Relive the years………….

~ Varun Ahuja

Couldn’t have asked Santa for a better gift. Meeting with friends after 25 long years. Some in between, but having to spend a weekend of fun amidst them…… couldn’t have asked for more.

The run up to this mega-event was as much fun. Meetings with Kirti, Arjun, Maheep, Ashwani, Vasudhara, Hans, Rohit, Gaurav and my dear friend Amarjit at regular intervals; scheduling jobs; assigning responsibilities and the having a party every time we met.

Calling friends who I hadn’t spoken to in years, hearing from those who I thought had forgotten I existed. The highs of getting confirmations and the lows of cancellations; the smiles that came with every batch of photographs I received; the wonderful memories that I relived with every article for Sandesh 2009 that was emailed to me; the database of MHS 84 alumni that was compiled and going thru the names and write-ups in the Sandesh 1984; speaking to our teachers and confirming their attendance at “assembly” on the 27^th; the visit to school to take photographs required for the stage backdrops; all of and this write up that I pen down even now. Every bit of made me relive the years at MHS.

My mom had a single-minded desire to put me into Modern. Her persistence with Mr. MN Kapur finally gave this 10 year toddler from Tiny-Tots in grade 3, admission to P4 in Modern, with a pre-condition that I would have to go to Vasant Vihar for one year before I would get in Humayun Road. So VV it was. From Khan Market to VV when Junior School was a five minute walk. Mr. Kapur probably thought my mom would refuse. But mom was MOM. Thank you Mom.

P5 in Junior School Humayun Road, is where I made some very dear friends. Memories of Hand-cricket using balls made of handkerchiefs or Silver foils from Manu Rewals tiffin (silver foils were unheard/unseen in those times); horse riding on Shankar, Kali, Tatto… with Jawahar (now JJD to most - I wonder, if seeing me today, many would believe that the horses lived another day); my ballet with the lead role of Ganesha directed by Mr. Narendra Sharma ( I can still remember that very peculiar but pleasing smell he had – coming from his tobacco – I now presume); the line ups in the Auditorium – Housewise; the break-time when we had to share a bottle of DMS milk; the doctors’ letter that gave us the option to get 4 glucose biscuits instead ( I now seem to understand Kirti’s fancy for Parle G ); queuing up to go up and down the stairs; Ms. Geeta Dudeja; Ms. Anita Khurana; Mrs. Sahai; Mrs. Sachdeva; Mr. Seth; Mrs. Bakshi; Mr. Pahuja; Mrs. Khullar;  the memories are endless once you open the window to yester-years. Not to miss….. Ajat Shatru Singh….

Senior school was like going to college for most kids. Even more, since Mr. Kapur retired the year we got into Barakhamba Road. Mr. Mehndiratta (Moola to most of us), the man with photographic memory was acting principle. I still cant figure out if Moola or CKC had a heavier hand.  A year later Mr. PC Chaudhary took over. We had a ball. In two years the docile disciplined toddlers from P5 were now bunking Juggis class in S3; mass bunk. We had balls! And she had us by them the very next day. “S3A to please get up and report to Mr. Chauhan in the field”. These words of Moola on a winter morning at assembly still rings loud and clear.  Frog jumps from one side of the hockey field to the other and back. And that was only the beginning. Even S7 does not mess with Mrs. Joginder Singh. Well we earned a medal for life; even if at the cost of some very tired, bruised and aching hands and legs, thanks to her sit-ups with hands held high.

The games we played, wall tennis (wanting to be first, second or last in the queue of 20 something lined up), hand cricket with under-arm or over-arm bowling, tennis-ball football in the balcony of S5A-S5B played at break-time (the only  time one wished to be wearing black army boots); SWISH on the basket ball courts, King and Queen at the famed Banyan Tree (anytime we had a free period); endless….endless…..

The things we did; time bombs with incense sticks on the Assembly stage; Vikas Verma “hypnotising” Anya and Vandana under the Banyan Tree and Vikram Chopra being stupid enough to laugh out loud within striking distance of Anya’s strong basketball trained leg. Naming Ms. Raksha Bhandari aka Rocky. The MPC club formed by the likes of Rohit Dagar. The water canons at the drinking hole that left most of with wet shorts and trousers. The furniture breaking spree in S7 when most of SS block resembled war-zone and our parents understood why a security amount was maintained by the school was never refunded.

I could go on forever, but for the twice-extended deadline in completing this piece and preparing the master CD to be duplicated for all you wonderful people who have hade this re-union one more memory to rejoice for a lifetime, and for all those who have not been able to make it here this time – reason enough not to ever miss such an opportunity again.

This issue of the Sandesh has seen light thanks to the contributions to this Sandesh from Alpana Kishore, Aditi Sahai, Kunal Sethi, Ranjan Bhagat, Vikram Jamalabad, Ajay Chowdhary, Anu Dang, Gaurav Suri, Gaurav Bhatnagar, Punya Mishra, Aditya Seth, Poonam Madan, Mohan Sikka.  Photographs from  Anya Malhotra, Chanda Narang, Manoj Gupta, Shruti Aggarwal Gupta, Dhano Ashok Harshwardhan, Sanjay Gupta, Kunal Sethi will help us enjoy these memories forever. Thank you all.

A very special thanks to Manisha, though not from Modern but who, I’m sure feels like one by now. Had it not been for her this event would not be what it is to be. Thank you again Manisha. Any thank you Arjun for doing us this good deed.

To the “Class of 84.” Hip Hip………