Our new section was different from the previous section, our school's second main gate was near to the common assembly ground and a small shop was there near to our assembly ground and during our luch break we used to buy pens, sip-up, chokichoki & snickers ( a chocolate). Since we had the public school ground all festivals and programs were used to held at our school ground. Between the shop and our common assembly ground there was a small road, that was my way to my house, and I had to cross a railway track which was partially buried in sand and one of our neighbor used to tie cows there, I used to scare to my death whenever I see a cow but having encouter with them everyday helped me to overcome my fear toward cows a little bit.
We had common assemblies on 2 days in a week or during some special events. All the students from the three section would gather there with their representative flag - blue, green, yellow and red. I think mine was green and we had different house names for 4 houses and differnt houses were assigned different activities - Assembly, cleaning, discipline and mid-daymeals.
Our school would starts from 10:00 am in the morning and we had to report before 9:50 am, and if we were on the assembly team then we had to report 15 minutes earlier, if we are on the cleaning team then we had to report at 9:30 am.
After the second bell rang and after taking attendance, we would have house assembly or class assembly, and our class assembly was held inside our school, we had a square ground in the middle of our section, according to our houses we students would assemble around the square ground. Our school days would starts with national anthem and ends with national anthem, we would take our pledge during the morning assembly. Our section had 3 grades - 8th,9th and 10th, the 10th students were seniors in our section. As I said earlier, lunch was provided from the school, so there wasn't need to carry any tiffin and it was strictly prohibited to carry any eating items, scissors, metal scale, stickers, bublegum and money with us. Our lunch break would starts at 12:45 am, we can eat the lunch from our school or from home. But it was compulsory to have lunch from school, but who gonna hear that?!.
We were allowed to go back to our home and change books during the afternoon-break. We had two sections - before noon and after noon, 4 periods in each section and and we used to bring only 4 period book in the afternoon section, we would go to our houses during the lunch time and change our time table to afternoon section. Sometimes I even accidentally bring the wrong period books and get scolded by my teachers, to escape from that we share our books with each other.
The afternoon section was a lazy one, especially if the first period was maths or physics. Sometimes at school we would have chicken biriyani, omg! that push and rush in front of our school mess hall.. so it was really hard to attent classes after having a great lunch. Our afternoon section start at 2:00 p.m and our school dismiss at 4:30 pm, we stayed back at our school for house activities along with our teachers. Now remembering about those school days...bell ringing sounds, the rush in front of the shop to buy sip-ups, the loud noise, bicycle bell sounds... when thinks about those days it gives me some nostalgia, eventhough things were not pretty good at that time, but it is good enough to remember.
In my day at senior secondary section, my mom came with me and had a clear look at my new class and classmates and she met my all subject teachers and reminded me to buy all teacher's phone numbers.
When I was in 8th standard, my friendship with Una was very good we were best buddies, so I used to reserve the seat near to me for her.
I was someone who wanted division 'A' badly, so before giving back my T.C I told my father that I wanted to get 'division A',so he talked with my teachers and as I wished I got division A, so surely (probably) I would get division A until 10th class because, what division we chose it will be be our division until 10th class until we change the medium.
The first day was a comedy one, it was clearly written 'Div:A' on the door but it wasn't 'division A' and I think... after wandering about half an hour in the varandha, a sir came and told me that the last class in the 3rd right end class is 'division A', so I quickly went there fearing if I lose my attendance but then an another sir came and told me that it's not division A and changed me to an another class, in that class some new students from other schools were there, as I said earlier, I won't talk to anybody unless and until someone starts the conversation with me, they asked some basic questions to me like my name, parents name, from I am from etc. I was someone who obsessed with front bench first seat so I sat on the front bench, after a 30 minutes and someone came and told me my class is next to that class that I was in. Should I tell you how I felt that time? honestly I was pissed off and somehow I managed myself to control myanger, sice I had many 'class transferring' experience earlier, I hesitated to go first but after seeing the 'division A' board I went to my real class. I think the staff rearranged the class board so that students won't wander in the varandha looking for their class. I really wanna thank him/her for saving me!!.
When we passed to 8th class, we got many new friends and many of our classmates went to other islands among them Zarih and Liahus went to their own island and Beenum, Afirhsaht,Unnop went to other classes, many new students from Girls school also came to our school, because our school was Senior secondary school and their was Girls senior secondary school, so boys weren't allowed to study after 7th, boys had to change their school after 7th class and many have to leave their lovers, friends, mates in their old school.
As days pass many new students came , among them a new student came from my Island - Kiltan - his name was Rahsab, and that was my first classmate from the same Island and so casually he asked about my house address and all. In my class majority of the students were from Kavaratti and from Kalpeni Island and only 3 or 5 students were from other Islands.
At first me and Una sat together, and we were teachers focusing point in the class, coz we talked to much during our lessons, but they would just slide it because we studied very well. We were like siamese twins like wherever she is there is me, if there is any group competition - we used to be in the same group, and she always chose me for her bench-mate and house mate.
I still remember my 8th class teacher, she was so cute she took us Hindi and she was so sincere with her profession and she was so friendly with us students she was also from kalpeni Island. She is one of my favorite teachers.
When I was studying in Madrasa in Amini Island, there was a news spreading all over the island and between students, that a child has lost her both parents while swimming in the sea, as a news, many false news were also spreading that name, none of us clearly know what was actually happened. I still remember my mother cried so hard for nights thinking about that child, and she told me that she was same age as me and she also told me that the most tragedy that could happen to a child is losing its parents while they live.
When I was in 6th grade, the child who lost her parents in the sea was there in our school, but we weren't in the same class, she was in 'div B' and I was in 'Div A'. First she stayed with her mother's elder sister and later changed to her other relatives house, her relative was a teacher and they were our neighbors, their house was close to the school may be that was the reason she changed to their house. When my mother heard 'that child' were there she forcefully dragged me to theri house to meet her, when my mom saw her, she hugged and cried and even she kissed her many times on head and cheek. I can surely say that 'that child' must be shocked. What will be your reaction when someone came to your house and cry and hug you? If that was me.... then I don't know what would have happen to me. My mom forced me to talk to her, and ask me to get along with her and as a start up, she asked my name and I replied: "Aneela" in a calm and friendly voice. And she told me her name was Ansa. As soon after Ansa asked my name she gave me a diary milk silk large pack, since I was a chocolate lover I was so happy and thankful to her so that I smiled briefly that my 28 teeth could be cleary seen. After we came back home my mom cried a lot thinking about the tragedy that Ansa had to go through at a small age. When she lost her parents, I think she was only 9 or 10 years old, and seeing her own parents drowning in front of her eyes.....who can bear that?! she had to change her occupation from one house to other house, honestly if saying, she had a great personality and she got great family that everyone around her supported and cheered her to come out from the trauma. And sometimes I used to go to her house and we studied together she was very friendly and she smiled very brodly. Honestly, sometimes I even get jealous, because my mom being cared so much about her, but it's 'okay' since it's a nature of a mother to care about all children like her own. My mom cried and prayed for her every day and constantly asked me to support her and be with her everytime and not to hurt her in any case.
She had went back to her own Island to study 7th grade and after completing 7th there she came back to Kavaratti to study 8th class.
Yes!, Ansa came back to kavaratti to study 8th grade, she was in my same class, but actually she wanted to be in division B since she had many friends there, but Amlisa was in my class, so Ansa decided to be in division A. They were childhood friends and they studied together and they are coming from the same Island, so she was more friendly with her more than with anyone and they used to come and go to school together.
As I said earlier, me, Una and Amlisa was not in a good term and now the girl, whom my mom asked me to be good and don't break the friendship, knowing her was our enemies best friend, how I can act like a good friend to our enemy who put us in many troubles.
what will you have done if you are in my situation? like you can neither break the promise with your mother nor to act like a good friend to your enemy who had put you in many troubles?