Can I live it once more?

Gone are those lovely schooldays. Wonder if I can live it once more.

It wasn’t very long ago. Memories are fresh, lingering around my mind. There are a lot of things I will never forget in my life. It may sound a little funny as I go on; you are welcome to have a hearty laugh. There is no objection at all.

A cozy bed making you sleep as long as you want, but there comes the Hitler of your home (Mom) shouting and giving an order “It’s time baby .Wake up!”



I am damn sure; no one cares for this wake up call. There is an alarm ringing every 5 minutes. Hmmm right! Snoozed and snoozed and snoozed. Then there is this final call from your Mom, if you don’t wake up you know you will be late. Suddenly you get up and rush to get ready. Those neatly pressed uniforms, clean and polished shoes, neatly cut nails, oiled and combed hair. I remember those funny pony tails for girls and those joker shorts for boys. Sharp at 8 in the morning breakfast is ready on the table. The schoolbags are packed with books arranged as per the timetable. Finally all set to leave for a big day ahead.



Those cranky benches, wounded blackboards are part and parcel of everyone’s life. We run into the classroom, drop the bags at the designated desks, and move to the prayer hall for the start of the day in school. “Oh my God...... I begin my day….” - The prayer in chorus and the tune that gets on so well ends with a patriotic “Jai hind”. Automatically makes you bow a salute to mother nation. Isn’t it? With this monotonous morning event coming to an end we are still not finished, we have the newsreader of the day step up the stage to read a few shocking headlines from the “TOI- Times of India”. [A part of the newspaper in education (NIE) workshop].

Getting an awareness of what’s happening around the world, though not able to understand everything that was read out to the assembly (students group in the prayer hall is addressed as an assembly – a school term) we move back to the respective class rooms. There’s a monitor in the class making a note of all those involved in mischievous acts, making noise or playing any pranks. I would be on the top of this list.

It was a boring history class and the teacher walks in. She was tough lady with an attitude who never tolerated any indiscipline in the class. A classmate of mine played a silly old prank on her for fun (Threw a hand made paper rocket to the black board when she was pointing at the Chola Dynasty reigns) and guess what happened - he was standing outside the class for the whole of that lecture.

There are multiple such instances we can remember and cherish, Home work not completed - get a thrash, nails not cut - a scale on the knuckle. (It brings a chuckle now when I see my long, shaped and well groomed nails.) White shoes almost looked brown – no polish – run 5 rounds in the ground – a neat 2 kilometer exercise. (No wonder I am a good athlete and have great stamina, Thanks to my brown shoes.)

Lunch hours were another sit together event where the boxes were emptied in minutes and it was time for some gossip. Do you believe - the guys enjoyed this bit so much until they grew up? (Laughter for sure I know.)

The Physical training period was one leisure hour which turned all our stress into sweat. I owe so much to those sunny afternoon PT periods for my great complexion (Sarcasm indeed!)

Those annual day preparations every year - can never forget getting dressed like a film hero or heroine, dancing to the famous numbers of the year, singing in ones own Raaga, Taala and Shruti. Becoming a tree or a vegetable – ultimately making a fool of one ’s self – yet being so proud to have been appeared on stage . I don’t regret any of those moments as they are the stepping stones of whatever I am today.

At the end of a tiring day with over 6 hours of continuous listening its time to get back home. Evenings snacks and get to play outdoors obviously after you are done with homework. (I don’t see much of this now). Getting dark, its time to get back home. There were times when my mom came in search of me as I never returned from the neighboring playground. Now you get it right -- it was really difficult to get up early in the morning after such a long and tiring day. Still I enjoy the whole stuff of being a school kid. Can I live it once more? I would love to.

No matter how old you grow, keep your mind at age 10!
(Secret of being young at even 80)
Ashwini Nagaraja

6 comments:

Upasana said...

This is so cute Ashwini!! I can totally relate to it.Great post!

ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ/ Ashwini said...

@upasana: I knew you would relate to this very much... Thanks for reading..

Soumyadeep said...

It happened so many times....liked the piece very much..

please spare some for my blog and read my posts....
http://ideas-forum.blogspot.com

Spiritual Sherpa said...

Pure undiluted nostalgia...was actually visualizing my school days while reading these lines...thanks for the trip...and yea will remember to keep my mind at 10...mine is currently at 5 :((

Rajendra Raikwar said...

I will surely come back for more

ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ/ Ashwini said...

@Rajendra raikwar: Please do:)

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