided other people’s lunches shamelessly. We drank cool water in the heat causing the owner of a certain brown bottle to scream,”Who drank my water?” The thing is some people would actually not share their cool water and caused some others  to make them pay for it. Then there was arm wrestling very often amongst the boys of course while the girls played a game called elastic. Remember that game anyone?

And we all grew together and so did the school. All of us fell in love at some time or the other with someone. I remember a particular someone sitting in class on the 3rd floor looking lovingly at his special someone on the 1st floor with his back to the teacher. I think the teacher said something witty and sarcastic that I just can’t remember. It was all well if you were in love with your own classmate but if you liked your senior you had to keep going around the hexagon in circles till you got a glimpse of the loved one or even better if he/she said two words to you in which case you smiled like an idiot the whole day for a very good reason. Our school was really quite hard on love. It was a bad thing and our hormones were to be kept in check at all times. We could play sports, do dramatics, study, sing, run, write articles even poems but God forbid that we should fall in love. Parents were called and punishments were of a wide variety.

Well I have come to the end of the quota given to me to write this. I would have liked to include names but I don’t have space. The point is when I look back I realize that we were all unique and together we made a fantastic and extremely interesting lot. Some of us excelled at sports, some at studies, some were wonderful actors and some were just wonderful people. Nostalgia should be indulged in small doses so let me say that I am so fortunate to be in touch with all of you and I wish your children would be in schools where they study, play, act, run, kick, laugh, find friends and fall in love, so when you hear the teacher complain remember there’s a small scared kid standing outside. He’s just like you.


8 comments:

Gazal said...

This one took me right back to the classroom. So much has changed in me since and I feel like a different person now. But the memory of school and our days together transports me back to that silly shy gawky girl feeling.

Parul Gahlot said...

It was such a long time ago... We've all changed. I remember going to your place in Noida so many times. They were wonderful times :)

soulitude said...

Nostalgia all the way! I went to an all girls convent school. in hindsight I wish I had gone to a co-ed school because I feel I could have fallen in love with someone in school and married him, lol! On a more serious note, I think co-education helps in a more healthy approach and prevents certain people from going crazy when they see and interact with boys for the first time in college! :) Though mine was a convent, it was bloody progressive for its times. Since I went to one I can refute most of the normal myths associated with convent education. Boys or no boys , it was a lot of fun. We called each other 'girlie' for some damn strange reason lol! Its a fond memory though! Like many other memories school days bring back! :)

Parul Gahlot said...

Hey shilpa! I'm sure going to an all girls school had its own charm. As far as finding the right man is concerned I know he's going to find you and sweep you off your feet very very soon! :)

Unknown said...

Oh Parul, u just took me down memory lane... all those memories refreshed n some of them still so very fresh...cud relate so very well....feel so so nostalgic...I feel like making a confession here...I had a huge crush on one of your classmates...although the crush was a silent one :) I remember taking rounds of the hexagon wid my gang of girls just to catch a glimpse of my crush...still remember your classroom next to the washroom on the 3rd floor, lol! And last but not the least, you were one of my seniors whom I really admired :)

Parul Gahlot said...

Awwwwwww!! I think all of us went through that phase of silent crushes :) And thanks so much for loving the post. And I'm surprised and flattered that a junior looked up to me in school. I hope I was a good role model heh heh heh. And we have to talk about this guy in my class you had a crush on!! Inbox me!!

Samar said...

Well done :)...took me back to those good old days when life was simple and the only problem u had was that u had not done your homework....

and the pictures was awesome too :)..hotness !!!

Parul Gahlot said...

Thanks for coming by Samar :)