Rashmi spotted them first. Those unmistakable blue and white checked skirt (and the blue striped socks). But students of VDJS, Hisar, in ‘Dilli Haat’?
That too, only 2 of them?
Nah! Impossible.
Very often students of VDJS do visit Delhi but in hordes- for school picnics and educational trips.
So, we decided to ignore them thinking there must be other schools in Delhi with the same uniform. But, curiosity got the better of Rashmi & she approached them
while Seema and myself were busy engrossed in the stalls.
“Come here, you two!”, she screamed with excitement.
It so happened that those two were indeed from VDJS (see, our school uniform is indeed unique!). They were only two because they came for some competition.
By then, Seema and myself were also excited. Imagine meeting someone from your old school, years after you have passed out??
We started asking about our old school teachers, about the present condition of the school etc, etc. I even gave my visiting card to be passed on to our Principal
( I was one of her favorite students, you see!).
So far, so good.
Then they asked us which year we passed out. We said we gave our Class X exam in 1989. 1989??
“ Oh, that year we were born!”, replied the two of them.
Boy, that was such a rude shock! My, my, are we really that old?
School is something we left years back?! Just then Rashmi’s kid started howling with irritation ( probably of hunger and heat).
Time to move on...time we oldies move on.
We said goodbyes to the younger generation of our beloved school...but boy, are we really that old???
Far away in the distance, the three of us heard Bryan Adams crooning....18 till I die!!!!
We laughed. Bryan Adams sure must be knowing there are people out there who never grow old ( at heart)...like US!!!!!
* Kaboklei , a pen name,from New Delhi, writes regularly to e-pao.net
This article was webcasted on 28th April 2005
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