The Get together

The onset of monsoon every year inevitably reminds me of the same thing--the reopening of schools after the summer holidays.
I have been contemplating this post for long.But every time I start it I become nostalgic and just stall it.
Any way here is a fictitious batch get together of my school mates.
I have wrapped in some true humurous incidents on the pretext of an imaginary reunion.

There are still more incidents,still more characters and memories.Let them come out at some other occassion.
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It has been 10 years since our batch left the premises.
College,Office,marriage...each of our lives have changed a lot.
And after the long gap we decided to catch up with the changes.

Today we are all going to meet after a decade.
We could think of no better venue than what came up in our minds on the first note. Unanimously we decided it to be the same old school grounds.
So be it!

My heart danced at the thought of the reunion,at the thought being the roll no 25 again,at the thought of going back to 12B.
Everyone would come,I am sure,may be with their husbands,wifes,kids..
How would they all look??I myself haven't changed much though.
I tried to imagine each of them weighted by the 10 years.
My curiosity kept mounting.

Atleast today let me be the first one in the school.;)
As I stepped in the campus, a familiar breeze caressed me

"Sahil"
Present ma'am, I replied

A slight shiver ran through me.

The buildings were all different,yet the same.
The auditorium,canteen,classrooms,all echoed our screems,our cheers,our tears!!

There goes the long bell!!
One by one, the bikes screeched to a halt near the gate.
The vice principal madame had issued a strict warning the previous day to those who came on bikes.
The result: even those who didn't have bikes came on one today,after borrowing,begging or may be getting a new one!!!

Teenage pranks!!!
As I laughed to myself musing over our audacity,I saw kabir enter through the back gate.
I couldn't supress a laugh.
He had never been on time.Always stood at the door with the tie loosely dangling around his neck as the teacher took the attendance.This, given that his house was the nearest to the school!!
Today not only was he early,he had his tie properly knotted too.

I was behind a pillar in the new building on the other side.He wouldn't see me unless I moved a little.
I am not yet ready to meet him.I have a lot more to reminisce.

He walked into the the class room.Yes,into our 12B.

"Suppandiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"
The call came from the other class 12A.A sort of good morning greeting.Tres's way of announcing her presence.

"x#!&&***"
The reply too was spontaneous.

And our class teacher would just look at us smile.
Yes! all these happened when she was in the class.
She was the silent accomplice in all our mischieves and always our saviour.

I could see few people enter the campus.It took me some time to figure out who.God!It's Tres,Varun and Sajan.
I am sure Kabir would now leap out to meet them.
"Macha"
"Dude, what's that patch on your chin"
They all screemed and hugged.
Laughing,fighting they returned to the class

I continue my tour of the campus.
The canteen is completely different now.It looks more like a canteen now.!!
I miss canteen aunty's fried rice!!

It used to be one plate and multiple hands.Hardly a mouthful for each of us,but that could fill our hearts and stomachs.

Here comes Dr.Chetan.He waved at me from the distance.I am coming,I gestured in reply.
He smiled back.
He was the studious,hilarious,smart,witty one.And today our little master is a Doctor!!
He entered the class and a whirl of laughter spurted out!!With Chetan,I should have guessed!!!

Sakshi,Lakshmi,Sana,Jiya,Sumi the ladies just came in.
They all look fabulous.So much changed,yet so much the same.They cooed and laughed and joked!!

"Sanaaaaaaaaa"

"oooooooooooo"

"hiiiiiiiiiii"

"Where were you"

"I called you so many times"

"Hey,what are you doing these days"

"You look so slim"

"I saw your pics in Orkut..Beautiful dear"

"Hey guys, did you know, the guy near my house........."

"Where did you get that necklace from.It's gorgeous"

Ouch!!These ladies!!!Give me one topic they cannot talk about!!

The guys were being rather formal.Starting trouble perhaps.International topics and politics and business and all!!

"Macha ##@@&&%**"The remaining batallion trooped in.

"School Sawdhan!!Vishram!!"
And our school captain entered with a broad smile.

Everyone once again became the old Suppandi and kuttosan and kapish.

I can't restrain myself anymore. Let me join the pack!!!

Guys!!Guys!!Look at this.
Someone shouted.
We all poured are heads to get a glimpse of the subject of interest.

The wooden desks and benches still carried our names.
10 years back we had engraved them on these.And it had not come without any pain.
For one whole week we were punished.We were made to sit on floor.The desks and benches were removed from our class!!

We laughed at the memory.

"Friends!!!
Thank you all for coming.
Gone are those days of History,Geography and mathematics
Gone are those days of practicals,labs and dramatics
Gone are those days of innocent fights,mischeives and jokes
Gone are those days of beautiful school days

But their memories will always linger,in me,within me and around me,you and all!!

I am happy to see you all.Happy that we all could make it.Happy that we have all carried forward the goodness this institution has instilled in us.
But there is a face I miss today and I am sure , even you do.

To you,Sahil!!May your soul rest in peace"

Chetan inaugerated the get-together.

The class was silent.
Time heals all wounds,but leave behind a scar.
Even after 10 years,the loss of a friend hurt.

My class looks complete,wonderful.
Doctors, Engineers, Businessmen,Celebrities what not can't I boast about.
I am happy that we were all here once,that we were all here now.
This is my class.Sahil's class....

An evening by your side...........

The blazing sun sank over a hazy horizon.It was a beautiful sunset.
They sat there enjoying the beauty of the moment,enjoying each other's presence.

She was happy,very happy.This was a dream come true.Destiny or fate or the God whom she called upon every day had bought him next to her today.
She dared not look at him.She was apprehensive of facing her only dream. She was apprehensive of looking at the face that she had seen only with her heart all these years.

Silence..that vast ocean that had engulfed their lives prevailed.
Silence could speak and they had always spoken in silence.
The same silence with which they had acknowledged their feelings,the same silence with which she went away from his life, the same silence with which he watched her leave,unable to hold her back.

She wanted to hold his hands,to lock her fingers in his.But she dared not.What if that offended him?What if he got up and left?

He took her hands in his.Her heart skipped a beat.She looked into his eyes.She saw her face in them.
"Why did you leave me?"His eyes seemed to ask.

Her eyes ,so beautiful, so pretty.They still had that spark.They could still captivate him.If only time would freeze!He wished.
But even now, he knew , he couldn't hold her back.

"A moment in time is all between you and me
A moment in time I will not let go"

He told in silence.

She got up to leave, praying he would call her back.
She walked away without looking back at him even once.Tears rolled down her cheeks.Why aren't the stars still not shining upon her.

He looked at the empty seat beside him,at the void in his life.He knew he couldn't survive it again..

"Ria,please don't leave me again".The silence broke.
The night sky sparkled with a million stars...