Life was so carefree with no responsibilities and so much fun. Every small achievement of us at that age meant so much to us.Getting a Very Good card or getting a gold medal in any sports activities would make us overjoyed. So many subjects to learn but learning was also fun as there were no career choices associated with it. That had to wait till we reached 10th standard and we appeared for the board exams.
In school you are given so many opportunities to explore your talent and given a chance to showcase it.
For the brainy guys we used to have quiz competitions every year. I had the distinction of winning the quiz competition for Blue House(my house) for 3 consecutive years :):)
For people who are good in drawing our school used to send students to Intermediate exams. For students who are good in elocution we used to represent our schools at various inter-school events. Plus for students good in dance and drama there used to be many cultural events and occasions for them to excel.
I was lucky to have so many good teachers under whose tutelage I could study well and excel in all the subjects. I still remember the day when I had to give a Hindi speech in front of a packed audience and although I had prepared well, I was feeling nervous. My Hindi professor Mr M.B.Singh came forward and told me to be calm. He asked my friend to help me in practicing. Then when I went on stage I was very confident and upbeat. The thunderous applause that I got after delivering that speech is something I still remember. I immediately went and thanked my Hindi professor.
I feel in our times the competition for marks was not as cutthroat as it is nowadays. I see children studying in 2nd-3rd standard going for tuitions these days. I mean that is something hard to comprehend. For us the things taught in school and self-study was more than enough to sail through the exams. I think parents are also pressuring their children too much in this mad rush for marks. The movie 'Taare Zameen Par' showed this very beautifully.
School is also a place where you forge some friendships that last for a lifetime. It was all about sharing and caring and even the small fights that you had were solved with a simple sorry. There was no place for grudges. Another best thing about school days were the long vacations that we had after the annual exams.
Man 2 months of vacations to enjoy :):)...Those were the days when you will play all day in the sun and not complain...
I feel school is also a place that is still considered as a temple of learning and unlike colleges where we bunk and attend lectures just for timepass or to make fun of the professors. Another occasion that I fondly remember was the day when we used to celebrate Raksha Bandhan in school...Ladkon ko bhav khane ke liye ek special din...hehehehehe....Most of the boys would run away during the breaks and come back only once the class started...Phir thoda manane ke baad hum maan jaate the....aur ladkiyan hamari kalayon me rakhi bandthi thi...We in return would give chocolates or pensets to the girls....
Penfight was another favourite game aur free period me sab benchon par yeh game khela jaata tha...Book cricket,playing TT on the class teacher's table,X and Zeros etc the list of games was endless...
Teacher की नज़रों से बचके गेम खेलने का मज़ा ही कुच्छ और था....
देखते देखते दिन गुजरते गए और स्कूल से विदा लेने का वक़्त आ गया!!!
I still remember the send-off party for our batch...We were all dressed in our best ,blazers for the boys and girls in sarees...After some photo ops with our teachers and batchmates we had some cultural event and a fashion show. Mr Mahindra Academy 99 and Miss Mahindra Academy 99 were selected (Mahindra Academy was the name of my school). Then some of us were told to recount their experiences of studying in this school. When it was my turn to speak I spoke for some time and then broke down in tears...I couldnt believe after that day I will not be coming to school,not seeing my teachers...Each of us would go away and pursue our different paths..
Even today I feel nostalgic whenever I think about school and the various memories attached to it. I hope through my post I was able to send atleast some of you to recollect those golden memories in your school days.
I would like to end my post with a Hindi sher...Yeh sher mere bachpan ke pyaare doston ke liye
Dosti achchi ho toh rang laati hai,
Dosti gehri ho toh sabko bhaati hai,
Dosti naadaan ho toh toot jaati hai,
Par agar dosti apne jaisi ho….
…. Toh itihaas banaati hai !
