School was when...

1. The time that mattered was between classes and during intervals. The rest of the day was but breaks between intervals.

2. Home was second home.

3. The ‘lunch break’ was an hour of play and a minute of lunch. For, dumping lunch never took time.

4. Matters of grave worry were to lose out on a game of wrestlers’ trump cards, or to have a ‘Games Hour’ washed out by rain.

5. If your neighbour scores more than you, change... the neighbour!

6. The topper in class was not quite extra-curricular. And the all-rounder of the class wasn’t as much studious. You placed yourself in a complacent, convenient and content mid-point. And then conveyed the message in its entirety to your parents.

7. Waiting for ‘other school buses’ to arrive was to take attendance of teachers before they took ours, so that the Class Leader may be prodded to place a request for an extra Games Hour.

8. There never was a greater hero than the Class Leader, when the above request was approved. Three-scores of students rushed out to the grounds in sheer joy, all praises for their Leader!

9. Rs. 10 (Canteen allowance - once in a term, thrice in a year, rather) could buy:

· A cream bun, with a more-than-generous filling of sweetened cream

· Ice-cream soda, chilled.

· A vegetable puff.

· A vintage Cadbury’s lollypop.

· One more of it.

· Rs. 1.50 (you would be chock full by now, to spend this on more food)

o This is when your classmate observed from the distance, and ran over to remind you as to how he saved your ass in the Science Class by sharing his textbook.

o And in another instance, by donating his set of sketch pens.

o Spent...

10. Stolen waters were sweet and bread eaten in secret was pleasant.

11. Facebook was then known as the "school bus". That's where we "added friends", "poked", "liked" and played better games than building virtual farms or fighting virtual mafia.