#பள்ளிப்பிராயத்திலே

Taming our own  dragon.

     Appa is some where on the border with China while Amma and we four children are here in Chennai(Madras). We have just shifted to our own house at Ashok Nagar.

      The year is 1965 -66 . Appa has good news for us . He has been given a peace posting at Bikaner and we would all be together. Only fly in the ointment is that we would have to learn Hindi before going there. The elder two of us are admitted in a Hindi class at Moosa sait street TNagar.  One lady taking tuitions at home. My school is in Pondy  Bazaar so I get on 12 no. Bus to the bus stand. My elder brother studies at Santhome . I don’t know his logistics. Anyway he was always bus route savvy.

             Going home from class we would walk via Madleys Road,  crossing the railway gate. Then Route 49 was introduced just for us from TNagar to Pillar.  This post is however not about how  clever we were with buses.

                We had learnt the Hindi alphabets at that class , then we were on to reading some elementary books when one day the lumpen  elements discovered the tuition centre. (No we were not talking in chaste Hindi when we were going out, so that was not how they found us )We were told to keep our heads down . ( we were on the terrace) . The teacher returned to tell us that was that. No more Hindi classes. Naturally she wanted to keep her home and body intact. Full of glee we rushed home.

                We however reckoned without our Appa. Beginning of Summer holidays saw us at Bikaner. We are invaded by tutors,  Morning evening and night. We are switching to CBSE . Already we have missed 1 to 2 years of third language and all years of the second language.  Here maths would be tougher. So it is Maths , Hindi and Sanskrit classes .The house is like a battlefield. We try many tricks on the teachers but nothing deters them,  they are more in awe of Appa than of us. 

                School begins , my youngest brother and I are lucky we get into Sophia’s , the other two take a beating. KV in full Hindi mode , though on paper it says English medium school.

                  We with our snooty English rub so many the wrong way. One of them is my Hindi teacher. I find my test answer sheet on the school notice board. Each and every line is marked in red. Ready to sink into the floor after all that posturing. . The boys don’t fare any better.Slowly  we pick up marks . By year end we are in a better place mark wise and even boast class first in some subjects. Appa however has had enough of signing poor report cards. 

                Recruitments are on for BSF in the Shillong area so he applies for deputation. More action on the front there he tells us.

                Shillong is a different cup of tea altogether. You are welcome to use your most posh English accent. Hindi is just a second language and then Sanskrit  is just basics , who’s afraid of Sanskrit. We are in our element. The dragon loses its fire and we are free.

                  Bikaner may have been a struggle academically but life there was just fantastic. We hold so many dear memories from that period.