I’ve felt like this before every exam I’ve given after my o levels. My F.Sc. mock-papers and then my real board ones. My med send ups, and then my first prof.
The feeling of nostalgia.
Exams annoyingly open up my memories of meis. Always. I miss those days of playing basketball like it was the only thing that mattered in the world. It was our thing. I remember, whenever we’d get a free period, we’d call up our (seriously spooky!) supervisor (Mrs. Jyothie) and get a permit to take over the ground. We would stop playing basketball in Ramadan, only to go for the less exhaustive, but equally enjoyed, throw ball games. Lolz I remember developing a lethal service swing, that slowly became impossible to catch. My friends would dive away from my hard hitting, nose breaking ball. Ah… I miss sports week. we won our basketball n throw ball matches both in year 9 and 10.
Year 10 basketball; I was the shooter! Sara p, Maisa k, n I amazed our whole school with our baskets upon baskets. I remember my juniors staring in awe, astonishment and joy. The screams of our house on every basket, were deafening. It was like a screaming football wc audience. Year 10 throw ball; my service was l.e.t.h.a.l. :P The whole school cheered, hooted, maniacally clapped and the teachers watched with bulging eyes. Mrs. Jyothie… can’t forget her surprised face. I remember everyone taking a collective gasp when they saw it was my second turn for service. They were moments I’ll never forget.
I miss our pre exam preps. Everyone would discuss how much they’d prep-ed honestly. We’d make frantic late night calls to each other for some last minute advice, explanation or more importantly assurance that it’ll work out.
I miss our after exam trips to star world and tent park. The whole class would go together, all of us! Plus we’d have a one dish too. It became a norm after every exam. We went to snow world after our o level exams if I’m not wrong. I recall standing there in huge boots, a humogous jacket and a hood on, commenting laughably Yaar mai pagal lag rahi hon!!! We’d laugh. Joke. Enjoy. Ah, I miss it all.
I miss the day we all bunked our dramatics meetings, once to go for swimming, the next day to go for an on-stair one dish party. We were discovered by granny Christie (yup she told on us even though we gave her a sandwich!) and punished of course by the worse thing imaginable… a ban on our basketball!!! Bummer! Lolz I remember being especially told to have been more responsible, if I wanted to be head girl the coming year (I was head prefect next year, if any curious mind wants to know).
Ahhh I miss those interclass competitions we had. They really were something. Interclass English declamation, essay writing and extempore. I was first in extempore and third in declamation every year… essay writing varied. I remember my name being announced in the assembly all those times, going up the line… with my back patted and hand shaked by everyone I knew in class. We were 25 or so. I sort of represented my section (which was always a ‘B’) and they’d all scream out loud on hearing my name. Everyone happy for my win. And I’d be overjoyed on their’s. I miss that.
I miss the Tolgate commercial we did before the whole school. God! We actually sang in front of everyone. I miss the superb mushaira we did, first in our seniors' farewell, and then later, in front of the whole school. I was Noshaad Begum… it was hilarious!! And a pile of fun of course.
I miss our everyday school life. We’d all discuss cricket like anything. Politics too. Movies; English for me, English n Indian for them. They knew I disliked everything Indian. I’d make fun of the weird Indian actor n actresses’ names they’d say. Shashmita..? Hey ye aadmi ka naam hai ya khaatooon ka??!! Lolzzz. We’d laugh on each other’s habits. Mine of course was eating :D . I miss us joking and talking, not just two or three of us … they’d be like 8 or something. We had similar interests. We wouldn't talk about people or gossip. It was just sports, clothes, movies, tv. And were united in stuff like taking a day off from school (class unity for a hol!! That’s a dream, now that I'm in uni!!). We’d always take the first day off from summer hols. Always. It was sort of an unwritten rule. (Can.you.believe. we have no first day off concept in uni! People our dying to come to class the first day!!)
The day I miss the most was the Certificate Ceremony, Year 10. My year was all off for prep leaves. O level was due soon! In year 10, certificates were awarded per subject. I didn’t know, till the last minute, that I’d scraped 5 out of 8 subject wins!! There was polite applause for the first, more for the second, and everyone was gasping and roaring on the fifth. I was overjoyed of course. The principal couldn’t believe it too :D Ohh but after that they announced that I’d also won the overall class 10 trophy!! It caught me completely by surprise. I’d never won it, in any year before. But that year… my last year there, I’d gotten it!
The entire school cheered like anything.
My principal wished me well for my Os. My juniors walked up and wowed me over. All my teachers came up to congratulate. It was the happiest day of my life.
Alhamdulilah, Alhamdulilah I’ve been blessed with so soo sooo much more, but that day still shines ever so brightly in my cerebral-memoirs. Because it wasn’t just a moment of joy for me, or my family…. It was a moment of joy I got to share with many others.
And from that day to this,
I miss that.
