Sweet Memories of Boarding School

My fathers enthusiasm to send me to a boarding school meant that it was his life that was at stake so he ensured that I , a ten year old kid, worked real hard to get a place in the merit list. Probably, he had realized early in life that there is no short cut to success and education plays a vital role in a person's life.However,I was too young to realize that so for me it was just fun being in his Army Field area posting.My job was just restricted to parrotting all the previous years entrance examinations question papers along with the mathematical tables. Every day he would take my test and if I did well he would not forget to hand me some sweets. I took the written test and was selected for the interview which was more difficult than the examination.Here you don't know what the board is going to ask under the pretext of General Knowledge and General Awareness.However,When I was summoned inside,I parrotted Good Morning to the members and recited the background I had mugged up.The members had no option than to stop me in between as I wasn't allowing them to speak .One of the members asked me ,"Young boy,If you get selected whom will you fight as this school prepares future officers for the Indian Army"..I did not waste time in saying,'Sir, Pakistan" because we had been brought up with this psyche since ages.It brought a smile on their faces and shot the next question at me,Now whom do you fight?To this I replied in Hindi,Sir, ab apas mein hi ladtey hain.This was taken with laughter all around.I came out and had to do the replay of the interview for my father. The results saw me among the toppers in the merit list and it was a celeberation time all around in the family as I was the first kid who was going to a boarding which was a prestigious school ,very well known in the country.I became a hero only to realise later that this would mean the end of my stay with parents,brother and sister. I was required to get all the dresses and other equipments that were to be taken along.However, I was shrewed enough to note that it was just like a royal bath for the lamb before being slaughtered. I had no option than to take the royal bath. I was taken to the school housed in a palatial palace of the erstwhile State of Kapurthala.I was nervous to see so much of hustle and bustle around.I couldn't stop my eyes from getting wet but being strong kid did not display my emotions..However, there was a meaningful attempt from the house matrons and support staff to make us comfortable so that the bond between the parents and kids could be given a little shake.I had many other new guys with me who reacted differently but we had no option than to hold each others hands strongly leaving the parental hands and patronage. Initially, like everyone else the problem was in getting used to school mannerisms and etiquettes.It was tedious to hold the knife and fork together at the breakfast table as I had always loved paranthas like all Punjabis.Paranthas give you the liberty of using hands or at the most the spoon.Again, learning fast was the order of the day. The School routine right from getting up at 5 am to getting to bed by 10 pm had some activity or the other. I had guys Punjab,Haryana,HP,Delhi etc so that helped to learn all the major northern languagues.Then the Games were real lovable where I could play my favourite Cricket and I later on went to head the School Cricket team. Now, when I realize that we are successful today because of the contribution of education and the extra-curricular activities during the boarding time.We were made to go through all the activities that helped us not only to succeed in professional lives but also contributing meaningfully to the society.It was an all round development.The relations that we built and the friendship we had nortured is today as important to us as it was during the school days.A mere mention of ex-school mates brings a natural smile and enthusiasm of the same 10 year old kid that we were.The independent approach towards life,Self made persons attitude and standing for the principles are all the contributions of schooling.We are not just followers but leaders and its well known-Leaders just don't follow, they make their own path for others to follow.Right, I couldn't agree more. Bakshinder write me at- bakshinder@hotmail.com">bakshinder@hotmail.com my blog-http://saikap.blog.co.uk http://optimistic95.spaces.lve.com