BACK IN TIME

Yesterday one of my friends called me up who is doing his MS from the US of A. We were very thick friends in school and till now we are. I don’t know what’s it about my school friends but whenever I talk to any one of them, I feel calm. That’s maybe because we have spent too much time together in the past and shared some really unforgettable moments. I sometimes really wish that I could go back in time and live through school again. Maybe not the thing like exams and stuff but certainly all the good times.

The times were so simpler then. We only had to worry about doing well in exams. Apart from that everything was taken care of and we didn’t have any other worries. Okay, maybe some issues like “I really like this girl” or something on similar lines. As I said earlier “Simpler Times”.

Today when I look back, I smile on my school days. My school gave me my best friends, friends I would keep for the rest of my life, friends with whom I could share anything with and who wouldn’t judge me, friends who had my back, friends who go to any lengths to help me out and I will go out to any lengths to help them out.
I still remember my 1st day at DPS. Anju ma’am took me to class 3-B where I met the most amazing people whom I have the honour of calling my friends. Coming into a new school and settling in can be very stressful. Especially for a kid who was so shy that he couldn’t even talk properly (that was me BTW). But the way you guys made sure I felt a part of the group was amazing. All my friends were in DPS since Prep. So they were already well set. But welcoming an outsider to the group was just……well…all I can say is “Thank You guys”.

As the time went by we all became a more exclusive group. All of us from Ashok Nagar always hanged out together after school playing cricket or just roaming about looking at girls. I can still remember all of us on our cycles riding through the roads of Ashok Nagar, having cold-drinks in the evening after playing cricket, playing carom at my place, TT at the club, hockey in my room (awesome fun) and many other things like Kittu trying to teach Utkarsh chemistry.
As we grew older we started going to Shyamli and SAIL colonies. Some of my best friends were from these colonies. Too many memories from these places also. Actually too many to point out any one of them.

And there are many memories from school also. Utkarsh and Gagan fighting, Ravi asking me on my 2nd day of school “Nikhil….what’s your name?”(I know for a fact that Ravi won’t remember this), the great red and white bravery award incident, the rakhi tragedy, the class picnics, Uts’s love story, many other love stories also for that matter.

I am what I am today is because of my friends from school. They took a really shy kid who couldn’t even talk when someone he didn’t know was in the room and turned him to one of the most talkative persons. My friends made me believe that I was not just some random kid. I felt special with them. I still feel like I own this world when I meet these guys. Sadly, now it’s not that frequently.

So, in the end I would end this piece by saying that thanks a lot guys….if it wasn’t for you guys, I would have still been a shy kid who would freeze up every time he had to speak with a stranger. I miss you guys a lot. Thanks for all the wonderful memories. And yes, if I had a chance I would surely go back in time and live through school again without any complains.