The beginning

The Beginning

You know what? Mane Sir, has lost his tengool. Yeah the peda on his head has been removed surgically. Mangala Miss, (who composed that song 'Mangala company') has been expelled from our school after a government inquiry indicted her for hitting a boy with a duster. The poor fellow apparently collapsed after Mangala's maar.

These are just some of the gems I heard when I tried to string together the last few decades of what had happened in our school at an alumni picnic last Saturday. Although, sadly, there was no one from my batch-the Class of 1989-I did live yesterday all over again. And I kept popping the same question to all those present --- "Where is so and so?" Unfortunately, no one was much in touch with our ex-school mates.However, a boy two years my junior put me through to a classmate of mine over the phone.

Do you remember Nayan Mepani? I was in class VIII then. And whenever his name came up during the roll call, my friends who knew my Nepali roots would nudge me, saying, "Archana there's someone Nepali here." And I was like, "Wow, finally I get to meet someone from my community who is not a watchman." But within a few weeks we came to realise that he was a Gujarati. The chain and the gold bracelet were the visual proofs.

But when I spoke to him that day --I wasn't really comfortable. Perhaps, the ghosts of the pranks I played still haunted me. I had once called him a 'gainda'-a hippo. However, he seemed delighted to talk to me.
But I was not flattered to know how poor my recall value was. When I asked him if he remembered me, he said, "I do. Aren't you Dinesh Sharma's sister?"I have to confess I wasn't really happy being denied an identity of my own. Okay, I admit I always lived in the shadows of my "goodlooking" and "breakdancing" brother (Dinesh Sharma of 1987 batch).

But how can people not remember my achievements---like sticking my stinking socks up boys' noses? Perhaps, Nayan wasn't one of those lucky ones to be blessed with the smell of paradise. But despite that he is doing well in life today.

And I'm happy for him.As I'm happy for Pradnya Lokhande, Muthulakshmi (many of us remember her by that name although she is much more famous now as S Priya, as all of us who watch Zee TV would know) and Venkat, or HV (our Marathi teacher Manik Miss would call him Hyaach Vhee) who used to be seen in programmes like Antakshari, or Sa Re Ga Ma. It was so nice to see them on TV, especially since we know that they are married to each other and settled in Dubai.
Pradnya has made a name for herself as a film-maker. She was an assistant director in 'Satya' and was in New York and Switzerland for the making of films like 'Om Jai Jagdish' and 'Out of Control'. By the way, I work as a special correspondent for The Times of India in Mumbai. Look out for my name in the paper, will you?.I am told Prakash Nambiar, another VV product, had a key role in the animation department of the Bollywood blockbuster 'Hum Tum'.

Many of you might say I'm talking only about my batch. And I'm sorry for that. But at the picnic we had students even from the 1967 batch. Those from that batch were as enthusiastic as those from the recent years.

Our alumni association is doing an excellent job. They have managed to track down the first boy of the first batch---the real roll no. 1.

But there are others who I think should be tracked down as well. Remember Ayappa? He honoured so many successive batches with his esteemed company. I'm told he has put on a lot of weight. Maybe he would feel better if he sees us and realises that he has not been alone in fighting the battle of the bulge.

Why don't we all come for the get-together our alumni association is planning in mid-September? Rajesh Iyer is arranging a DJ night at the Vani Auditorium, (yeah, we have a swanky one now). Viyaylaxmi, the stout RSP we all used to dread whenever we arrived to school only to realise that the badge or ribbon is missing, is the current alumni president. But don't be afraid. She too has mellowed down over the years.

To register in the alumni contact Rajesh Iyer - 9867596920 or even to catch up on the old times. All you forgetful ones please note down September 16 in your diaries of PDAs.
Let's all walk down memory lane together. With our spouses (if you have any).
And for the guys who are still to be married here's an incentive to come---the current principal is Dolly Henry, over whom many of you used to swoon when she was the junior college chemistry teacher. She's still very beautiful.

Please forward this to as many VVians you know, here or abroad.

WARNING: IF YOU FORWARD THIS MAIL IN TEN MINUTES OF READING IT, YOU WILL BE A HAPPY PERSON. OTHERWISE KARTHA TEACHER WILL COME AND TWEAK YOUR EARS.

Archana Sharma