Gang of 1990

 

Our Gang of 1990 - Some Crazy Moments

- By Suneeta Mohanty

We still remain the lone batch of our school that was bereft of the formal farewell. Well…No offence! We earned it with our persistently refractory derring-dos. We were labeled with the coveted title of ‘the bunch of errant’ by the time we reached Std.8. Some smaller ones like ‘obnoxiously stupid’, ‘utterly dreadful’, ‘pure buffoons’ and many more censored ones under the breath were also bestowed on us. All credit goes to our die-hard determination to outdo our spirited pranks year on year. Our selfless collective effort led us to become the perpetual guinea pig for all new punishments. Of course we braved it stoically with dignity!

Bidding Farewell to School

Not getting a farewell did not dampen our spirits rather it fueled us to give the school an astonishing farewell. Our repeated pleas to school went unheard. It was just ten days before our 10^th boards, we decided to at least present a huge bouquet to our beloved Principal. We even made sure to hire a photographer for some momentous clicks. The bouquet was graciously brought in a cycle rickshaw with all pomp and show and presented to our Principal Sister, much to her annoyance. The crooked-toothed, ever smiling photographer’s repeated request, ‘Respected Sister, please smile a little more’, flared her already boiling anger, yet she managed to maintain her cool. Finally we got the right click. A minor slip by the florist resulted in dotting the milky white sleeves of sister’s gown with black patches. Some said it must be grease. Next all hell broke loose and the entire class stood there for an hour with hung heads apologizing to Sister for the mistake of the florist.

On their Toes

We were just two days away from our boards when another great idea evolved. Few of us went and informed the school that we are boycotting the board exam. As we were taught not to open our mouth in front of elders, so no specific reason was given. We just stood there with bowed heads as Sister counseled us with all concern. A panic ran in the convent and the teacher fraternity. The day of exam dawned. It was English 1 and 2. All of us came before time and hid behind the walls. We were thrilled to see all our teachers pacing on the balcony with faces hanging out.

Our class had a couple of black sheep among us, who believed themselves as the epitome of honesty and sincerity. They zoomed ahead and sat in the exam hall, least someone usurps their seat. Just five minutes before the last bell rang, we went inside the gate. We could see the eyes of our teachers filled with genuine happiness as they escorted us like some home returned war heroes. We too walked with an arrogant grace, as if we were honoring the school with our presence.

Holi with Glory

On day three of our 10^th board was Physics and Chemistry. But Holi came in between and it needed to be celebrated.  With gulals of all hues the entire class visited each other’s house, eating sweets and gossiping as if there was no tomorrow. Never for a minute did we discuss about the dreadful exams the very next day. We came home completely drenched with colours, much to the annoyance of our parents. Next day we appeared with all confidence. When the results were out, we convinced ourselves that marks are just numbers, it does not define our future.

The Mysterious Blue Ink

The mishap occurred during our final revision classes. Those days ink pens were in fashion. One of our classmates pen developed a snag and it needed to be shook vigorously to make it functional. To everyone’s dismay, the careless ink went straight and landed on the shirt of our new Computer Sir. On realizing, he dashed out of class with a grumpy face and within a few minutes, Principal Sister entered with that sinister look in her eyes. She asked ‘who threw the ink, stand up’. Well….we looked at each other and one after the other everyone stood up, even the two black sheep. Sister gave a piercing look and said, ‘atleast you know how to value friendship’. The matter was closed then and there.

On the last day of our regular class, our class teacher, Sr.Shanti looked at us very lovingly and said, ‘you are like a swarm of colourful butterflies, with different personalities, yet complimenting each other perfectly. You look good as a team’.

Sister was so right. We selected our own careers, so different from each other. Yet even after 31 years of passing school, we still have that team spirit. The bond growing stronger each passing year. People say, if you have a single 2 am friend, you are lucky. We can say, we have a big bunch of 2 am friends, who know and understand us to the core. They were so much a part of our growing up years that we have left some of our traits in each other. From discussing about broken hearts to fights with our respective spouses to our children’s tantrums to our next 5-year plan, the list is endless. Back then, we were not just classmates, we were a part of each other’s family…even now, three decades hence, scattered across the globe, we continue to be part of each other. 

FRIENDS DEFINE US AND MAKE US STRONGER....