Sentenced for two years:
Before Independence, British used to send the India’s
freedom fighter’s to the cruel Cellular jail of Andaman and Nicobar islands.
During Civil war, America used to send the civil war prisoners to Military
prison in Alcatraz Island. During our higher secondary education, our parents
sent us to XXXX Higher Secondary school.
First day:
Outside the Office room, in notice board it was mentioned
that our classes have been formed based on our tenth marks sorted in the
descending order. For my marks I’ve been put on A2. Classes range from A1 to
A17-Biology, B1 to B6-CS and C1 to C3-Commerce. 50 students per class,
calculate the total number of students in 11th standard. Approximately same amount in 12th
and there was Improvement and Pure Entrance also. Totally around 5000 patients,
sorry! Sorry! Students. Me and my Dad looked up the building from the ground in
awe; my Dad in proud that his son is going to study in such a big school and me
in fear that how I’m going to comp(l)ete two years here. My Dad gave me the
last words of advice and left, me on the entrance of the building and the
pressure (of becoming a doctor) on top of my head.
I entered my class. One Gents teacher was sitting in the
chair in the front. Some students (only boys) were sitting in the last 3
benches on both right and left sides. First three benches in both sides were
empty. I wondered why no one was sitting in the front benches as all the
students in this class had got around 85 % marks in 10th standard
and no one interested to sit before. And there was a huge space between 3rd
and 4th benches, so much that one more table and bench can fit in.
Then I registered the name to that teacher and went to the 4th bench
and sat. One by one students came to the class and all were boys and were sitting
in the last 3 benches. I was getting disappointed as there was no girl still in
the class. Then I eavesdropped from the students sitting behind me and found
out that the first three benches on each side were allotted to girls and that’s
why there was a huge space between 3rd and 4th benches.
So, technically I was sitting in front bench as usual, at least among the boys.
Teacher, after confirming that all the boys in the register entered the class,
went outside and signaled a bunch of girls who were standing outside in the
portico. All those girls entered the class and filled the front benches and some
gap in our hearts.
You could wonder what all the girls were doing outside in
portico. That’s the rule there. Girls cannot be present inside the class unless
a teacher is present inside the class. So they will come and wait outside in
portico and when the teacher comes he will signal them to come to the class.
Once the class gets over, girls will leave the class 1st, then the
teacher and at last only boys should leave. And obviously boys and girls are
not allowed to talk to each other ever . Once I heard this rule from the
teacher , the 3rd bench looked far far away from me and it remained far
for the rest of the two years. We didn’t get a chance to look at any girl face
to face for two years though they were there always before us. In some ways
that helped, we saw some girl’s face in only some particular angle and imagined
that she’ll be beautiful.
First day there was no class, so the supervising teacher
asked us to read some books. And oh boy!, you’ll never see anywhere students
studying so sincerely in the 1st day itself. Everyone started
studying some subjects (mostly biology) like tomorrow is our public exam. Some
students directly went to second chapter. I got freaked out and scolding myself
for not listening to my father’s advice (to study 1st chapter in all
subjects in holiday itself).
Lunch time came and we all went to Mess in line. And FYI,
the line contains all 11th standard boys. There was two Mess, you
could call it as twin mess. Both looked exactly same. If you’re wondering they
built two buildings in exactly the same shape and structure, then stop it.
There was nothing to build there; it was two big rooms of same size, with four
walls and a sheet on top. We have to sit in the floor only. Foods were served
in some cart with four small wheels, which workers used to push it in the floor
and serve us. 1st cart came with rice, and the person served it with
a plate to our plate. Next came the sambhar cart, which is served in a mug, the
exact same mug we used in our bathroom for taking bath in our village. Then
rasam, then butter milk. For first day the food didn’t taste bad at all.
Then again class and continued the study till evening. Then
comes the hostel, which is just beside our classroom building. Every class is
offered one room which is 20-25 members in one room. The room size is as same
as our classroom. Each student is offered two shelves to keep our luggage and a
place enough to sleep. We got introduced ourselves between the boys (Which is in
the order: Name, place coming from, 10th marks, Favourite medical
college to join). Discussed about medical colleges in first day of high
school!! Isn’t that too much?? Well not for us then. Really, some students were
saying they didn’t want to join any college in Chennai as ragging will be more
there. Even if someone had discussed about which hospital to join after
finishing MBBS degree, that wouldn’t have been too surprising.
The student next to me said that we were lucky. I asked why.
He said, pointing towards a building few blocks away “you see that building
there? The one without any windows? That is girls hostel. There is not a single
window in that whole building. We at least got a window, isn’t it?”.
I replied, “oh no window in the girls hostel building? I think
that’s bad news for us too”.
He laughed and we were talking for some time and decided to
go to snack bar. Yeah we had a snack bar inside which contains only 3 items
most of the time. They are Parle-G, Sweet bun and samosa, three rupees each.
Shaktimaan might not have saved people in real life, but the three rupees
Parle-G saved ours for two years. Then we again had study hours in hostel and
dinner , then went to bed at 10 PM. New place, so didn’t get sleep soon. I kept
talking with that friend and we kept alarm at 6 am and promised each other that
whoever wakes up first will wake up the other. Then slowly I slept, lot of
thoughts running in my mind, dreams about getting a medical seat, state 1st
etc etc.
After few hours I woke up before the alarm rings. I saw my wristwatch
and it is 6 am, I thought my alarm was not working properly. My friend also
woke up and asked me the time. I said 6 AM and we decided to go to bathroom. We
took our buckets, mug, soap etc and started walking towards bathroom. After seeing
us others in the room also started getting up. And if I hadn’t said earlier,
there are no separate bathrooms there, we need to take bath in the open
bathroom among others like buffalos. Only we two were there in the bathroom and we
were kind of proud that we woke up early before others. But to our
disappointment water didn’t come in any tap there. We didn’t know what to do.
He said there is one more bathroom nearby and water might come there. So we
started walking towards there. A worker came before us and asked us where we’re
headed to. We said that water didn’t come in the bathroom. He looked at us from
top to bottom and said “Are you guys crazy? Its 12:45 AM, go to sleep for god’s
sake”. I must have looked at my watch upside down. We got embarrassed and
slowly walked towards our room. All our roommates were waiting for us and once
we entered, all started laughing and teasing us.
I too thought of writing a book(little too much though) about life at XXXX Higher Secondary school :)
ReplyDeletedai itha solave ila schoola???
ReplyDeleteArey waaaaaaaa.....
ReplyDelete