Throughout the vicious life cycle, we
traverse through many levels. We learn something new, something worth
implementing in each of them. We obtain various life skills in each of them.
Sometimes use them, sometimes misuse them but as they say it making mistakes
are a part of learning. Success is how much you bounce when you reach the
bottom. It is not defined by what position you are in rather it is defined by
how well you maintain that position. The levels complicate, paths become treacherous
and trodding on them without the valuable life skills becomes dangerous. But in the midst of all these, you do not
forget the basic trajectory of moving forward.
School, the very name rings bells of
nostalgia, cuddling eye-watering memories, untold secrets, moments of
achievement, moments when you have felt the world around you go black,
mischief’s, group punishments, first friends, bench mates, classmates and all
kinds of mates, recess and the list is endless. It is like the house of ants,
you don’t know how many are inside but when one comes out, then all come one
after the other. It is the base of our growth, a foundation stone of our
existence in this world. The school life in any person’s life plays a very
significant part in shaping his future. Not that everybody gets the all-happiness
coated school life to grace himself with but nevertheless each and everybody’s
school life teach him lessons most apt for him.
Starting a school life as a lonely girl
has its achievements: you always have an aura of mystery around you and
grudgingly you enjoy it. Children are skeptical about making friendship, they
are prejudiced with their own simple give and take policies. You share a
chocolate, you are a friend, the very next day you are no less than a stranger
because you disagreed to share your favourite tiffin with her. This is the
general rule of friendship for the first 3-4 years. Your bench mate is
automatically your best friend for that year. In the midst of this you fall
back on making your group of friends because you have chosen to remain quiet.
Out of the blue as they put in “there’s always a way”, you are presented with
an opportunity to form a group and you savour that moment and that friendship
with all your heart and soul. The class monitor who happens to be your friend
makes you run errands for her. You happily run them because you feel you get to
be close to them, you make-believe a fantasy that you are her close friend. You
don’t actually think of her as your friend, it’s just a consolation prize to
your empty soul which till then no one has been able to capture.
But patience bears sweet fruit and there
comes a girl in your path with whom you can be yourself. She happens to be a
newcomer and you are made to sit with her to help her out. You form a bond with
her, a special bond. Apart from just helping out, you teach each other the
values of trust, forgiveness, sharing, apologies and fights. Pulling her hair
out of fun you have your first ever fight and you come to know the value of
friendship. You confide in her your likes, dislikes and she tells you of her
life. You wonder about the different lifestyles and expectantly wait for the
whole day just for that language class so that you can pour your thoughts to
her and clear your mind. It feels strange but you don’t talk to her outside the
language class despite being in the same class.
Then middle school comes running by and
your language class friend extends her friendship to more than just being
confined in the language class. Meanwhile your group friends also extend their
friendship and you feel happy. But it takes a stone or two of insults to make
you look through their sugar-coated smiles and words to see how misguided you
have been. You tend to be on your guard and you finally after a series of
repeated insults, betrayals become indifferent to their remarks and turn a deaf
ear to it and your back to them. You miss them but the moment you show your
humane nature, you are treated with the same feelings of disgust as if you were
some street mongrel just fresh out of gutter. You tend to become more
introvert, hibernate your saddened heart to infinite sleep. You concentrate on
the remaining friendships you have and on your academic life.
 |
| He who opens a school door, closes a prison. |
Studies have revealed, people who have
an incredible social life fail in their private life. Keeping par with the
statistics, you excel in them. Those early morning group studying almost every
other day because your language teacher is very strict; those applying
different tactics to escape being punished, sitting on the last bench with the
open book in hand and while the whole class stands for failing to answer, you
answer hideously looking into the book. Birthdays become a nightmare for the
birthday bumps seem no less than atom bombs, giving code names to teachers is a
norm. Slowly the time passes by and suddenly you realize that in a few months
time you are going to appear in your first public exam. But wait, you have a
very important lesson to learn before you complete the first significant level
of your life. This introvert, timid girl has to stand up for herself.
Misunderstandings have already crept into your life and you have been verbally
abused in front of the class day in and day out. People have questioned your
character and you still chose to be numb. But one single blow has changed
everything. Your parents have been accused of not giving you enough food to
eat, you are called a beggar and that inflames your blood, it gives a spark to
all those years of being silent and trying to ignore every injustice hurled at
you and you pour out all that you have in your heart.
You think of yourself as being cursed and
unlucky but you were in a delusion then. It was through those injustices,
through those not-so-good experiences that God prepared you and made you what
you are today. Today, you are no longer influenced and affected by such trivial
remarks, you laugh it off. You understand the motives of people, you are a
better judge and you are practical enough to survive in this world. Now when
you see other people in your shoes, you guide them and feel happy that at least
someone was saved. Though the wounds are hard to heal and have left a scar you
look forward to life because you know that it was a delusion. There is a
greater world beyond it. With tears in your eyes, you now remember those
moments of happiness which shall always be registered in your heart and with a
smile in your face you are reminded of countless incidents.
