'When I was the ‘Johnny-Come-Lately’

Gave this for the newsletter. Too long, so I doubt a postive response, but well.

We all know what words like, ‘afresh’, ‘new’ and ‘beginning’ mean, don’t we? But a few of us do realize what they feel like. I am one of those ‘few’ who’ve felt and tasted a beginning-a beginning that I ironically felt was the ultimate end! Now, I believe the feeling of it being the end has subsided and I’ve steered through the series of events that followed and are following. It’s these events I write to express about.

My beginning (or the assumed-to-be end) greeted me a bittersweet welcome on 26^th March 2011- That was THE day. Now it’s October 2012, a year and a half since the doleful experience took place. Till this anniversary, I don’t recollect even one of those 18 months in which I wasn’t faced with a muddle about whether to celebrate or mourn. I face the same today. Ah, the ironies of life!

Landing on the Indian soil, in the Indian capital city seemed to simply wash away the strong hold of my old memories that had had me engrossed for the entire journey. After all, isn’t that the power of this mysterious and magical subcontinent? To add to my strength it did ‘not’ rain that day. Growing up watching Bollywood films makes you want to feel low and depressed during rains by default. But, it did rain one day- it rained in the Taj city that was my new home, the final destination of the journey I started at my old place, Lagos. And, it did bring lots of whining, crying, screeching- really strong blows of nostalgia.

I had already started school by then. Starting school here didn’t mean I hadn’t received education before; it was just a small beginning in the big one mentioned earlier. And this one was a very helpful and assistive one, one that shall be remembered with happy thoughts forever (that’s till I live). 

The first day in Delhi Public School, Agra was not as a student, but as one of those (probably) thirty children who aspired to be a part of this brimming-with-life institute. And to my amazement I became a part of it. It was sheer amazement as I expected a ‘no’ to my admission because of the horrifyingly bad interview I’d given a few days earlier.

Then came the regular school life. Don’t tell me you believed that, things don’t come easy, at least not if you’re the Johnny-come-lately. My first day was devastating and I mean it! The eleventh class’s block seemed to be imaginary, lost in the cacophony the students created and in the immensity of the maze that only those new faces I saw seemed to have deciphered. There seemed to be hundreds of students everywhere I looked (making me know, that yes, this is the second most populated country!) and it also seemed like they were all giving me their Cheshire-cat smiles, except for five.  Now those five out of that bunch of hundred students I include in my list of best friends. And frankly, I still can’t think very well those who behaved all aloof. First impressions are the last ones, aren’t they?

My first day also had two to-be-cherished moments. One, in which we were all asked to write about ourselves and speak it out in class- I tried my best to give my best first impression I could. I think I did. I impressed my first day partner, Tanvi Arora at least! The write-up still rests in my bag of memories. The second one was more of an invitation that I declined initially, but somehow got forced into being a part of it. The Debate it was. This topic could itself have an essay on it, so jumping to conclusions, the aftermaths of the competition(s) were: two new friends in grade twelve and a friend disguised as a teacher, Mrs. Nisha Sachdeva.  But the fear from the person in front of whom we often practiced, the same person who interviewed me did not seem to subside, and still does prevail.

Months passed by and then finally as bonds between friends grew stronger with silly fights, misunderstandings, rule breakings, entering prohibited places and scolding from our In-charge, (I take this opportunity to apologize) today I finally have a routine school life after all the mayhem: Waking up, getting ready, boarding the bus, reaching my class without getting lost, spending lovely moments with friends and finding my way correctly back to the bus (that I needed aid for on day one). Oh, and of course, somewhere studying fits too (Science students you know, had to mention it once!) I now end with a sigh that this regularized school life is already approaching its end, or should I say- another Beginning? As the end is where we begin, right?

- आ कां क्षा .