Baaees Saal Baad! (22 years later!) Yes, it was 1992 when I completed my schooling. It’s been 22 years now!
Sometime in the 1st week of January this year, I got a call from one of my schoolmates, saying “we have arranged a small get-together of our batch-mates on 1st February”. Just few days later, another batch-mate created a group on WhatsApp & included me in the members. (Till today I’m unaware of how these groups are created.... and I’m 100% sure that it’s a very simple process. Not my cup of tea though!). Few of the mates, whom I literally have forgotten, were there in the group & everyone started sharing some or other message on this group communication. Jokes, images, birthday wishes, videos, quizzes, puzzles & many more....
I hardly remember having been celebrated anyone’s birthday in school days, especially in secondary school. Today it surprises me when someone changes the group name as "HAPPY BIRTHDAY (so & so)" & everyone drops various wishes, smileys & cake images! Moreover, all of us shamelessly ask for a party or a cake from the one whose birthday it is! And why not? ‘Cake khaane ke liye hum kahin bhi ja sakte hain!’
It wasn’t any formal get-together though, I reached the place & finally after 22 years, some of my school-time buddies were there....!
Everyone was enthusiastic about sharing the memories, cracking jokes, remembering so-called first crush (& second-third-fourth crush as well!), affairs, heart-breaks, crazy illogical nick-names, after-school moments, cricket & volley-ball matches, recollecting names & faces of not-so-known batch-mates.... all different topics and completely tangent arrays of subjects....!! As expected, none of us was talking about studies, teachers or anything related to academics (of course, none of us was there to remember bitter moments! :-D). One of us mentioned that it was only our batch that had not planned any such get-together after the schooling was over.... but I honestly felt glad about it. Had it been planned earlier, I doubt we would have enjoyed it the same way.
None of us was an extra-ordinary or above-average student in the school. Yet, I’m more than happy to see almost everyone doing really well today. Different family backgrounds, professions, ideas, views, future plans.... different identities altogether!! While in school, none of us knew what we would be doing later. A doctor, an insurance agent, a recovery officer, an HR executive in some IT company, a chartered accountant, a self-employed entrepreneur, art director in advertising.... everyone’s profession was so different from other’s! Yet, everyone was there! Right there!!
What an evening! 1992 to 2014 - a huge time span of 22 years was just minimised to seconds & all of us were enjoying as if it was just another day at school! Two hours full of hugs, jokes-laughs-claps, memories, snacks, sandwiches, pedhas .... Jokes-laughs-claps again & plans for next meeting.... that was it.... and everyone was on his way home! Few couldn’t join us for some or other reasons & they really don’t know what they missed!
Thanks to all of you for such wonderful time! See you next time friends.... expecting few more to join us next time.... Cheers!
- Abhijit
