Back to School?

     As I settled down on a bench after having packed off my kiddo in his classroom, I looked around. The empty classroom that I was sitting in was a little different from what I had been used to some time back. Or was that really some time back was a thought that crossed my mind. It was actually three decades back. Well this one was a large one, all spic and span. Clean and neat with the benches all lined up in probably 7-8 columns. As I sat down I noticed that the benches themselves were very sturdy, all of metal and wood that will withstand the kids day in and day out and will probably age beyond them as they grow out of school. The blackboards were not black, they were white and had marker pens placed in colors of black, red, blue and green all in a rack meant for them. The tubes were LED's and the fans were clean. Not only clean but they were in great working order and that too without squeaking. Hold on, they also blew air on to the eager kiddos who sat beneath and around them. Did I mention the projector in the room that hung above the board and the retractable sheet that I observed was neatly rolled up in it's sheath. Times had changed hadn't they?

     Or maybe not, as I stopped for a moment and looked around again. The classroom had changed. I was into MY classroom at MY Gokhale High School. I could feel the warmth of the wood that I was sitting upon and the musky smell that accompanied it when we sat on it after being drenched in rain and our raincoats placed at the sides. It just about bore the weight of the three of us but then gamely went on creaking and swaying slightly - but then never gave up despite our best attempts. I looked up to see the black board was indeed black. The yellow duster with a mop  of green on it, despite its best attempts had not been able to wipe the white chalks off the board. The familiar dusty cardboard box that was frayed at the edges carried the chalks of white, blue and green that I was fascinated with. The smell of chalk dust lingered in the air around as if someone had mischievously blown it. The fans were creaking along and gave just the satisfaction that was needed to be comfortable. Astonished by it all, I saw beside me, there was Kapil in his typical style screaming silently within himself with eyes as large as he could, asking me to look ahead and continue reading out from the English book. Not sure what was happening but I did have a book in my hands. Bannerjee teacher was looking at me intently and cross as to why I had stopped in mid sentence. Vhacc, the cool dude that he was, his eyes expressed WTF did you stop for. Puzzled by it all, I continued to read the story of king Robert and how he learnt from the spider to not give up despite the worst adversity. How he regrouped his army and led from the front on the battlefield. As I finished and looked up, the class was empty. Where had all the guys gone? The girls who were giggling away to glory few moments back were not there too. The rows of benches were all empty. As a cool breeze blew into the room from the grilled windows and the passageway from the left, there was this familiar sound of trees swaying and the pitter patter of rain against the leaves. It felt so warm and comforting.

     The bell rang shrill signalling the end of class and I got up from the bench trudging sideways from the haphazardly placed benches. I instinctively kicked the one which was out of line and it dint budge as usual. I looked down to see if I had messed my shoe as baba will be cross about it. It wasn't. And I was glad that my uniform of white, black and brown checks was neatly tucked in my fading brown pants. I felt the weight of my bag on my shoulders and my shoulders twitched instinctively as I went out thru the doors that never were closed unless the entire class was to be punished. The corridors were less lit as I walked on with rooms on both sides. I looked up at the ringing bell above and saw that it was a little different and it dint sound shrill as well. The small ping clanging against the big round shiny metal was not it. This one was more petite as it buzzed about in a non metal way.

     I felt a tug on my hand and I looked down to see my kiddo looking weirdly at me. Why are you staring at the buzzer was a question that he posed me thru his eyes and I smiled back. Answers would not make any sense to his little curious mind. Memories had a way of making their way to you don't they. In the flash of a moment they transfer you back in time and make you feel so good, they leave you happy and wanting for more.

     Yeah, times have changed I reflected, as I took my kiddos' little hand and walked past the classrooms in the large corridors of his school.