How Oliver Twist'ed my days...

Guys ridiculed me when I joined the dramatics club. My reasoning behind that decision was - At first, there would be no bodily harm which was the case in many sporting clubs (hence I stuck to the Rifle Club and during athletic meets, I used be a part of the school band!!!); the second reason being that, if my luck spun well, this would get me into the world of celluloid ( I was and still fascinated by the glim-glam world of film and photography - None of which actually materialized) But I did have my share of fun and distress with this branch.

Everything seemed perfect, when our drama club was invited to Hebrons (A top notch British international school). Once the invitation was announced in our morning assembly, we met with a huge influx of applications to join the club, even though the deadline dates to sign up for clubs were done about 5 months ago. Hebrons was one of those schools where they had an impressive opposite sex ratio - hence the influx.

For once, people around me were trying to pull strings with me, in order to get on that bus to Hebrons. I decided to make profit out of the offers, though in the end I knew I could always say, that I tried my best to put their names on the list, but that stubborn teacher, did'nt permit.

We were in our best outfits. Some of us borrowed our school blazers from the disciplined and well kept students. I remember our accompanying professor complaining of the whiff of cologne. We were just short of taking bath in it. The dramatics club members who untill a few days back were a bunch of bozos and rejects, were given a heroes departure.

The drama went well and we were all so involved and blown away with the performances. Though every time I was drawn towards the Oliver Twist character. Some thing didn't seem right about him. He was just too feminine in every action, but I wrote that off to the character being enacted.

Time comes when each character was being felicitated. Our main character is called upon, as Natasha Singh, who came up and pulled off her English cap, and I was caught gaping. At that time, there was nothing but Natasha Singh in my nut. Fireworks in every corner of my head, I was smitten by this girl. She was cute, bubbly, and was the center of attention for that evening. All I wanted to do was to jump off my seat and do something stupid that would catch her attention!!! I didn't waste time in approaching her and expressing my surprise. She shook hands and thanked us as a whole (since I was blinded by this enterprising girl, I thought she thanked me specially) for attending the drama. For nights and days to follow, the hot topic was Natasha Singh. As time flew, everything simmered down, and Natasha got lost in some corner.

A year passes by. Its the Inter School Football final for the Super-Senior Division. We won the junior and senior divisions and our batch would rewrite history if we won our division too. Winning all three divisions, would be a feat that was last accomplished about 4 years back. Drums, horns, voice boxes, anything and everything that would make a noise rolled out. We were a bunch of let loose hooligans who had the license to do anything we wanted, provided we help our team win. As destiny had it, Hebrons was playing against us. We were glad that a co-ed school was playing against us, because their whole school would be on our grounds and if anything we would have a good cheer battle session. To add to our excitement, Hebrons was the only school who had an all-girls cheer squad. So that added to our vigour in cheering.

Half time comes through, I decide to quench my parched voice box..I keep walking towards our canteen and this voice excuses herself - asking me directions to the washroom. It hit me then, I knew it then and there, I turned and she stood right there - a tad taller, longer hair yet with the same features that made me weak in my knees, a year ago.

I whispered Natasha and I am so glad, she didn't catch me on that. Against the slightest hope of she recognizing me, she enquired about the washroom again, in her thick British accent. I still beat myself on what happened after. I spoke anything but English and when I realised, nothing would work, I stopped talking..I guided her to the washroom whilst she had this weird look on her face. Only if she knew what ran through me. I disappeared fearing, i would do something really dumb (At that moment, dumbness ranged from cheering for Hebrons to pleading to the Hebrons director to make me one of their own)

Call it a fantasy, probably it was her accent or it was her sheer innocence, Ms Singh troubled me through the rest of the game. We ended up winning but yet for once I did not want that game to end fearing her departure and never getting to see her again. I kept gathering courage to at least go up to her and apologize for the weird behaviour. Just when I found enough, I saw her bus disappears through our gates. I felt like i let her go through the gaps of my fingers. I did not feel too dejected that day, since we won and the excitement of the celebrations to follow buried my dejection of missing out on Natasha.

I smirk, every time I think of how destiny decided to tease me,TWICE. I am positive that she never even remembers that comical character who showed her to the washroom. Yet I had a lesson learnt, ever since - to never procrastinate on ANYTHING!
I guess, had she known me as a person, bigger catastrophes would have taken place

(ye ye! call it sour grapes)

Shoulders to hang on to.......

Everyone has had that moment in their lives, when they look back wondering, how one's life changed after a specific experience. Though initially excited, halfway through I doubted my folks' unconditional love for allowing me to move away. Later it dawned upon me, that I couldn't have scripted a better ending to my school years. My parents let me learn to run my own race, the hard way, yet not a day goes by when I do not thank them for it. Thank them so much, that I would do the same with my kids too when I reach to that.

My two years at Ootacamund, has been the 'best days of my life'-hands down.Friends became eternal to me. I write this with a few of the many interesting characters I got involved with.

Guys who I hated with passion, turned brothers from another mother. Such was my relation with Senthil a.k.a - Kaka (for reasons not to be disclosed!). From fist fights in 11th, I stood up for him even when I knew I was supporting a lost cause, in 12th. This so called 'one of the pillars of the SJC soccer team defenses' had the temper shorter than the wick of a new candle. I even lied to the authorities about my nasal operation, to attend his sister's wedding -which happened just 2 weeks before our final exams. Our study hours spiked up to 8 -10 hours a day as we closed in on our final exams. We've had fights on our Formula 1 teams, yet he used to see that he gets me out of bed by 4 in order to do that extra calculus problem. I still hold on dearly to that 'Cadbury Temptation Diwali box' and the lame letter he gave me for my birthday. If anything, that one day I went for his sister's marriage, the whole Kumar household considered me more of their own than an outsider.

Talking of considering me one of their own, the Natrajans hold a special place too. Enter this character Balaji Natarajan a.k.a Bonda (again, disclosure not considered). He was this nerd who wasn't anything close to a nerd. My envy towards him somehow changed to brotherhood. Seemingly unassuming but horribly smart, this guy was the only one who stood between me and ranker's board (We had this big blue board, on which every topper's name got engraved). Initially I hated him, just because he never tried hard, yet got results. Come our 12th grade and we became the nerd team. I am still left puzzled on how my envy turned into admiration for the guy. I remember, the day of the release of our grades, the moment I knew my grades, my fingers were already dialing an international call...Balaji picks up and says- " Da (a more loving way of addressing a loved one of the same age!) I'm happy for your 93%", though not mentioning a word about his 98% grade, fearing that I would feel dejected. I still dream of his mother's lavish lunch, which I just couldn't stop devouring, and being skinny and puny really helped. Aunt would just keep serving me more and more.

Enough said about the heroes, one of the villains in my school life was Pon Srinivas. Pon was from a background which spoke for itself. This guy had everything from Rolex watches to Skoda cars. He is a warm guy at heart but first impressions will make or break it for him. In my case, it was not just break, but SHATTERED. This guy was successful on every front, on making life miserable for me. Yet today, when I look back, I would dedicate my whole self to his tortures. I changed...changed for the good. True, he could have initiated those changes in me through better means, but then I wouldn't remember and cherish Pon for who he was. From a family of successful businesses, this guy was ever ready to help with doubts on the stock markets and the business world (which would be equivalent to today's WII's and X-boxes)...On our last day, before leaving school, he came up to me, close to tears (which was totally against his big-shot image) and apologized for his actions. He had just one line for me, which to date rings in my ears "Da, you've evolved a lot...Just do not hold any ill towards us!"

All throughout my boarding life, I thought I had no friends and that I was more in a war against those name callings and fun making. Yet, now I look back and realize that it was that same fun making, which taught me to suck up and face difficulties rather than giving up on them. I thought wrong of each and every individual who helped me get through those years. From stressful examination days to fun-filled movie nights, from fights to sticking up for each other, from homesickness to football and athletic cheers and chants, every day had a new lesson for me.
I might have fell short in appreciating it at that moment..But as my dad says "Absence makes us grow fonder". And for the past 4 years since and for time to come my Ooty days have only grown fonder!

P.S - I dedicate this blog to the rest of the EXPLOITED batch (SJC, 2004- 2005). Space doesnt permit, yet I cherish my days with each and everyone. Dineth, Pradeep, Muthu, Juzer, Shekhu, Imran, Monish, Faisal, Farhan, Saadiq, Bovas, Riju, Gopi, Arvind, Chandan, Prasena, Nirmal, Satheesh, Appachu, Roshan, Vignesh, Rizwan, Jishar,Yogesh, Rahul, Mithesh and anyone whom I 've missed. Wherever I go, whatever I do or whatever I become, you guys shall always be a part of the reason.Once a Josephite, always a Josephite - Blues and Whites!!!