Whenever I ponder over my school days, the reflection takes me to a meek quiet boy. A reserve guy with quiet habits, feeling shy of everything. I find him dressed in khaki shorts and white shirt, a pair of bright shining shoes with white socks. Well combed hair and slightly oiled face, may be due to perspiration or nervousness. My father was transferred to Jalandhar from Simla.

The transfer came in the mid-session of the fourth class. I moved quite extensively from corner to corner with my father for admission, but everywhere, the answer was in negative. It was after laborious efforts that DAV Public School accepted to accommodate me in the new class.

In the next stage, my father left me on the school gate next day and asked me, to proceed to my class. He perhaps felt that I was grown up enough to protect my own interest. I was moving towards the stairs with a very heavy and hesitant mind. Nobody was known to me except my class teacher who examined my papers for admission. He was perhaps sitting in the classroom because the morning assembly was already over. He was marking attendance as I stood on the entrance gate of the class. I was told that there were forty students in the class and I was forty-one. Anyway, very reluctantly I peeped into the room.’

The teacher saw me and said, “Hello Sunil, so you have come. Come in and take your seat with Suresh on the first bench.” The only student on the desk accommodated me very willingly and provided me seat with a helping and affectionate hand. Soon we were good friends. We were taught a new topic in social study by the teacher. He asked some questions from the students which were not answered well. I took the initiative and answered all the questions to the best of my knowledge. The teacher was satisfied and enlisted my among the best ten students of the class.

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It was recess time soon after and we all started playing in the central ground. Suresh introduced me to many other students of the class. The bell rang and we rushed to the class. Similar phases of morning session repeated in the next period of Mathematics and English. The concerned teachers appreciated my capability at studies and this helped me to gain better confidence in my own self. Soon the periods were over, we were asked to pack up for return. My class teacher guided me to proceed towards the bus. The conductor shook hand with me and “welcomed me for good seat. It was a beautiful and well-provided but.

It reached home in an hour. My mother was waiting for me on the main crossing. She asked me about the school and its teaching staff. I gave all the best appreciation for my teachers and told my mother that I had formed good number of friends and that I enjoyed the day very nicely. She was happy that my silence and hesitation has ultimately would up for good. She felt happy that I could fit in well in the new set up and atmosphere.