Some things don't change !
And here I was again in the school dropping my boy (now all of 11 years) and his friend for a competitive exam. As I always did for most exams that he appeared. The routine is the same as ever and the motions that we go thru are the same too. Make sure that he gets ready. And while he and his mother fuss over the clothes, the uniform, the water bottle and the last minute information that he can grab or remember, I ensure that the exam pass, the pens, the pencils, erasers and the pads are properly tucked in the bag. After the customary wishing of luck, we are on the way to the centre. I give him the instructions of doing well, keeping calm, not rushing thru the questions etc. while he is half listening and half chatting with his friend. 'Baba, I know, you don't worry' he smiles when I stop my oft-repeated monologue. I acknowledge him with a nod knowing that my little boy has now grown up. Noticing my silence, he says 'You will pick me up right'. I feel better