136. Childhood Reminisces – School Colleague

There was a colleague of mine in my class from 6^th class onwards.  I don’t remember as to till when😊.  Let’s call her V.   Most of the times, we both would be either the 1^st or 2^nd rank in class.  Since the students in the school were seated as boys and girls separately, boys and girls would not speak to each other.  Very rarely, if some work was to be discussed or shared, then only the talking would happen.

There was a Tamil and English magazines library in Karol Bagh, where V’s mother and my mother were members.  So, they became friends, not exactly friends, but known to each other.  I was good at Maths and Sanskrit during my childhood and used to score the maximum in these subjects in the class.  V was getting maximum in other subjects.  Now depending on how high my marks were in Maths and Sanskrit than her, and how high her marks in the other subjects were, in comparison to mine, the 1^st and 2^nd rank would be decided😊.

Her mother would tell every other member in the library that I was a very bright kid and excelled in Maths and Sanskrit and V was not able to surpass me in these subjects.  My mother would be wondering as to why she is saying like this when V was surpassing me in all the other subjects!!

Once both our mothers met in the market and since V’s mother was short of bags to carry the purchased goods, my mother gave her a cloth bag to carry the surplus goods.  V’s mother told my mother that V would give it to me in the school the next day.  Now V has 2 sisters, one of whom was studying in my younger brother’s class.  V’s mother had given the bag to V’s younger sister to give it to my brother.  I did not know this.  So, next day in school, I told my friends that V is supposed to return the bag to me that day.  After 1-2 periods, when the bag did not materialize, I and my friend, another V😊, started to shout that the bag has still not been given.  I think we were “inspired” by various movies depicting classroom scenes😊!! 

V, and in fact the whole class, listened to our shouting for some time.  After sometime, V lost her cool and stormed out of the class.  She went to her sister’s class and got the bag.  After returning to the class, she just threw the bag at me.  Along with the bag, her handkerchief also came to me.  My friend caught the handkerchief and saw the V sign and her initial stitched on it and was wondering if it was his😊!!   I then noticed the “initial” before V and told him that the initial is not his!!  I shouted at my friend if the handkerchief was an interest paid for the bag😊.  V then realized, that in haste, she had thrown her handkerchief also at me and smiled.  I then threw the handkerchief at her and she collected it.  That is the end of this episode😊!!

During that time, I was giving annual Sanskrit exams conducted by Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan.  In the later classes, the content got tough and I needed to consult with someone for clarifying the content.  V had an elder sister also who was very bright.  So, I asked my mother so speak to V’s mother if I can go to their house and get the content clarified.  V’s mother was ok with it.  Now I did not want to enter her house, I don’t know the reason why😊, so I asked my brother to accompany me and go inside her house to get the content clarified.  He mentioned that his colleague was also in the same house and he will not go inside.  Since I was elder to him, he had to agree and went inside. 

Meanwhile I was busy with playing with a ball and throwing it in a building wall and catching it.  Now my brother was unhappy that he is being sent in and I get to avoid going in.  So, he told V’s mother that I was standing outside and was not willing to come inside😊.  V’s mother then came out and asked me to come and sit inside.  I told her I was ok there and my brother will get the doubts clarified.  V’s mother called to V to come out and ask me to come inside.  V came out, saw me and did a u-turn and went inside and did not come out😊.  I told V’s mother that I will stay there only and wait for my brother to come out.  She stood at the gate for some time giving me company and then went back inside.  After some time, my brother came out clarifying all my doubts.  He mentioned that his colleague too did not come in the room where their elder sister was clarifying all the doubts😊.

I have not met V after the school.  Heard that she was a doctor and practicing in US. 

Those were the golden days of innocence😊!!

Cheers till next time!!

Today’s Observation 

The trouble with mornings is that they come when you are not awake😊