Days that were.. My 'Stewart' School-days.

"As time turns every canvas to rags,
Some things hold on while others fade.."

It's one of those times when you are cleaning up the house, or getting rid of old things, when suddenly something falls down from a diary.. or a notebook.. that catches your attention. You pick it, and as you see it you are transferred to a few years back- to a string of events connected with that memorabilia.

Stewart School, Bhubaneswar. The spark associated with these three words, have yet been and will ever remain, one of the most cherished. When I try to explain and understand the reasons – I realize, that there aren’t any that help to rationalize my feelings and yet there is this understated delight associated with the 7 years of schooling. Glorious indeed! I heard that the Silver Jubilee Celebrations comprised of pan Indian dance formats, Shakespearean plays, Science Exhibition and much more. Must have been another astounding show, but at least I had the privilege of being a part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations, where the teachers dancing and the fireworks stole my heart.

Here I am. The last years have gone in a jiffy. It is difficult to internalize that I am no longer a part of the school, involved in multifarious activities including innocent pranks and teenage mischief. Well, people would argue that I had never participated in, or been in most of the activities. But that doesn't take from me the pride of being a Stewartonian, does it? Hell I have seen a lot of things too, enough for little boasting in front of others and writing a whole post!

What is it that gives joy? The lasting and dependable friendships. The unending stories of bunking and bantering. The great teachers- who have made what we are. The bus & cycle rides. The building and the playgrounds where we have spent a significant time of our lives. The mango trees which have given not only mangoes but shelter many a time. The jamun berries which have stained many a shirt. The acacia trees with full yellow blooms or the bright flaming red gulmohars which were a delight to watch. Its each one of the above and each as important as the other.

The getting-drenched-while-returning-to-home rainy days, the football-playing sunny days, getting late to school and standing outside for permission, a big crowd waiting to eat the 50-paise samosa, friends getting upset and mending things up the next day, boys trying to spend little time with girls in front of a small stationery store, trying to bunk the pt class during hot summers, fighting for the seat, sharing of a tiffin, hiding from the teacher if we had not completed the homework, and all those things made up for the memorable tryst.

How can I forget those days in the physics lab.. suffering from the error made by the meter bridge. I remember that how boys tried to be paired with girls they liked. Also the chemistry lab from where a chemist inside me was born. I have that apron which is filled with stains of the chemicals. How will I get away from the memories I had when I touched the cockroach with my bare hands in the biology lab. Flirting(courteously) with girls, talking about them, singing songs to them, eating lunch with them, all of these have provided me some wonderful memories.

I'm sure most of us would remember how hilariously time was spent during the tutions. We had the English tution, Maths tution, Oriya tution, and the Physics tution. Who would forget the Literature classes we had with Huckleberry Finn, Anand Math, Sherlock Holmes, Brutus and Caesar, and Prospero and Miranda? And I deeply enjoyed the Maths, Language and Geography classes where we competed with each other to show who finished the class-work first. How will I get recovered from the beautiful walk with pretty close friends during the lunch breaks and everyday after classes were over?

A small note about the ever-lasting friendships here. I know that without mention some of you would've already guessed my best friends out there. But, yeah, and I admit.. there have been some very meaningful and unforgettable moments in my friendships. And I ain't gonna forget anybody due to any damn reason. I still remember the bike rides, the activa rides, the cycle rides in the rain, the time spent in State Library searching stuff for projects, the big picnics- at Kapilash, Chilika, and Chandikhol; and.. and there are a lot of personal moments which are priceless but I'd better pass on to other things.

The Stewart School we have known has stood for freedom and ample mental space to grow as an individual, ready to face the world, take the plunge and come out with myriad of colurs. Thanks and kudos to the most adorable and able teachers; and the ICSE curriculum [many of us still play the ICSE vs. CBSE game with friends- and will do so till the end of time. One of those mischievous insularities which give us a sense of connectedness and ‘irrational’ pride]. We were jack of most things and sowed the seeds to be master of some- bindass friendships where friends take up where they left few years back without a flutter of doubt when they meet an old friend. The perfect potion for an endearing delight. One could write a dramatized and well garnished note worth some pages on each of the above experiences which have made Stewart School, Bhubaneswar a glorious place. The reasons why every Stewartonian carries with her/him a conviction that her/his school days have been the best, is, well, I think you must have understood the understated passion.

Note: I was tempted to put a few pictures here but, well, hope it may suit some other time! The post's too big and I guess reading-time doesn't provide money to people, so..
Time to sign off, then!