Looking Back
- Part 2 -

Dr. Jayadeva Phurailatpam *

A classroom for Kids at Morning Dew School in Kakching in 2008 :: Pix - Shonnai Saka

The year of 1995, I was in my 6th standard. I was just a boy next door who would drool on good food and good games.

Our only priority was to watch cartoons, bring GI Joe and He-man figurines in class as it was considered 'cool' and later play some destructive war games with it.

Until one day, priority changed.

As it goes with any Karan Johar movie, where a new girl comes to tinseltown. A new student came to the class and she was not bad looking. On the contrary, she was cute.

Until now, girls were considered 'untouchable'. We never even go near them. If some guy speaks to a girl then all the other friends would poke fun and make him an outcast. But this time it was different.

Or so I thought.

She was not the most beautiful girl in the class. But somehow she was very charming. I used to quietly watch her from my bench at the last corner of the classroom. But she doesn't even know that I existed. I never had tried speaking to her for fear that no words will come.

Time really picked up. We came to 7th standard. I dare not to speak a word still.

As the bell rang for the end of a hectic day, I realized that I was late and almost going to miss my school bus. I ran till my legs would carry me fastest. Suddenly, of nowhere I almost bump into her! She just look up and said sorry and ran back to her bus.

A long lasting palpitation followed; I thought my heart was going to jump out of my mouth.

Ironically, it was the closest contact ever. Never spoken to her in my life till now.

My priority changed and I got new meaningful friends in later years to come.

Every classroom will always take you down the memory lane. Some funny, some sad or some mixed emotions.

One of the few memorable stories is the shocking revelation of the biology textbook.

This was on 7th grade. Many of my friends including myself got shock to see the diagrams with male and female reproductive system that too with labeling!

Some of the girl's books had shirt and pants drawn over both of the pictures as if the publisher forgot to cloth them!

I can never forget our biology teacher shouting on any of the student whom she found giggling in the classroom during that chapter. Poor teacher. She had to deal the same thing every year herself.

Class 10th board examination has always been the most important turning point in every student's life. Mine was no different.

Going for multiple tuitions was a trend. Best thing about going to tuitions was that you are not wearing uniforms! Next thing has always been the interaction with students from other colleges, if you know what I mean.

I still don't understand how much you can benefit from going to 4 tuitions in a day and not getting any time for self-study. But who cares at that time. I was going to tuition riding my bicycle with my friends!

But now I am seeing that the trend is little different. They prefer bikes. I heard recently that some youngsters urged for a bike so much, their parents had to sell stuff for it.

That is a bit overboard.

We were far more than happy with my aunty old broken bicycle, a pair of jeans and a Bata sandal.

Daily continuous night outs were indeed exhausting, that too with every relative asking me about my preparation for the board exams turn out to be bit annoying at times. What if I didn't score good results? What if my relatives make fun of me? Will my parents be ashamed of me if I didn't not do well this exam?

So many questions keep lingering inside my head. But never dared to asked anybody.

Getting good grades in my 10th exam was the topmost priority of my life. Now that when I look back, I see how trivial an issue it was. Every body knows that 10th mark card is used only for seeing the date of birth. How ironic!

When the result came. All were happy. At least I did not screw up as I thought I would. Mom got a big fish and we had a small family get together feast.

Everyone knew I would choose science field as I was interested in Biology and wanted to pursue my carrier in that field, maybe a doctor, zoologist or botanist.

My parents were open to whichever field I wanted to pursue. I was lucky in that aspect. Many parents are there whose choice of profession of their children starts with engineer and ends with doctor.

Different students have different talents and different thinkings. They are all very unique in their own ways. Parents should be more acceptable in this issue by not clipping their wings. Let them decide what they want. Not what the parents want.

Last day of the school has always been emotional. All the students knew that they might never see his/her friend again. But still wishing them the best in whichever direction they go. We have written our best wishes in the white school shirts with markers so that it will always be a permanent memoir.

After completion of my 12th board exam, I left my home for the first time.

Leaving your loved ones behind was always an unwanted feeling. But we don't have much choice. We had to leave to make a carrier, which will help me give back what I have taken till now.

Coming to a new place, getting adapted and making new friends reminded me of my first day in the kinder garden.

People from different places of India with different background and culture were there. We had our own set of agreements and disagreements. But it taught me to be more interactive and to be patient.

Being a junior in our college was like a war criminal. Dancing and singing was a daily routine.

I was good at drawing sketches. But, it came as a curse rather than a boon. I had to draw diagrams of their assignments that consist of around 12 diagrams each for 8 seniors.

Life was a hell during the first few months. I was missing my home terribly. The mess food was a torture. You cannot swallow.

Until, few months passed and you no longer felt alien to the new place. I have got some very good friends and seniors alike. Ragging became milder and we could breath the open year. Then suddenly realized that exam is right in front of you!

The best way to prepare, as for me, was to catch hold of a person who studies well and compete with him! I got my competitor. I would study till the room in his light is off. This sound insane, I know, but at finals, I got better grade than him!!

My student life was over. Now I have to find a job and get married. I am going to take my first step in the real world.

I am reluctant. Why can't I be like, the same old boy who roams around carelessly and only worry about his school and homework?

Once we are done and come out to the bigger pond, we started to understand the different aspect of what life is.

As I grew more older, I realized studies is important so as family values. The real sacrifice was with our parents, who save every morsel to feed us instead.

As some wise man had once said, " you will not know the weight of an object until you carry it". Now that I am a family man, I started to slowly realize the weight of it: the weight of your familial responsibilities.

Time changes everything. You have to go with the time or she will not wait for you.

Childhood comes once in a lifetime. It is not going to come back. But it will always stay as pleasant memories till the very last breath.

And lastly I wish, If I could changed my previous motto to – "I want to grow younger, so at least people will tell me what to do or what not to do".

God bless.

Concluded....