My theme for #MyFriendAlexa 2020 is School Days & Musings.    Hence, I will be penning down 8 stories that you can fall in love with and may revisit your beautiful innocent days that were never perfect but were filled with fun, laughter & pure joy.   The protagonists will vary every day to add a little more fun and I have used the most possible simple way of getting into these young minds. The Posts will be like diary entries made by these kids at the end of the day about how their day was (mostly about some very memorable encounters)! I have tried to visualize the world from the eyes of the unadulterated souls. I aspire to pass on a little smile that I can to each one of you reading my pieces so that I will feel that I was of some use.

Dear Diary,

Today I got up very early in the morning. I had to accompany Papa to the local market for monthly grocery haul. I had to hurry up a lot so that I manage to reach school on time. I had to complete my regular chores and by that time my bag was packed by Mumma along with the Tiffin Box as usual. Today is Wednesday & Mumma had packed paneer – cheese -veg sandwiches in my Tiffin Box, one of my favorites . Wednesdays are always great because, Mumma packs me something extra special on Wednesday as per our deal. 

But then I also always have mixed feelings about this Wednesday as well. The period before the recess on this day is a torture. Can you guess which period we have? We have History !History before recess class becomes extra torture for me. I struggle to keep myself sane in the class!

And on top of that Sheela Ma’am ! My God, She is one of my favorites but probably vice versa is not true. Why is she my favorite?  That’s because she distributes chocolates at least once a week. However, I think she dislikes me. She calls out my name at least once in the class for sure and I have to get up from my last bench and walk the entire aisle , reach up to her, only to get scolded.  Why? Well, that is nothing new. I sometimes forget to bring the notebook when I complete the home work and sometimes I forget to complete the home work. She screams at me and scribbles a note to my parents in my school diary.  However, I have never disliked her. I understand that she is just little angry by nature and that’s ok. As long as she keeps giving the weekly quota of chocolates, I am just happy.

How can someone have history class before recess?  We have recess after first four periods. After the third period, I can’t help but keep looking at my watch to see when I will be able to open my Tiffin Box and see what has been packed by my Mumma. And the history class makes it all the more boring.  I just scratch my head to just be able to survive those forty minutes. My best friend Shekhar sits beside me. We are the last benchers but somehow he is the topper of the class. I can never figure out the study schedule that Shekhar follows. He is my best buddy and my crime partner. But we are never together when marks are concerned. He is at the top and me well… you understand!

Today, the class got extra boring and I and Shekhar started playing Book Cricket. Its one of our best time-pass to escape the class boredom. I was just about to win the game when I suddenly hear  Sheela Mam call out my name. I was so lost  in keeping track of the scores that it took me a moment to understand if Dipankar was my real name. She was asking me a question !

 “Dipankar tell me, in which year did Napolean crowned himself the emperor ? “Sheela Ma’am asked.

 I asked her,” Ma’am, which Napolean?”

 Sheela Ma’am frowned as usual & said,” How many Napoleans do you know Dipankar? Obviously, Napolean Bonaparte!! Tell me the year.”

 I asked again ,”Ma’am, he was the emperor of which country?”

Sheela Ma’am closed her eyes, nodded her head & shouted,” STAND UP ON THE BENCH!! NOW.”

Then she asked the same question to  Shekhar and he replied in one go:

In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France. He set out to conquer neighboring European countries, dispossessing dynasties and creating kingdoms where he placed members of his family.

My jaw just dropped as I climbed up the chair. How? Every time single time he does it. I mean , how? I am always the victim as I get the punishment but he escapes though we keep doing the same mischief. I nodded my head in disbelief and Shekhar was looking at me with a naughty smile & then he winked. I felt like banging his head with the duster at that moment. The eyes of the entire class was also on me. The new girl, Juhi was also staring at me!

You can just understand how one will feel under such circumstances. The girls had an extra brightness in their eyes while giving me a  piercing look.  I then give a jerk to my head and looked up. I was least bothered what each of them thought of me.

Nothing ever makes sense to me now- a-days. I looked at my watch there was another twelve minutes more to go till recess started & I did not know how to handle that. It was getting on my nerves. Ma’am turned her back and wrote on the black board and the entire class was taking notes including Shekhar. Imagine my plight!

Just then I don’t know what happened to me. Suddenly, I put my hand in my pocket and took out the paper plane that I had created before sometime and I just blew on it and set it on flight mode out of anger. And next moment ,it hit Sheela ma’am on the back of her head!! I could not understand the turn of events & I hurriedly buried my face in my hands without having any the courage to know as to what  would happen next. I thought that was the end of me. I would be either rusticated or suspended, for sure.

But then , next moment I see Sheela Ma’am standing next to me.  There was another four minutes more for the recess to begin. She signaled me to come down which I obliged.

 She then asked, “What is wrong with you today, Dipankar?”

And I said “Ma’am, I am very very very hungry.”

A smile escaped her face! Yes to my surprise, she smiled and then brushed my hair. I could not believe it.

She directed me to eat my lunch box and meet her in the staff room. The situation was very different than I had anticipated in the staff room. She first gave me a chocolate & explained me patiently that I should study hard &  try to better myself. I had never seen this personality of Sheela Mam. I nodded my head to whatever she said, though I do not know how I will do all that she said. However, I have decided that I am going to take interest in History from today. And that too only because of Sheela Ma’am. She will always remain one of my favourite teacher.

All in all it was an eventful day.

Dipankar( Class- IX-A)

*Notes: Shekhar & Dipankar are best buddies and they are in the same class -IX A

* Juhi, is a new student who has been transferred and joined the class in the middle of the semester

*To Know more about Shekhar & Juhi, please read Post 1 of the School Musing series by clicking here.

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