BY MIR UMAR
There was a time in my childhood, when I used to make pseudo lies about my sickness so as to convince parents that I was not feeling well and hence could not go to school. This was the time when I would count holidays on
calendars and would mark these with a pen. It would make me happy whenever I used to see these marked public holidays.
Time passed and I grew up. Now, I discover my school days to be the best portion of my life. It is in schools, where our learning begins; where we find our best friends who never really leave us till the end; where we enjoy
moments of happiness and sadness; where we fight and laugh together and where we cry and scream at each other. Schools unite us in deep and everlasting bonds.
In essence, school days are the most precious days of our lives. These should be marked with gold or silver because they deserve it the fullest attention. Hence the reason I call school life it as “Dreamland” – an arena
where our dreams come true.
One day phobia grew a step ahead of me. Excitement and hope had fled my mind. My heart beats were running faster than the clock and I was deeply lost in my dreams. It was my last day at home. From the next day, I would be in
school. I was completely in dilemma whether to enjoy the moment or grieve over it.
But, as it turned out, it was completely a different feeling -a feeling of happiness and enthusiasm. The day passed as never before and evening fell. The pitter patter of rain jolted me out of my reverie, which frightened me
a little. As the evening passed with pitter patter of rain and it kept falling incessantly, my feverish mind kept on l asking one nagging question: “Whether to go school tomorrow or not?”. In the noise of rain and darkness
of night, I made my mind to go school next day. It was the beginning of a new era.
As dawn fell, rays of light stroked my eyes and my sleep was over. I opened my eyes and became happier as never before. This was a new day, a New Year and new era for me. I prepared myself in a hurry and had my breakfast
quickly. I refused to take any umbrella making my mother’s angry. Finally I left for my school.
It was after a long time when I would be meeting my friends. This thought crossed my mind again and again. As it began raining again, I captured the moments of children who were accompanied by their mothers with umbrellas in
their hands and cheerful smiles on their faces, playing with each other. That moment rekindled a new hope in my heart making me feel happier.
The kids under the umbrellas were looking fabulous. The moment when I stepped inside my school, I became enthusiastic and frightened at the same time. The lawns, corridors were abuzz with children. The sound of their
happiness was echoing though the classrooms. Despite rain, children were playing in the lawns. It was very hard to get to my classroom because there was a rush of children. I took over children from every nooks and corners
and reached to my classroom.
It was an existential moment for me: I found my existence when I saw my friends. We hugged each other tightly and exchanged pleasantries and smiles with each other. My dream came true when I returned to my school -my
‘Dreamland’.
—The author is can be reached at: [email protected]

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