Early Days In School

The first day to School is an important landmark not only for the kids but also their parents and also grandparents, in case they are living together .
With some FB friends posting the photographs of kids in full school uniform on their first day to School , I am taken fifty seven years in timeline i.e.1959 , when I was admitted to the Nursery class of a School in Shimla. The School was called Lady Irwin High School – a Girls’ school with boys admitted only up to Class 4th. The school being nearest to the place where we lived those days was an easy choice as my two older sisters and two –three boys in the neighbourhood were already studying there and an age mate was also admitted about the same time. It was a trying time for my parents as it was impossible to make me sit in the class . I still remember weeping and shedding tears as my mother would leave me in the class.A maami , who lived still nearer took it upon herself to accompany me and remain in the class to put me at ease. I fondly remember maami , as her affection for me remained till her death in 1990, the same year when I lost my father. My class teacher, a bobbed young lady with her endearing manners became my favourite , and within a few days when she got shifted to some other class, I started crying again. She was kind enough to take me to her new class where a chair was kept for me.She used to teach me there. There were no LKG and UKG those days and we were sent to Class 1st after three months. By and by I got used to things . I passed my Class 1st with a ‘marvellous’ score of 83/200 and I still remember flaunting my Report Book on way from school to home as the euphoria of having passed Class 1st refused to subside. I scored 147/210 in Class 2nd ,144/225 in Class 3rd , 205/275 in Class 4th and never looked back as far as school was concerned .