Where you always belonged!
Everyone must visit their Alma Mater once as it helps you reconnect to your roots
Twenty-six years back I was forced to a sleepless night by my friends when they gave my name for an elocution competition despite my unpreparedness to do so. Twenty-six years later, I had yet another sleepless night when I was invited to judge an elocution competition in my very own institution where I once stood standstill after speaking for two minutes from the allotted five. Life had come a full circle for me...
As I opened the metal back door gate of my school leading me towards an open playground facing an L-shaped building, I realised I had opened the floodgates of my memory and emotion. Everything seemed different, even the location of the classes had changed. After spending 13 years of my prime education years, the change or transformation of the institute was not new to me. I had studied in the oldest of the building, which is now the art gallery and have had the privilege to study in the ground plus one house like structure which on its ground floor hosted milder than us creatures like crocodile and turtle. From Sr KG to Primary to Secondary to Higher Secondary was a journey filled with so many experiences that ultimately laid the foundation of an individual that I’m today and shall be till my last breath.
After three decades, here I was again walking down the corridors of education which was instrumental in introducing the alphabet ‘A’ to understand the ‘Z’ of life. Despite tremendous structural changes, the warmth and comfort you felt as a student was still prevailing all-around. As I reached the entrance of the staff room, my heart was beating faster than normal as if I had once again failed to do my homework and one of the teachers had summoned me to see him or her.
Amidst so many new faces, there were those who after seeing me had a look of surprise as well as happiness and I could not help but feel a deep sense of gratitude towards them for guiding me on the path when it mattered most. A newly built auditorium, with 23 talented orators filled with uniform clad girls and boys accompanied by Principal, teachers as well as non-teaching staff made me realise that the institution had come a long way from a library room to make-shift stage to having a concrete one.
Sitting on the judges chair and been welcomed by a student who belonged to my very own Red House (Red, Blue, Green and Gold were four colours we had then to identify students) made me realise that I was back again where I always belonged. And this reconnect was made possible by my friend who had now crossed over to the other side to be a part of the staff room.
As the event got over, winners were declared, group photos were clicked and most of the students had left the auditorium. I noticed one of my sirs removing the chairs to be kept back at their rightful places. A student in me could not resist shouting out loud to ask, “Sir, need any help”. He said, “No, Your days of helping are gone”. Somewhere deep within we both knew… our days had just begun!