My first day in college.
Journeys end. Friends depart.
Every phase of life comes to an end.
But every end is also a new beginning.
It is a new chapter waiting to open.
First day, First class and I was late :D. I got the last seat. I saw a girl with curly hair sitting alone in two people desk in the front row. She was quiet with her head down. She was probably reading something. I went up to her and asked if I could sit next to her. She shrugged and said 'Sure'. I introduced myself and she curtly said 'I am Rachna'. During the course of conversation I came to know that we lived nearby and would commute on the same bus. We started commuting together. But I noticed she was very reserved and evasive. I noticed another thing too. She had lots of thick hair on her face...it was quite evident that growth of hair was not normal. But I never questioned her about the same. I saw people staring at her, and they usually found me staring back rudely at them. She took a month to open up with me but I noticed she grew closer to me with every passing day. One day she confided that she had a hormonal trouble that led to abnormal hair growth. She told me that she never befriended anyone as people talked about her problem.
She appreciated that I gave her space and never asked her anything about her appearance. I evaded the topic and told her that I just didn't observe it. But she knew I was lying. She cried a lot and I cried along. I adamantly told her that I never found her different from other girls and that she was prettier than all the girls in the class. On my saying that, she smiled and hugged me.
It’s been 17 years since it happened. We both are married and are thousand miles away... but we still are best of friends. We both have a kind of soul relationship, a kind of unfailing telepathy and intuition regarding each other. If one is not well or in trouble, the other one would know instinctively without even someone telling.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
All about Love
First Impression about Love
To my parents' dismay, I refused to change my school in the next session. I was in my early teens and had a huge group of friends now. Playing and chatting was our favourite pastime during the lunch break . I was usually gathered with friends. That was perhaps the reason why I failed to notice the gloom and pain in my best friend's eyes. One day she refused to play with us. She said she was not well and would rather sit in the class. After sometime I came back to classroom leaving all others behind to check upon her. I saw her crying. After my repeated requests she confided that she was in love... I was shocked, rather scandalized. Well that was something totally new and to be honest very grown up thing to me.
That evening I went to her home. She narrated the entire episode. He was her neighbour and she really liked him and as usual he already had a girlfriend. For the next few weeks I saw her in immense pain. She lagged behind in studies and was very quiet and sober. Her pain hit me and something snapped within my heart. I took an aversion to romance and love.
I decided not to ever fall in love... not knowing that when love hits, no barrier can ever stop it; and that the greatest thing you ever learn is just to love and be loved in return
To my parents' dismay, I refused to change my school in the next session. I was in my early teens and had a huge group of friends now. Playing and chatting was our favourite pastime during the lunch break . I was usually gathered with friends. That was perhaps the reason why I failed to notice the gloom and pain in my best friend's eyes. One day she refused to play with us. She said she was not well and would rather sit in the class. After sometime I came back to classroom leaving all others behind to check upon her. I saw her crying. After my repeated requests she confided that she was in love... I was shocked, rather scandalized. Well that was something totally new and to be honest very grown up thing to me.
That evening I went to her home. She narrated the entire episode. He was her neighbour and she really liked him and as usual he already had a girlfriend. For the next few weeks I saw her in immense pain. She lagged behind in studies and was very quiet and sober. Her pain hit me and something snapped within my heart. I took an aversion to romance and love.
I decided not to ever fall in love... not knowing that when love hits, no barrier can ever stop it; and that the greatest thing you ever learn is just to love and be loved in return
Friday, May 25, 2007
Coming to Chandigarh
Flashback (1980's)
In mid 1980's my dad got transferred and we came to Chandigarh. Chandigarh is known as city beautiful and is comparatively much smaller and slower as compared to Delhi. I was 11 years old and it was totally a new experience for me. It was a mid term and I had to get admission in a Gov't High School to save my academic year. From a Convent School in Delhi to a Gov't High School in Chandigarh, it was a huge difference. I still remembered I was awed by the amount of noise in the school and the classrooms, the way the teachers spoke in Hindi and Punjabi and the way kids behaved.
For the few days (out of superiority complex) I did not talk to kids around. They tried to be friendly but I never bothered to talk to them. But as the time passed by my attitude started costing me dear. I used to look at kids laughing and playing. Sitting alone in my seat I longed to be one of them; but my pride always stopped me from doing that. I got very lonely. My teachers liked me as I had a strong academic base from Delhi. This made me all the more alienated for the students around.
One day a girl (she was totally Punjabi speaking and we had a huge language difference) came and pulled my cheeks. She smiled at me. I did not know how to respond. But she was the only one who never laughed at me every time I prayed before lunch. I smiled back and her eyes twinkled. It took me a moment to realize that I had a friend; but it taught me a life long lesson about the power of smile. From that day onwards I started smiling at kids around, and within few days I had friends around. Nobody could tell the difference between me and them. But that girl was always with me...I taught her English and she taught me Punjabi and we were closest friends.
In mid 1980's my dad got transferred and we came to Chandigarh. Chandigarh is known as city beautiful and is comparatively much smaller and slower as compared to Delhi. I was 11 years old and it was totally a new experience for me. It was a mid term and I had to get admission in a Gov't High School to save my academic year. From a Convent School in Delhi to a Gov't High School in Chandigarh, it was a huge difference. I still remembered I was awed by the amount of noise in the school and the classrooms, the way the teachers spoke in Hindi and Punjabi and the way kids behaved.
For the few days (out of superiority complex) I did not talk to kids around. They tried to be friendly but I never bothered to talk to them. But as the time passed by my attitude started costing me dear. I used to look at kids laughing and playing. Sitting alone in my seat I longed to be one of them; but my pride always stopped me from doing that. I got very lonely. My teachers liked me as I had a strong academic base from Delhi. This made me all the more alienated for the students around.
One day a girl (she was totally Punjabi speaking and we had a huge language difference) came and pulled my cheeks. She smiled at me. I did not know how to respond. But she was the only one who never laughed at me every time I prayed before lunch. I smiled back and her eyes twinkled. It took me a moment to realize that I had a friend; but it taught me a life long lesson about the power of smile. From that day onwards I started smiling at kids around, and within few days I had friends around. Nobody could tell the difference between me and them. But that girl was always with me...I taught her English and she taught me Punjabi and we were closest friends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)