A trip down memory lane – Part 2

I’ve taken the right turn (rightly right!) and the School stands there, majestic and magical with its gates open, welcoming as always!

I stand rooted to the spot thinking of that painful day thirteen years ago when I walked out of those gates, lifeless and lost.. where was the ‘direction’ that everyone was talking about? Why couldn’t I echo the sentiments of those many who were eager to begin college?

Suddenly I find myself being pulled toward the school by what seems like a ringing bell!! I want to run.. run past those gates, up the stairs, dodge people along the corridor to get to my class, fling my bag onto the bench, scream out to whoever’s listening and make a dart for the principal’s office with seconds to spare!

It was at the Principal’s office where a band by the name ‘Prayer Girls’ religiously assembled every morning for the same routine – National Anthem, Devotional Song and Pledge! What was an amusing musical start to each day for us girls was a punishment-without-reason for the boys upstairs waiting to be seated!! 😛 Their escapades under the pretext of ‘singing practice’ are sure to equally go down in history as the number of times they did the school proud!

I walk past the principal’s office to the ground.. it wasn’t big enough for major sports events but it was decently sized for our PT and assembly sessions. I don’t remember having played any sports there which doesn’t come as a surprise if you know me well enough!

That realization makes me turn around and go up the stairs that lead to the secondary section.. I’m on the first floor landing and straight ahead is the long corridor with classes along both the sides.. I go four steps ahead only to take two back and steal a glance at the right side end and smile. I do this for two silly girls, to relive an episode they still talk about!

For a moment I’m tempted to run across the corridor but the absurdity of the thought sinks in and I slow down.. I reminisce about the chaotic recess times and the ‘Captain – ViceCaptain’ strategy that was flawed from the very beginning! Imagine making me a Vice-captain, unless their whole strategy was to hand over the discipline department to the unruly ones!

Recess, corridor and discipline put together invariably led me to remember him! 2003 saw the arrival of a Sir who seemed Hitler-level determined to bring about some order! His obsession with having socks pulled up high was most peculiar! I, for one, hated the rule and invariably had my socks rolled down only to bend each time he passed by me to pull it up! Surprises me though, how I was so unabashed about it back then! I’m talking about my hairy legs NOT the rule breaking* 😛

I walk past the classes recalling as much as my head could process! The windows remind me of my hobby during lectures – looking out for people passing by or into the class across to enjoy silent conversations! I hardly realize I’ve reached the end of that stretch only to be standing outside the staffroom. I think of all those times I used to peek from behind the door to see whether the teacher was present or not! Absence meant a free period and that meant thirty minutes of freedom!! (Yeah, I was also a Class Monitor!) Keeping my modesty aside, I take extreme pride in saying I was a teachers’ favorite 😉

Talking about teachers, you don’t get to choose WHO teaches you but you can certainly choose WHAT you learn from them. Years after having passed out of school you remember some teachers more than others for special reasons.. maybe the way they looked, they spoke or something they did!!

Not mentioning this one extra-special teacher would leave this blog hanging incomplete.. she came, she left.. for a happier place, only to be remembered by millions for the love she showered upon us..

The flight of stairs from across the staffroom was one of my favorite places in school. It had this very grand feel to it, especially because it led to our Auditorium.

I climb up in slow motion, taking in all the sights. The gates on both ends of the corridor are locked, much to my dismay. It was my desire to get inside and onto the stage once more.. to look back on the Annual Day celebrations, the backstage hullabaloo and the excitement of performing in front of hundreds of parents!

I finally get down to the ground floor and head towards the exit. The roll of honor for the SSC rankers makes me shake my head in pity for my mom! She had hoped for my name to come up on that board but alas little did she know that if there were a roll of honor for troublemakers, my name would have shone on it for years to come!

The buses parked outside school reminded me of the craving I had forever, to travel in them with friends! The only regret of having your home at a hop-skip-jump distance!

(Please excuse me for not writing more about our beloved school because if I were to, a book would fall short.)

I crossed the road to visit my final destination.. the Wall. ‘Our SS Wall’.

The Wall has seen it all, us growing up mentally and physically.. the Wall has experienced it all.. Our laughter, tears, drama, fights, make-up, break-up..Everything! If you’re not at home, you’re on the Wall! It never mattered that 80% of those who hung around the Wall were not from either of the buildings! 😀 Holidays saw us perched on the wall from morning to night until one of our moms bellowed out of the window or came up right to the wall which was more embarrassing than scary! Honestly, I always wondered how the hell did the residents of that building put up with us for years! That is some tolerance level because, believe me, we were monsters. Especially the two girls I mentioned earlier in this blog, one of them obviously being ME!

I walk away saying a silent but heartfelt thank you to the building, especially the brother duo that NEVER said a no to us perpetually-thirsty kids.

That’s a whole lot of ‘remembering’ I’ve done since the moment I stepped out of my home. Coming toward the end of a beautiful trip, I raise a toast to it with a ‘Sev Puri’ from our bhaiyya!!!

As cliched as it sounds, these are stories I’m going to be telling my grandkids, if I live to that age! If I don’t, someone else will.

To all those who came into my life at each point in the trip I’ve mentioned,

It wouldn’t be possible without you. Thanks for the memories.

Love.