SCHOOL REUNION -OCTOBER 2013.

ALL THE SCHOOL GIRLS ARE SO MANY….

In 1964,  I bade Goodbye to my class mates and looked one last time at my boarding house and left Hazaribagh for ever. I never went back, just because I got busy with life.

A lot many years went by, I got married, then I joined State Bank of India as a Probationary Officer in 1975.

I had all but forgotten Carmel and Hazaribagh, until the time came for me to put my daughter in a School. I chose to admit my daughter to Carmel Convent in Chandigarh. The tradition had to continue. My dormant love for Carmel awakened at the first opportunity that I got.

SUNIL UKE & VARSHA UKE

In all these years I had not been in touch with any of my class mates, until one day my brother Sunil Uke , went to Bihar as an Observer during the Elections. He remembered that my best friend Amita Samonta belonged to Koderma. Seeing a petrol pump with the Samonta name, Sunil met the owners, got the address of Amita and thanks to Sunil I got in touch with Amita, and I   continue to remain in touch with her.

CORRIDOR BETWEEN CLASS ROOMS.

A lot many years again went by and then one day while on Facebook I found that there was a Group of Mount Carmel Hazaribagh  students formed by Tom Mundakel. I joined the group and got in touch with a lot of girls from Carmel. 

Soon I came to know that a get together was being organized at Hazaribagh and I jumped at the opportunity.

I cannot describe the thoughts I had as we drove past the walls of the School on the 18th of October 2013. The next morning when we came for the get together, Sunil my brother who is also an alumnus of our school,and presently posted as Chief Commissioner(Preventive) Customs & Central Excise,Northern India, and I along with my husband reached School exactly at 8.30 am. I simply stood outside looking at the Gate. I needed to gather myself together to enter the portals of my school which had made me what I am today. It was an emotional moment. The banner at the gate said, "Welcome Back Home" The organizers had taken great pains and I was overwhelmed.

I just wanted to walk on and see all those familiar places where I had spent such a lot of time of my childhood.

THE DINING HALL & BOARDING HOUSE

 The place where I grew up, the place where I made friends, where I learned,  where I was home sick.

My school, was just the same. Nothing had changed in the 49 years since I had left school.Strange isn't it? Actually it has grown, but I was only looking at what was and not at what is. 

MY JAMUN TREE

As I looked at the Jamun tree, I remembered running past it. As I walked towards the Boarding House, the infirmary, the dining hall, everything looked the same to me, the partitions in the Boarding House had been removed and it was now one big hall. 

MY ROOM ONCE UPON A TIME

I walked from one pillar to another and identified my room, Amita's room, Sunetra Bijapurkar's room, Kokila Patel's room, Neelima Roy, Jayashree Nair, so many of my friends were here.

All those girls who shared my childhood, came back to me.

Sadly I did not meet even a single girl of my class. Bina Jha had since died, Amita was away from the country. I didn't know where anyone else was.

Yet, meeting all my Facebook friends in person was something that was delightful. It was as though we had known each other forever. Aparna Lal Das, Upali Chowdhury, Tom from USA, Anita Prakash Tripathi from Jakarta, a lot of us from Delhi, Kolkata had gathered to meet each other face to face. 

THANK YOU SUNITA

 The reunion was an exceptionally memorable occasion. It was organized with a lot of love, care and affection. It was a home coming for all of us and Sunita Prasad was the mother hen who made sure that the experience would be unforgettable.

TEACHERS & PRINCIPALS

Past Principals, teachers had also been invited. It was a sight to see and experience the love, warmth and gratitude that the girls had for their teachers. The one's who made us what we are, the one's who imparted to us not only knowledge but also educated us about values in life, who enriched our childhood, and earned our gratitude for ever.

TEA & SNACKS

The menu was different for every meal, the tea and snacks were delicious, the evening programme was absolutely marvelous.Who would have thought that Sunita would actually arrange for us to have imli and childhood sweets!

The Girls of the school had put up a beautiful show. The teachers, organizers and the performers need to be thanked profusely. The show was Excellent, the themes were relevant. The teachers as well as some alumni were felicitated. It was a great moment for me when I was asked to give the Veteran's speech. 

HUM CHALE KANHERI HILL

The picnic at Kanheri Hill on the 20th October was another great experience. We sang, we danced, we ate and we were all school girls once again. Bulu Imam and Hoor Banu were from the earliest batch. Hoor passed out in 1958.

HOOR BANO-BACHPAN KE DIN

MASTI!

There was no formality, it was plain and simple bonding, loving and caring. Birds of the same feather did flock together. Irrespective of age, place, we were once again back in our school and therefore were simply school girls back in the safe and secure environment of our beloved school.

DELIGHTFUL

I will never forget the 19th and 20th of October 2013. These two days of my life took me back 49 years, to find that love, affection, belonging, remain within the heart. Distance does not affect it. Being there, meeting the girls from different years did not make a difference. After all we all had shared the same rooms, corridors, play ground,stairs and teachers. We had breathed in the same air , learnt at the same black board, were scolded at the same places. Oh there was so much in common with all these girls whom I was meeting for the first time.  We were all one, who shared the same experiences, pains, anxieties, fears, triumphs, hopes, of growing up in the same place. Our own home away from home.  We had shed tears, we had giggled, we had heart breaking fights, and shared all those happy moments of life which a person full of hope and carefree youth only can have.

At Kanheri Hill-FORMAL PHOTO.

Thank you Tom, Sunita, Sister Lini, Rupesh Gupta and everyone else behind the scenes who made these two days one of the most memorable days of my life.

BOYS & GIRLS OF THE SAME FEATHER