School days

My first school was Shri Bankatlal Lahoti English School in Latur, Maharashtra. My dad worked in a bank then and was transferred to the Latur branch. Although the admissions for that academic year was over, I was given a seat without the usual interviews et al since the school had an account in the same branch my dad worked.

So off I went to my first school, in the middle of the term :) Not alone mind you. My mom in tow. Yeah, I wouldn't step inside the classroom unless she became a student too. I'd scream my lungs out if the teacher tried to whisk my mom away by distracting me. The teachers would have the added trouble of pacifying the other kids whom I would instigate and in no time, there would be a high pitch bawling tournament in the classroom. No matter what I choose to become in my life , becoming a nursery school teacher is definitely a punishment beyond comparison.

After the first few weeks of attending classes with mom, I eventually got adjusted. Needless to say my mom was relieved. My dad used to drop me to school on the way to work and my mom used to come by in the afternoon to pick me up. I started speaking Marathi fluently and in fact even better than Tamil. My best friend in this school was one chap called Deshmukh. I am clueless whether this was his surname or first name.

One fine rosy day like no other, after school was let off, I was waiting for my mom. She used to take a rickshaw from home. On that fateful day, either the rickshaw was too slow or my mom got slightly delayed. My buddy Deshmukh invited me to walk with him (to his house) and I think I agreed in a trice. So hand in hand, Deshmukh and I set off chattering non-stop in Marathi towards his home which was pretty close to the school. On the way there was a railway crossing. No readers, there wasn't a train speeding towards us (atleast not that day)!

Much worse! My mom in her rickshaw was slowly heading towards the school gate when she spotted us near the tracks. Her eyes popped out literally and in true filmi ishtyle, she jumped out of the rickshaw, stopped her eloping daughter and brought her home. Then followed a series of orders repeated regularly for ME, the school helpers, teachers, Principal and Deshmukh.

... and my mom was never late again.. :)