My journey of 15 years finally ended when I left my school, which had been my dreamland for so long. It was a journey of happiness accompanied by smiles, laughs, tears, fights, tantrums and much more, that made it all colourful and a wonderful part of my life.

Those are now my memories which will always stay in my heart. School was a place where I first stepped into the academic life. It was a place, where I spent my innocent childhood and my teenage years, and when it was time to leave, I felt my heart being taken away from my body.

I still remember that first day of school. It was a pleasant day in March, when the school was full of chatter, cries and laughter. There were smiling and worried parents with their newly admitted children, some of whom were crying their lungs out, while some seemed like statues. And of course, some kids were jumping all around. It was my first day in school, as well.

This phase of crying continued till we adjusted to remaining with strangers coming from different backgrounds. It took almost seven years to adjust with those people and become friends — my friends and the colours of my life.

I remember in the beginning when we were in the classroom, there used to be silence on all sides. Nobody spoke. Only a few kids who knew each other before school spoke a bit. Others would just stare at each other, expressionless, as it happens with small kids.

The time spent in school sometimes felt like time spent in prison. We were the prisoners who would obey the instructions of the jailer (teacher). Stressed and frustrated, we anxiously awaited to hear the soothing chime — the last bell of the day, signalling the time to go home

But with the passage of time, we came close to each other. We would usually share lunch, stationary, books and enjoyed each other’s company. And then, we made a law that no matter what happened, we would never break our friendship. This law was termed as ‘The Law of Friendship’. Remembering Newton’s law was not important but forgetting the law of friendship was considered a crime. Whosoever had committed this crime would have to leave the friends circle for a certain period, until some mediators would convince the friends circle to readmit him into it. The timely parting from friends circle was called ‘katti’ and joining back the friend circle was called ‘salli’. How innocent we were!

Childhood passed like the interval of a movie, but this interval made the story interesting. We grew up into teenagers. Studies became the farthest goal. This phase was particularly devoted on playing different outdoor games.

The time spent in school sometimes felt like time spent in prison. We were the prisoners who would obey the instructions of the jailer (teacher). Stressed and frustrated, we anxiously awaited to hear the soothing chime — the last bell of the day, signalling the time to go home. This beautiful soothing the bell felt like the cold breeze in the hot scorching sun; our grim faces turned into the happiest faces in the world.

This age also brought the courage to face and bear unusual fights between different groups. There were many groups in one class. Some would have the fierce bullies. Daring to stand up for each other in a group of friends was the one common practice every group member had to follow. Those fights would only end when the defeated group went to the principal and lodged a complaint, putting the victorious in hot water.

With the passage of time, we became mature and seniors in our own school. It was a feeling we can never forget, as young kids would look towards us for inspiration. This also meant that we were reaching the final years of our school. And soon it was time to say goodbye to this wonderland.

After spending 15 years of my life there, I remember each and every moment which I spent there, and my friends, teachers and everyone who was part of this journey. The friends whom I met there would choose different paths in their life but I believe, one day, we meet and recall our memories. No matter how much you hate your school, you will always miss it when you leave.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 3rd, 2018