In school magazine

In our school e-magazine HEARTS IN HUE, my article...

...The first one to be published..

The text...

Throughout the half a decade I have traversed in Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, there hasn’t been a day in this school more imprinted on my memory than the day I joined this temple of learning. As of any other new entrant, my assumptions far exceeded any expectation. For the last fortnight to the fourth of April, my only errand was presumably not to forget the day, which I marked on a calendar. That day, I was woken up early in the morning. After an unhabituatedly before-time bath and a quick meal, I started dressing up in the crisp new school uniform. I still remember my father having to tie the shoe laces of mine. Thereafter I was briefed on how to be at my new school. Probably then was I acquainted with the phrase, “the first impression is the best impression”. Then I was off to the bus stop of Bus No 3.

There I was introduced to a plump fellow-classmate. When the bus arrived, we were ushered into the first pair of seats on the left. The journey seemed more or less uneventful. Save I recollect a fog-curtained broad road and a whole swarm of students getting up at Joynagar. The tea gardens and the slope in front of the gate, I also noticed. Then, arriving at the school, I conducted a mental lottery and chose to keep my bag in section B. Fast enough, a teacher collected us into the assembly hall.

After the prayers, Vice Principal Maharaj welcomed us into the school. I noticed a likeness of him in the full length portrait of Swamiji on the stage. Once we were back in the class, the class teachers came and distributed us according to our roll numbers in the two sections. It was hectic running bag in hand for a likeable seat. The first period was taken by Subir sir. In his well-articulated introduction, I learnt for the first time that some schools even fined students for interacting in their mother tongue! So his declaration of the contrary here didn’t quite astound me. Then sturdy (or seemingly so) boys were nominated for the honour of bringing in the new text books, after brief introductions of all of us. I heard some say of having to buy the same books twice. Among those I marked as being the colourful characters, one brought a bottle full of ice and another complained to a teacher (in the third period) citing his friend as calling him mad.

In the journey home, the five freshers were seated in consecutive left-side seats, discussing which school contributed the most students to our new school. And finally, I de-boarded the bus on my way to home. Having said that, that day was not that much too extravagant or out-of-the-ordinary for such a credential as the most memorable day, but in my heart of hearts, I am sure to acknowledge its nonpareility.