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By Sadaf Fayyaz
The first day at high school starts when I went to appear in an entrance test.
declined the idea of joining an armed forces high school, since the vicinity
and campus seemed quite moist, hot and damp. I had a plan to join Kinnaird
College, but soon my mother informed me...” Sadaf! The building is quite
old, but they have constructed a new mini campus for High school
Kinnaird building is even older than this one, why do you want to
study there?”. The logic was so accurate, I had to succumb. She took a
Somehow, after clearing the entrance test, I was alarmed by my family that
the Principal was a very strict administrator, “You better cut your long
days (was waiting for tailor to stitch my uniform…). The first day was pretty
boring and suffocating for me. The class teacher, instead of welcoming a
neophyte to his royal court, raised his eye-brow and asked coldly, ”Why
have you joined so late?” I told him that I was waiting for my uniform to
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That very moment, I got a very fair idea that he would be criticizing me
afterwards.
delivering strategies. His paranoid attitude added fuel to the fire, turning
studies and physics sessions. Linguistics has always been very enthralling for
instructors were really bravura and proficient. They had their own style of
coaching. I never got irked during language sessions. I really enjoyed those
splendid sessions.
Things remained unbothered for about a month or two. The same routine
classes and home work as well. Some associates started exhibiting their
skills and expertise. Our class teacher always tried to act as a rescue
to technical skills, but some highly inter-personal skills like, (how to propose
a girl, how to approach her/his best friend to get close to her, how to spy
some affairs going on, how to get into interrogations, how to put allegations,
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etc.) I classify such traits as skills because very few people specialize in
these.
Things started getting chirpy, and at the same time, a bit political. At times I
somewhat more intelligent than CSI series. The strategy involved questioning
I kept enjoying my life at high school for the first academic year. Always
been a book-worm and inclined towards studies, rumors and tricky talks
seemed superficial to me. The Indian schools milieu was a lot diverse from
the one being there. I found little focus of natives on learning and education.
The spotlight used to be some hot affairs, allegations and likes. The
discussion and question answer sessions were fanatical limelight for me.
Days kept passing by, and Mid-term examinations approached. I was a bit
uncomfortable with some of the instructors. The marking was internal which
made me even scarier. Exams started during Ramadan, and continued for a
week. I found them fairly hard because after having studied at Indian
schools, the education system and question paper type were utterly alien for
me. I expected a very horrific end result and complained to my mom, ”What
kind of questions are these that we are asked to write long big notes, and
filling answer sheets to get marks, can’t we be asked to write some short,
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meaningful and precise answers?”…. she replied with a sigh,”You need to
little for the prototype exams and preserving energy for the final ones. Most
of us managed to do well.
We had been planning a trip to Head Marala or Head Khanki for a long time.
very early and reached college on time. Almost girls brought their make-over
kits and food items. We decided one day earlier what item to bring. I decided
to bring chocolates since I didn’t know any cooking or baking at that time.
Others brought home-made cakes, cookies, chips and cold drinks. Some of
the instructors accompanied us. All the day along, we kept singing new
There is a certain catastrophe that happened one week before the trip. I was
likeliness for me. I chuckled and never believed it, as I was pretty intellectual
kind, and artistic-minded. But when I came to believe the rumors were true, I
started getting annoyed. “Is that true, whatever you are saying?” I
thank God, she didn’t hear them. That really ruined my aesthetic sense and
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utopia. Though I have always been respected by my course fellows, siblings
has her own set of talent, skill and brain power, just praising her for some
The trip went amazing, with funny and goofy activities, which I would
mention of. We planned to take Jhoolas (swings). A friend of mine was a bit
healthy, the swing owners seemed a bit reluctant to offer her swings, but
the idea. We had food together. The curry was served in jumbo sized steel
guess, you don’t need a plate, you can eat in this big Tabaq.” She felt
We started back at around 6 pm. All were a bit drowsy and tired but still in
high spirits. Something bitter happened again, some girls complained about
the bus conductor staring wildly at them. I straightaway went to him and
asked him,”Chacha! What is the problem? These are college girls, not
film stars or celebrities, why don’t you change your seat and listen
to some nice songs? I hope you would enjoy them.” He silently moved
Unfortunately the CSI series started again in the return trip. That was
very tired and exhausted. Snowy missed me a lot, as he didn’t see me for
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the entire day, barked a lot at me and expressed his deep annoyance. “He
hasn’t eaten anything, why don’t you give him some food”, mom
said. Though I was exhausted, I gave him some biscuits and little meat,
The other day, very few out of us were able to attend the college. Normal
studies instigated again, and we started waiting for the final terms now. Days
was meagerly enjoyable since the weather had changed and became a bit
hot by the time. Secondly, the college authorities didn’t allow much liberty of
funny song on Principal’s son “Papa Kehte Hain bada kaam karega,
Beta hamara badnaam karega”, it was condemned a lot and most of the
teachers walked out in a fury. I remember a fat boy even cracking joke me
on the function day, “Hey, I am first time seeing you without glasses,
can you see without them, because you have not come to the
college even a single day without them?” I had to explain it to him that
it was not all difficult for me to see fat people even without glasses. He
walked away quietly. I shouldn’t have jeered him so badly, I felt bad
Final terms came and some very tough study days too. Papers usually
papers and result came around middle of July. We moved to Islamabad after
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my high school. My father was given a new assignment and we all got very
I still love those exquisite and exotic moments of my life. Those moments