They say school days are probably the best days of one's life.
And how true it is....
I was not much into sports when in school. I was the nerdy types whose main purpose of life was to get very good marks and the 1st rank. Always used to be in the top three back then.
I loved books…. I loved studies……But somehow I still loved the SPORTS DAY.
We used to have the "March Past" as the opening ceremony prior to the commencement of the actual sport events. It's a kind of a parade...(if you are hearing the term for the first time.)
Athletes from 4 houses...Blue...Green...Red...Yellow.... dressed in the respective color all lined up basking in the afternoon heat. Their sports captain and the house captain leading them. But leading ALL of them was the HEAD BOY of the school, carrying the school flag. What an honor.
I always dreamed of being at that place leading the whole school.
But for that I had to be the head boy, which for me, at that stage was next to impossible. A head boy had to be active, had to interact with seniors, teachers, fellow students. He had to be good not only academically but in sports as well. A whole lot of Extra-curricular activities should be included in the package as well.
I....huh...I was good at only one thing back then....STUDIES...!!!
But still…. I dreamed.
( Just as in GURU. "Sapne mat dekho...sapne sach nahi hote...mere papa kehte the"....Abhishek uttering in his inimitable voice. This dialogue kind of reminded me of this dream I had once cherished. Not that my "papa" had anything to do with it.)
Anyways...coming back to the topic.....haan....dreams.....dream….”my” dream...had to achieve it ...had to do something...I forced myself to change. I started taking part in all those
activities I once shied away from, which eventually led to interaction with people around.
My studies were getting affected though. But somehow I still managed to keep myself in the top five at least.
I hardly won many competitions, but yes I made sure I took part and gave my best shot. Slowly, the tree I was watering had started bearing fruits.....bole toh……I started winning in some of them.
Days passed, I kept on gaining seniority and moving up the “standards” ladder.
Finally….the 12th standard…..the time when the heads of the schools along with the captains of the various houses were to be announced.
The P.T master came on stage to announce the names starting with the house captains. I was praying, praying hard.
My name did not feature in the captains list. That meant two things. Either I was so bad that I was no where close to being made a captain, vice captain or a sports captain for that matter. Or I was so good that I had a chance to be the HEAD BOY!!...
But alas….that was not meant to be. They announced the head boys name and it was not mine.
Jealous??….who me……well yes…of course I was jealous…I sacrificed my studies for that 8cmx3cm badge.
“And the assistant HEAD BOY is Sudhanshu Chindarkar!!”…..my PT teacher shouted on the mike.
“Whoa….what....who… why….”??...I looked up in disbelief, anger, happiness and many other feelings at the same time.
Noooooo…GOD!!!......Assistant Head Boy of all the posts!!!.. According to me, though this guy was the second post powerful person among the students in school, the post was as good as non existent.
Only in the absence of the head boy, did the assistant have any chance!!!
Nevertheless, I was happy that I had some badge on my left chest to show off.
Days zipped past faster than F1 cars after that and the SPORTS DAY was nearing.
How I wished this day never existed. So much for my dream of holding the school flag. Now all I had to do as an assistant head boy was to stand behind the head boy holding NOTHING!!! What a waste!!!
I was cursing God. Even if he had made me a captain, I would have got to hold the house flag at least. But look where he had put me now.
But then God is not all bad…is he now!!!
Five days to go for the sports day and I got the news that the head boy had to go to attend an international youth conference in Belgium!!!.....so much for the extra-curricular activities!!!........that meant…..that meant……….
The next person in power got to do whatever the head boy did…..the next person in power was the asst. head boy…….the next person in power was ME!!!!..............I love you God!!!!
SPORTS DAY!!!
I was asked to come to the staffroom. My PT master was waiting for me. “Always on time, this young chap”, he said to fellow teacher. How could I not be…..this was going to be one of the most important day of my life !!!
He gave me the school T-shirt with the logo on it. And then handed me the most precious thing I felt then….the SCHOOL FLAG!!!.....the moment I held the pole…..my chest pumped up with pride.
I walked out on the field. I saw all the houses assembled. I went and stood right in the front of the whole group.
The chief guests had arrived. The PT master beat the drum. That was a signal for me to give “THE” command.
“SCHOOL….FORWARD MARCH”…..i shouted at the top of my voice……letting out air as well as some of the pride filled in my chest!!!.....and then started marching……with everyone following me!!!! …marching to the beat of the drums….Left…right…left….
After doing one whole round of the ground, I had to come at the centre of the ground for the most important part of the day….THE OATH CEREMONY!!!
The drums had stopped; the whole school had come to a pin drop silence. I walked up to the centre of the ground. Raised my hand. Everyone followed. And then I began speaking in the mike placed on my collar, “WE…” I said. Everyone!!!( ..by everyone I mean EVERYONE..)from the students…..the teachers…..the whole school… repeated. “WE...…” in chorus…My chest had puffed up so much now that I could have given Arnold a run for his money!!!.... ”the students of Ideal Indian School………..solemnly pledge that we will take part in the 15th Annual Athletic meet……….. in true spirit of sportsmanship……….. for the honor of our school……….. and the glory of sports.” The crowd repeating my words after every pause. I felt like the king of the world. A feeling very few can experience. Its not everyday you get thousands of people following your orders and repeating your words!!!!
That day ….I realized …dreams do come true….all you have to do is give them your best shot and leave the rest to GOD.
And how true it is....
I was not much into sports when in school. I was the nerdy types whose main purpose of life was to get very good marks and the 1st rank. Always used to be in the top three back then.
I loved books…. I loved studies……But somehow I still loved the SPORTS DAY.
We used to have the "March Past" as the opening ceremony prior to the commencement of the actual sport events. It's a kind of a parade...(if you are hearing the term for the first time.)
Athletes from 4 houses...Blue...Green...Red...Yellow.... dressed in the respective color all lined up basking in the afternoon heat. Their sports captain and the house captain leading them. But leading ALL of them was the HEAD BOY of the school, carrying the school flag. What an honor.
I always dreamed of being at that place leading the whole school.
But for that I had to be the head boy, which for me, at that stage was next to impossible. A head boy had to be active, had to interact with seniors, teachers, fellow students. He had to be good not only academically but in sports as well. A whole lot of Extra-curricular activities should be included in the package as well.
I....huh...I was good at only one thing back then....STUDIES...!!!
But still…. I dreamed.
( Just as in GURU. "Sapne mat dekho...sapne sach nahi hote...mere papa kehte the"....Abhishek uttering in his inimitable voice. This dialogue kind of reminded me of this dream I had once cherished. Not that my "papa" had anything to do with it.)
Anyways...coming back to the topic.....haan....dreams.....dream….”my” dream...had to achieve it ...had to do something...I forced myself to change. I started taking part in all those
activities I once shied away from, which eventually led to interaction with people around.
My studies were getting affected though. But somehow I still managed to keep myself in the top five at least.
I hardly won many competitions, but yes I made sure I took part and gave my best shot. Slowly, the tree I was watering had started bearing fruits.....bole toh……I started winning in some of them.
Days passed, I kept on gaining seniority and moving up the “standards” ladder.
Finally….the 12th standard…..the time when the heads of the schools along with the captains of the various houses were to be announced.
The P.T master came on stage to announce the names starting with the house captains. I was praying, praying hard.
My name did not feature in the captains list. That meant two things. Either I was so bad that I was no where close to being made a captain, vice captain or a sports captain for that matter. Or I was so good that I had a chance to be the HEAD BOY!!...
But alas….that was not meant to be. They announced the head boys name and it was not mine.
Jealous??….who me……well yes…of course I was jealous…I sacrificed my studies for that 8cmx3cm badge.
“And the assistant HEAD BOY is Sudhanshu Chindarkar!!”…..my PT teacher shouted on the mike.
“Whoa….what....who… why….”??...I looked up in disbelief, anger, happiness and many other feelings at the same time.
Noooooo…GOD!!!......Assistant Head Boy of all the posts!!!.. According to me, though this guy was the second post powerful person among the students in school, the post was as good as non existent.
Only in the absence of the head boy, did the assistant have any chance!!!
Nevertheless, I was happy that I had some badge on my left chest to show off.
Days zipped past faster than F1 cars after that and the SPORTS DAY was nearing.
How I wished this day never existed. So much for my dream of holding the school flag. Now all I had to do as an assistant head boy was to stand behind the head boy holding NOTHING!!! What a waste!!!
I was cursing God. Even if he had made me a captain, I would have got to hold the house flag at least. But look where he had put me now.
But then God is not all bad…is he now!!!
Five days to go for the sports day and I got the news that the head boy had to go to attend an international youth conference in Belgium!!!.....so much for the extra-curricular activities!!!........that meant…..that meant……….
The next person in power got to do whatever the head boy did…..the next person in power was the asst. head boy…….the next person in power was ME!!!!..............I love you God!!!!
SPORTS DAY!!!
I was asked to come to the staffroom. My PT master was waiting for me. “Always on time, this young chap”, he said to fellow teacher. How could I not be…..this was going to be one of the most important day of my life !!!
He gave me the school T-shirt with the logo on it. And then handed me the most precious thing I felt then….the SCHOOL FLAG!!!.....the moment I held the pole…..my chest pumped up with pride.
I walked out on the field. I saw all the houses assembled. I went and stood right in the front of the whole group.
The chief guests had arrived. The PT master beat the drum. That was a signal for me to give “THE” command.
“SCHOOL….FORWARD MARCH”…..i shouted at the top of my voice……letting out air as well as some of the pride filled in my chest!!!.....and then started marching……with everyone following me!!!! …marching to the beat of the drums….Left…right…left….
After doing one whole round of the ground, I had to come at the centre of the ground for the most important part of the day….THE OATH CEREMONY!!!
The drums had stopped; the whole school had come to a pin drop silence. I walked up to the centre of the ground. Raised my hand. Everyone followed. And then I began speaking in the mike placed on my collar, “WE…” I said. Everyone!!!( ..by everyone I mean EVERYONE..)from the students…..the teachers…..the whole school… repeated. “WE...…” in chorus…My chest had puffed up so much now that I could have given Arnold a run for his money!!!.... ”the students of Ideal Indian School………..solemnly pledge that we will take part in the 15th Annual Athletic meet……….. in true spirit of sportsmanship……….. for the honor of our school……….. and the glory of sports.” The crowd repeating my words after every pause. I felt like the king of the world. A feeling very few can experience. Its not everyday you get thousands of people following your orders and repeating your words!!!!
That day ….I realized …dreams do come true….all you have to do is give them your best shot and leave the rest to GOD.
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