Episode 1

The first school I attended was run by Christian nuns. At that time it was considered one of the best schools in our town. But I found hardly anything nice about that school. As like most 4 year olds, I disliked going to school and often my father had to literally drag me to school. Most teachers in the school, even at the lower grades, seldom mingled with the students and there was always a barrier in the student teacher relationship. Worse still, they even indulged in blatant favoritism. All these made me look forward to those days when I need not go to school.

I had to bear with this school for 6 long years, filled definitely not with the fondest of memories. The only saving grace was that the school was fairly close to our house.

During this time my father was running a business of his own. But the factory he was managing was quite some distance away from our house. We were then thinking of shifting to somewhere closer by to his place of work and had almost identified a good house to buy. This house was near to my uncle’s place and he suggested that me and my brothers be put in a new school which had started in a nearby place. As it was the beginning of the school year we were soon to be enrolled to the new school, though we had not shifted the house yet.

Though it was planned that all three of us, ie my elder brother, younger brother and me be put in the new school, my elder brother couldn’t be admitted there. This was so because the highest grade in the new school was the 7th grade and he was already in the eighth. So in the end my younger brother, Rishi and me were the ones to go to the new school.

Being a new school, they were temporarily operating out of a rented house and it was there we went for the admission interview. It was then I met Madam for the first time. She was the Principal of the new school. I still remember her asking me my name, and me replying ‘my name is …..’ in full sentence, as I was taught. That brought a smile to her face…

Our new school year was yet to start, when there was again change in our domestic scene.
The house we were currently in, though far away from my father’s work place, was fairly close to our ancestral house. My grand parents, when they heard about our plans to shift were not pleased at the prospect of us moving further away from our ancestral house. My father ultimately bowed down to their wishes and decided to build a new house close to our ancestral house itself rather than shifting to the new place as planned.

Now, this posed a new dilemma. We were already enrolled in the new school, and with us not shifting houses and also my father being busy with the construction of the new house, it was not practical for us to commute everyday to school. So the solution that me and Rishi were to stay temporarily at my Uncle’s place, nearer to the school.

So I started going to what was to become my favorite school from my uncle’s place. But the first day itself was a shock of sorts. Unlike the solid structure of my previous school, what greeted me atop a hill was a set of thatched sheds! And I was pretty disappointed with the new school. To top it all, the first encounter with my classmates was something I won’t forget in a hurry.
Though I was only 11 years old, at that time I was pretty tall for my age; standing at around 5’2’’ on heels. The first day at school, I was not wearing the prescribed uniform, as we were yet to get it stitched. By the time I looked around and located my classroom, it was a bit late. When I entered my classroom, the lady teacher already there took me for a new teacher and left the class, saying “oh, here you are! I was waiting for you” . And before a surprised me could respond anything, she was gone.
Now, there I was, standing in front of my new class mates, with all of them standing up and greeting me “Good morning, Ma’m”. What a better way to start at a new school!
Imagine their surprise when I went and sat amongst them finding an empty seat!

Our class had only 12 children, with 2 of them including me, girls. In spite of my entry as a “teacher”, I soon made friends with all of them and it were last many more years to come.

My Naughty Days

I was shopping with my 4-year-old daughter at the big supermarket in the city. We were browsing through the book section of the super-market; still undecided what to buy for her. I turned around, hearing someone calling out my name. I was searching among the shoppers, trying to put a face to the voice, but couldn’t. I was taken by surprise when the lady standing right in front of me came forward and caught me in tight embrace exclaiming at the same time “look ! who is here ! My favorite student!”

Now, I am in my early thirties, a homemaker for the past 6 years. Ever since I finished my senior secondary education around 14 years back, I had not been living in my hometown. I was now back at my parental home temporarily, waiting to join my husband, who had taken up an overseas assignment.

So naturally, I was taken by surprise when someone called out my name and recognized me even after so many years – obviously from my school days. Though it took me a few seconds to recognize her, once my initial surprise was over, I was overjoyed to meet my “Madam”. She looked so different from the days I knew her. She was wearing a churidar-kurtha, an attire she never wore when I knew her. And now had long hair, again so different from the Madam I knew.

Though we hadn’t seen each other for the past 14 years, we had kept in touch – though irregularly. So she knew about the major happenings in my life, about my marriage, me becoming a mother….

One thing about her that hadn’t changed with the passage of time was the warmth and affection that she exuded along with a youthful spirit. She was very happy in seeing my daughter as I introduced my little one to the best teacher I ever had.

We talked about my classmates and how many have changed over the years. She was so happy to see me in my old self – complementing me for not changing a bit. Even her daughter and son who were with her and who knew me from my school days agreed to her opinion.

On our way back home, I was in an upbeat mood. Meeting Madam after so many years was such a wonderful feeling. But I kept wondering about her comments of me being the same old self – am I really? I didn’t feel myself that way. I am not that naughty, outgoing and daring teenager that she used to know. The years bygone has mellowed me down quite a bit… But my feelings of love and affection for my school and Madam hasn’t changed a bit..

The Beginning

Today I start my journey to the past; to the making of what has become of me. Reminiscences about my bygone days. I hope to create a journal which would capture the essence of the most enjoyable part of my life- my school days. I really enjoyed living it, thinking about it and now blogging about it. Hope it would be enjoyable to you too!

Happy Reading!!