As I entered my classroom which was class 1-A. I was pleased by the organized arrangement of the single-seater seats. The atmosphere was serene, and the whiteboard at the front wall was clean and unblemished. Most of my fellow students had already arrived, and I felt relieved that I was not late on my first day of school.
Taking a seat in the second row, next to the window, I had no books or copy with me, and I was uncertain how the class would proceed. While I was pondering over this, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was one of my classmates who spoke with a childish accent.
"Do you know what we will be taught on the first day of school?" he inquired.
"How would I know?" I replied, smiling.
"I'm Julius Octavius. What's your name?" he asked.
"My name is Nirmay Saraswatula," I responded.
"Wow, you are of Sanskrit lineage. You are the first Sanskrit descendant I know," Julius said, sounding surprised.
"Are people of Sanskrit lineage rare or something?" I asked, slightly curious.
"Of course they ar.., you people are rare. I bet some students here don't even know what Sanskrit is," he responded.
A girl sitting next to me joined in the conversation, "You are of Sanskrit lineage?" she asked, sounding surprised.
I nodded in affirmation, and just then, our teacher entered the classroom. The class was full, with a total of 40 students.
Our teacher, a woman in her early thirties, had an amicable disposition and a warm smile on her face. She instructed us to sit down and maintain quiet. We obeyed obediently and quietly sat down.
"Good morning, students," she greeted us with a smile, and we responded in unison.
"Today is of great significance to you and me as well. Why don't we start our class with a short introduction from everyone? I will start first. I am Daphne Kouros. I like eating sweets and traveling," she said.
The introductions began, starting from the first seat close to the door. The girl sitting next to me introduced herself as Leela Bhattacharya, revealing that she likes singing and listening to stories.
When it was my turn, I stood up and introduced myself, stating that I like reading and would love to travel if given the opportunity.
The introduction continued, with each student revealing something unique about themselves. Finally, our teacher nodded as the last student sat down.
"Now that introductions are finished, I will now announce what you will be learning this year," she said, catching our attention.
She informed us that there would be only two subjects in the first year: Maths and Geography, with classes running for two hours each. She would be teaching Maths, and she opened the Maths book to the first page, beginning the lesson on the number system.
I was curious why only those 2 subjects were taught but kept quiet.
The class ended with our teacher assigning some homework, and as we left the classroom, I began chatting with my new friends Julius and Leela.
"Are you also of Sanskrit lineage, Leela?" I inquired.
"Yes, my father is of Sanskrit lineage, and my mother is of Celtic lineage," she replied.
" Are you fully Latin, Julius?" I asked.
Julius asked me, "How did you know that I am Latin? Do you know the Latin language?"
"Yes, I learned many languages from my father," I replied, surprising both Leela and Julius.
" Yes, both my parents are of Latin lineage." Julius replied.
We chatted for a while before our Geography teacher arrived, beginning our second class of the day.
After school, as I walked out with Julius and Leela, I asked how they would be getting home.
"I'll be taking the metro," Julius replied.
"My mother will come to pick me up," Leela," Want a lift?"
"No, my house is near, I would be walking home with my sister."
We bid farewell to each other and went on our way.
My sister was waiting for me at the entrance.
"So,how was your first day at school?" my sister asked as we walked home hand in hand.
"It was great!" I replied with a smile. "I made some new friends and the classes were easy to understand."
Later that evening, at the dinner table, my mother asked, "So, how was your day, Nirmay? Did you enjoy your classes?"
"I did, Mom," I replied. "I liked my teachers, and I even made two new friends, Julius and Leela."
"New friends already? That's wonderful," my father said with a smile. "What are they like?"
"They're both really nice, and Julius told me that I and Leela were the only ones of Sanskrit lineage he knew," I said.
"That's true," my mother confirmed. "Not many people of Sanskrit lineage are remaining now."
As we finished our dinner, my father suddenly said, "Oh, Nirmay, we have a surprise for you."
After finishing our dinner, my parents called me to the living room. As I entered the room, I noticed that my father was holding a beautifully wrapped box with a futuristic watch picture on it. The model was called Bhavisya, and it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.
My heart raced with excitement as I couldn't wait to see what was inside the box. I carefully unwrapped it and opened the lid, revealing a gleaming, state-of-the-art watch. The watch had a sleek design, with a metallic strap that felt cool and smooth to the touch. Its interface displayed all sorts of data, including the time, weather, and my heart rate. This was the holographic watch I saw my parents and my sister using.
I was really happy to get the watch. Finally, something to mitigate my boredom. I couldn't thank my parents enough for this gift. "Thank you , Mom and Dad," I said expressing my happiness.
My father smiled and said, "We thought it would be a perfect gift for your first day of school. This watch will not only help you keep track of time, but it will also assist you in managing your schedule and tasks."
I hugged my parents and promised to take good care of my new watch. As I went to bed that night, I couldn't help but feel fortunate for such loving and caring parents.