Gonna Shine Some Day

Some asked permission from teacher to go to water cooler or toilets.

some raised their 2 fingers towards teacher while asking
"Mam, may I go to drink water"
or
"Mam, may I go to toilets"

But mistakes made us mature.
When some confused student mixed them........... whole class went on laughter and teacher.......red eyed
..............
that mistakes really made all mature.

Teacher generally reply   "yes"
But when all start going to teacher she got annoyed and said let first ones come.

And when next teacher arrived she asked monitor
where are others

till then seeing madam entering the class, all rushed in.

It was maths class.
Mam opened the book and started teaching.

she solved the solved examples of the book and asked us to do the unsolved one.

What the hell
She solved the solved thing.
But we are also bonds.
Check the answer from the last pages of the book.
Then started the question and solved that.

But she called some one to come to the board and solve that there.
now is the bigger problem.

Some short ones couldn't reach even middle of the board.
They just start writing and finally without finding the answer, filled all board with font size double of normal. :P
This was the best escape.

While taller ones always considered dumber, height was the problem :P

Except teacher who else is looking at the board.
none !!!

Most of us were got hungry till now.
So
below desks
Lunch-boxes opened and after seeing and smelling the fuel, some closed them and put them back.
While others took a small bite to taste by leaning behind the desk.

Anyways whole class got the aroma of what everybody got.
If someone got ladyfinger than whole row came to know what it is?

Mam : Who has opened his Lunch-box.
None replied.

Those who had something left in their mouth swallowed.

Period change

In primary classes we had to sit i the classrooms while period change.

Monitors took the responsibility.
Generally monitors were 1 boy and 1 girl.
They keep on ordering us to keep silence,
But we didn't listen to them until they start noting our names.

If they give our names to teacher she will
------------- SLAPPPPP -------------- aah aah :P

In between one student picked the duster and cleaned the board except that part on which Homework was written.
Generally it was the duty of first bencher's to mark a line dividing the board into two portions.
On the smaller one they wrote H.W. means Homework.

Then Teacher asked the monitor, what was the homework.
Usually it was to read class work or to write some word meanings given at the end of every chapter.

Then Madam asked monitor to collect the notebooks from everyone.
And make them stand who didn't bought.

Then she will put all those notebooks on first bench.

Now
Time to look into the brains of students, had they layered it with their homework or not?

She threw a word and asked first bench student to tell its meaning.
Those who answered right were allowed to sit, those who not were not. !!

Some were smart enough,
they had settings with partners.
If boy didn't know the answer, girl will write it on something and put it on the desk and vice versa.

If some intelligent mind didn't know the answer, his/her face grows red and he/she will look earth with moist eyes.

While

If some other didn't answered, what he will do
Laugh at others.
Look here and there.
With nothing in mouth, move his jaws like chewing a center-fresh.

Now there was one more scheme
If u r standing and know the answer, You can raise your hand, tell the answer and ensure your seat.
Intelligent minds always had their eyes and ears concentrating on madam's lips.
While ask any other what madam asked ..............they didn't knew even this !!:P

Finally
either words got finished or her lips got tired.
She asked all to read the next chapter in the same position resting on bums or feet.
And herself started checking the notebooks.

Usually she just looked at the page for a second and if she caught some error, she encircled that.
And at the end put some remark like
Improve spelling
Improve handwriting
good
very good
excellent

All studious guys were always keen to find last three remarks on their notebook.
While all others just take the notebook and put it in the bag.

Bell rang
Madam asked monitors to pick remaining notebooks and follow her to the staffroom.

We were copying the answers from the black board.

Although the board used now a days is rarely black in color, still it is called black board :P

We used Pencils those days
When Pens were made allowed to us.
We were asked to write question will black gel pen and Answer with blue gel pens.
ball pens were not allowed that time.

although some funky boys used green color for writing questions, Girls used pink, purple, magenta and so many other colors introduced by stic that time :D

When we need to edit something earlier we rub that with eraser nicely.
Some harsh students rub that so hard that sometimes page seemed like it was raped.

But while using pens
we overwrite the word again.
teacher asked us not to overwrite but cut and rewrite the word.
Okay
But one day teacher came to my desk and saw my notebook.
It was full of cutting.
She told me that there is a way this can be avoided.
I thought she is giving me some solution for better concentration while copying.
But
she just said do not cut the whole word completely
like this

But cut it slightly like this

What the hell !!!!!!!
She was just talking about appearance of my writing. (Cuttings could be not be seen from a distance now :P)

And that time
some students bought erasers which could erase the text written by pen.
But
they were just useless, they just remove the skin of paper.......!! :P

And like this all answers were completed and we were asked to memorize the answers for next class.

Bell rang
First period was over

In between madam asked one student, which line of the book is being read,
Sometimes while moving among the rows in class,if teacher saw someone drawing or sketching...

She used to pick that notebook up and slammed it directly on the face of poor kid :(


If someone was caught eating some chewing-gum or candy in his/her mouth,
She waited for a couple of seconds and then used to shout "spit it out".
but some just opened their mouths and she was able to see full candy lying there.
We used to spend whole day just trying to get it out.. grab it with 2 fingers and moved it.

When teacher saw this she always made disgusting faces and scolded the poor guy.


When anyone used to get some scratches on his/her body.
he used to scratch it whole day.


After a chapter used to finish there was the turn of questions and answers session
Mostly there were only 5-6 students who were able to answer that question properly, others just repeated the question again and again in different styles like:
And this goes on and on and on until teacher started scolding and asked some other student to answer.

Mostly after 3,4 such students she was able to find some intelligent student who could finally break that infinite loop.
And we used to copy that down on our notebooks.

After the attendance,
She closed her register and in between those who were outside came in the class.

We were asked to open the books and those who didn't bought the book were asked to stand up
 and  then after some slaps or other punishments
she told us to share books and finally started the proceedings.

One student will stand and read from the book.
And after each paragraph madam told its meaning.

But
Who was studying?

Girls?
No

Boys?
Not at all

Some were busy ironing their handkerchiefs with their geometry boxes, really that was very interesting.
Ironing both sides, folding and ironing both sides again,
again folding and again................ till it seemed like a well folded hard paper :P

Some were busy staring the book. And after that they will start different activities like :
They were filling the circles of a,b,d,e,g,o,p,q ............ really its fun doing this.
They were making the mustaches of the person printed on the book ............ poor person ...!! :P :D
They were making the cartoons.
They were making sketches and doing shading in the book.
They were writing their names and trying signatures which they will use in future.

Some were looking in the lunch-box of partner to see what they have got.

Some were busy looking outside the window or the wall with a finger penetrating their nostrils.

Some were putting candies in their mouths and they were moving them inside the mouth here and there.

Some were arranging their geometry boxes and doing several our things like:
Sharpening the pencils.
Cleaning the rubber and making it white by rubbing it :P
Trying to rotate the screw of sharpeners blade.
Rubbing the pencil led to sharpen it like a javelin.

Some put pencil-ends in their mouth.

Class continued.

And Main Morning prayer ended.

We opened our eyes.
It was time of todays thought and today's news.
One student read the thought and news.

The tag-line of both were fixed and I still remember how it sounds. ... !! :P
then some announcement and finally the song.

Usually it was "Sare jaha se achha, Hindostan hamara" ya "Vande Matram".
It gives an awesome feeling when we all sing it in chorus.

And Finally National Anthem.
While most of us sang that properly, some keep rubbing their shoes and teachers keep giving them looks.
And after that wonderful minute of National Anthem came the big trouble.

It was checking of dress, shoes, nails etc etc
We were already standing in the queue and asked to walk towards the classes, but at the end of playground it was something which if I passed I would have my chest and shoulders blown out while if failed shoulders dropped and eyes looking down.

Teachers usually were very strict in this manner and check our school badges, our belts, color of shirt, nickers, socks and shoes carefully.
Shoes must be polished. (As teacher want to see her face in the shine of our shoes)
Nails must be cut short. (as with long nails we'll cit her throat)
Haircut must be regular. (They got commission from barbers)
hairs must be oiled and combed. (we must look good when we are with them)

When badge was missing, standard argument was "it fell in the journey to the school", but this never worked.
When shirt was found different in color, "It was dirty, Mom didn't washed it" or "It was torn" etc etc
They rarely worked.

When shoes were not polished "I polished them but there was mud in the path" ....... never worked !!!

Sheer innocence sometimes even melt Hitler type teachers.

Then students were filtered on this basis and those who passed, went to classes, those who not were made to stand in the ground.
Then they were scolded and asked to stand there for sometime, or make a round of the ground or some fine etc etc ....... this kept on changing in whole school life.

And After some months that prayer was shifted to respective classrooms only.
Bell ranged.

Second Morning bell rang.

Morning as the first bell rang, we rushed into our classrooms.

As I entered, the first BIG question in my mind was where to sit.

No

I had read in romantic novels that everyone tries to sit with the most beautiful girl in the class, and if that is not possible, at a position from where you can glance at her. I had read that sitting near a beautiful girl gives one a lot of pleasure, adds to his status and many other such 'blah' reasons..........

But in my case, that wasn't the problem! My seat was already fixed. 

It was Karan in classes 2nd,3rd and Anshul in 4th,5th who shared that small bench with me. As all of us would take our seats, it would be time for us to arrange our bags and bottles because as soon as the 2nd bell would ring, we would be taken to the prayer ground by our class monitor. So, we would put our bags into the space provided in the desks. My bag could hardly fit in, as I always used to carry books of all the subjects whether or not I needed them on the particular day. But Anshul's and all other students' bags would lie comfortably there, while mine would be sometimes on the desk, and sometimes on the floor. :P

After settling down, it would be time for us to exchange pleasantries with the other class mates. We would move into our respective smaller 'groups' and started discussing 'street' cricket, playing trump cards, talking about kites, colors and crackers depending on the festive season. Some would show off what their parents had bought them, some would boast about their deeds of last evening.

"Yesterday I was flying kite and I cut the 5 kites"

"Bass!!! I cut 7"

"Yesterday I scored 34 runs out of team's total of 56, one four and two sixes"

"My elder brother smashed some neighbor"

"I have 5 trump cards"

"Yesterday Big-show slammed rock hard"

"I saw this bike today" etc etc

............................countless boasts, endless topics!

Those chit-chats gave me pleasure, one of its own kind and the one that I haven't experienced till date! 

----------------Second morning Bell-----------

So finally we reached the school, we got down from the auto-rickshaw and rushed at the back of it where our poor school bags were hanging.

we took them, adjusted them on our tiny shoulders and ran towards the school.
At that time that heavy schoolbag felt as they were full of cotton balls instead of books and notebooks.
That run had always been special, reaching school before time always gave some extra relief and fun to our little hearts.

Although some used to go to stationary shop for pen, pencil, eraser, sharpener, scale, D..... and all that
That time Pencil cost 1.5 rs, eraser 2 rs, scale 1.5 rs ........ and pencil with rubber attached to it 2 rs.
Some erasers gave smell like fruits, they were colored but not of good quality for erasing purpose.
Sharpener with rubber attached to it and also some colored image that changes if we change the view, that cost 5 rs.
Shopkeeper also kept some candies and toffees, and also some packets which were hanged on the wire tied to both sides of the gate. they always fascinated me.

Suddenly first school bell ranged.
All rushed into their respective classes.

Those days used to begin with rising of sun as usual.
But something was different,

it was not the sound of alarm or the hard knocking on gate to wake me up,
It was just a gentle voice of mom which was more powerful than all these.


I used to get fresh and then get ready for school,
these days I do both 2-3 times in a semester.....!!

There was a zest from my inside to look better than others in the class.
I used to polish my shoes daily and wear only well ironed school dress.

Sometimes I used to tie my collar buttons as our principal madam asked us for that.
Although all say don't do this, because we didn't use neck-ties.

Then it was time of breakfast, after which a glass of milk flavored with bournvita..... Now I can count on my fingers, How many days in current semester I have taken milk.

Then our auto-rickshaw driver comes and I along with 9-10 other kids will fit in that tightly packed vehicle.

Journey to school is always full of chit-chats, some girls playing antakshari, boys showing tatoos and cards.
Some geeks read notebooks and then hand them to others to ask questions and listen to his/her answers.
And some of them were even more geek, they used to read from notebook, put a hand on written text, keep their face upwards and then try to answer it again.
During the 20 minutes trip many times water bottles kiss our lips and then again were hanged.

Sometimes it was races with other auto-rickshaws that add fun to our journey.
This is how we used to reach the School.