Gonna Shine Some Day

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.