November 20, 2013

36 Clicks

Remember the times when a camera phone in every hand, rather a phone in every hand was a rare sight. When you never thought of pointing the camera towards your own face and taking a selfie. When photography was left to photographers and to special occasions. When each of those 36 clicks were made to count. When each of those 36 clicks wouldn't guarantee you a FB profile pic, but surely a ton of memories.

Last weekend, as the 125th year reunion of Oak Grove School concluded, four of the hell boys (as we called ourselves back in school) set rolling our own train of memories. So much had changed, yet so little had changed. 
I usually find myself getting annoyed by over-worship of the school that some of my school mates so frequently indulge in. Not that I am not grateful to the institution where I completed better part of my education for a meagre 18k per annum (thank you Indian Railways!) and that too in a place like Mussoorie, but then if you know what I mean, you know if I said it, I will be killed. :P

Once I left after class 10th boards, I had never gone back...until last friday night. We were there, in spirit (or maybe it was the 'spirits' we gulped :D ). The 'spirits' put you out, but that night they couldn't - the memory-yarn was woven on and on until the sun was up. 
Back at my place I found myself recollecting those tales, more so, looking through various albums of my (sometimes annoying) school worshiping friends. Best of the moments in past had passed sans flashes of a camera, but whatever got captured tickles one memoir after another. 
Here I attempt to compile 36 of them. (36 being my cognizance to the dear old pre mega-pixel era camera rolls ).

The People...
Especially the 30 in the bunch, from April 21, 1999 to March 28, 2007.

1. Blankets in the classroom
2. Blazers, mufflers and overcoats
3. Party in the class
4. Farewell clicks
5. The one with the mad scientist (now the rocket scientist)
6. Of seniors and juniors
The Place...
The oaks, the mountains.

7. Misty mountain (very) cold
8. 'Kann bhala lag da sadkiyo ka ghum ji' <Garhwali for 'I love the twisting roads>
9. The cliff 
10. The Oaks
11. Clouds below Sun above
The Games...
Inter house rivalries, Inter-school clean sweeps, of the ball and the goal.

12. Batman and Robin <800m start line up>
13. The sweet victory (and the relay cake)
14. Like the spartans :P
15. So who came third? 
16. Tonite we shall dine in hell (and celebrate the goal in opponents' side :D )
17. To Alok, forever in our memories.
The Song and Dance...
Of a band called blue-alibi :P  ; and of themed dances.

18. When the camera flashes, dont forget to smile!
19. The blue alibi
20. Tribal dance
21. Since we woke up the mummy, lets dance :D
The school and unwritten rules...
Of each day that passed.

22. Remember the TID-BITS
23. Junior school dormitory - you could lose your bed!
24. Boys' School corridor
25. The valley
26. Junior school classroom
27. Front pitch
28. The pathway
Beyond the bounds...
The bunks to the places forbidden.

29. Ganji pahadi (bald mountain - literally)
30. Rolling on the top (instead of the deep for a change :D )
31.  Jharipani falls
32. And you thought I was kidding when I said my school had its own waterfall.
And everything else...
And everything else.

33. When it snowed
34. Snow-balling
35. Steal a ride
36. And the ever around langoors
***************************************************************************
Rights to exaggeration and bragging reserved.
Its not how it happened; its how you remember it.
No characterisation intended.
Data and information may have been skewed to suit the storyline.
Everything is relative to your perspective.


No comments:

Post a Comment

pop a bubble.