Return of the Jedi (Revenge of the Sith?)

My friend Shyam had called me asked whether we could go to our school. To meet our teachers before we ended up getting on jobs with no real hope of free time. He had to leave for his company next week and probably today was the only available day for him. I agreed and another friend Rakesh also agreed to come. I skipped my Lab hours and Shyam picked me up from class. His mother was driving and she dropped us at LIC. We walked to the school and waited for Rakesh.
Sensing he would be late, we decided to get some drinks and went to the cool bar. Have not been here in a long time.
Finally went up the school. Profound changes to say the least. Most of the old buildings were demolished.
Earlier on the classes used to in different blocks, spread across the campus. Now its one huge building where all classes are held.
Saw the old Guard. He said he knew us but we had to permission to meet teachers during class time and told us to get it from the Principal. He was very good natured as he always was. No change there!
Now the hardest part.
Our Principal is the strongest lady I have met in my life. I still get shivers thinking of being in her room. Ominous...and her cold stare...the mere presence of her ensured a sense of discipline in the students. Though, she lacked in several areas, she was a good Principal.
Unfortunately, she has been bedridden due to some medical issues. It is said she cannot even sit up. A really hard thing, when you consider she is probably in the later part of her middle years. Now its her second daughter in charge. She is considered to be a she-devil.
We had to wait for a while and saw that the PA was still there. A new lady PA too...
The office is changed. The old Yoga Mandir gone. The class block converted to Principal's office...Hmmm...it used to be here a long long time back...But still the old one was better...I could vision Principal standing on the doorstep and glancing at the school from atop. Like Queen looking at her subjects...

Anyway...we met a couple of teachers...they recognised us and were quite happy to see us. We went in to meet the Principal. She seemed out of place. A pretty big shoes to fill I guess. Got our pass and we were good to go!
Our +2 classes had been converted to lab exclusive building. Memories of dreaded, hazy, desperate years came to me. How much have I changed from then? Probably a lot...
The Bharathamatha statue is still there. The ground is smaller now. The huge block stared at us.

We didn't know where to start at first. Roamed around and decided to go to the +2 section. Probably they would remember us!
As we climbed the stairs, the bell rang for the short interval. For the first time in so many years, I heard the stampede! kids running out of the class on to the ground or to the loo. Was really, really happy to hear that...These are sounds you don't expect to hear in your life again!

Saw the teachers...many of them...some where reluctant to speak until we showed the pass. I guess many of them are scared and resentment is there against the new rules.
Saw some dance practice going on in the new auditorium...That is pretty cool...I meant the auditorium, not the girls who were dancing! :D
Saw my cousin sitting in the class. Hmmm...these kids are too quite!

The building is a pain in the ass to navigate...after seeing a lot of teachers...those who taught us in 1st to 12th...we were thoroughly confused where to go and where we would end up...finally we got into a faniliar territory after passing through a pretty cool iron bridge connecting the buildings...our old 3rd standard! Seemed to be very much olden days...
We used to stare down from the 3rd floor on to the ground...the milma van would be parked...we would have no money...all of us would imagine having an invisible straw with which we would suck up all the icecream and drink. :)

Met our old PT sir as well. He has been here for long now...

Went to the library to see the library staff (we call them teachers). One of them was my aayah in the kindergarten and knows me very well. Our 12th standard class teacher was also there. They were telling how good we people are as we try to come atleast once in a blue moon. The new gen gives a damn and has very little attachment to the school.
I was pained to learn that a big shot guy who got the first rank in entrance didn't visit the lower class teachers or the library staff when he visited the school to get his felicitation. I think he is a total Arya product. Never forget your roots...

Our teacher was reminiscing our class days...
According to her "I don't know whether you people learned chemistry. But I certainly learned malayalam!"
We were a band of rapscallions...total anarchists...the worst class in the history...
The problem...a total guy class.
Another one...all the 'elements' in the same class (Me not included! :P)
Though she hated our guts and our attitude...we actually had a good relationship...
Imagine a boys class winning trophy for cleanliness...We sweeped in the breaks...we cleaned the fans...put up stuff on the walls...
Won it straight for several weeks...

She ended by saying that though we were bad...we were good...todays kids are plain mechanical...no material...no substance...just the drive for entrance...nothing else...

So you can relate to the Return of the Jedi part in the titel. Then, why revenge of the Sith???
:D
Arya had a strange co-ed system...different stairs for guys and girls...we hated it then...I hate it now...In the new building there is a new ramp build exclusively for girls. Its cool to walk there...but totally unnecessary...I decided that for once I am going to walk there with head held up high (used to sneak and enter through the ladyway when we were still there!) Break the rule in plain sight...I got the excuse that i didn't know about it.
Syam was very reluctant. The same old goodie two shoes. I virtually dragged him to the ramp. Rakesh was busy on his phone and so he had no clue and simply followed me. Syam was shaking I guess. Some of the girls were staring at us with some fright I guess. Some new teachers staring at us dissaprovingly, but none of them dared to question.
Finally, the Sith had his revenge! :P