School And Benches

Benches in school become very important in a student's life, especially in India. Why especially India? You will soon find out. No doubt that it is sitting on these brown painted wooden benches that a child gains knowledge, shares his food, and makes friends. But, it is much more than just that.

To start with, 'Bench' does not refer to a wooden structure on which just one person can sit. It refers to long ones on which at least two and most of the times, three students can sit.

In most of the schools and in most of the classrooms in India, we follow a system of changing places to sit everyday. This system varies from class to class and from school to school, but is generally called "Rotation of Benches." More or less, every such system means :"Every student gets the chance to sit on every bench." And this means that sometimes, you get to sit in front of, or behind, or beside different students. This also means that once in a blue moon, you might get to sit with someone of your choice, someone whom you wish to explore, someone you are genuinely interested in, someone you wish to develop a great love for.

Only a few people like me can recall and understand the joy of counting the number of days left till the once-in-a-blue-moon experience. The long, impatient, yet joyful waiting cannot be put into words. And when that day truly comes, it becomes an unforgettable experience filled with emotions, exchanging sideways glances during lectures, stealing a moment or two to talk while the teacher is looking away, gossiping and laughing together and sharing snacks during recess, and so many more friendly and lovely gestures. And when the day ends, we bid each other goodbyes and wait for the next time just as enthusiastically from the very next day.

Another reason why I love benches so much is one of my teachers, Saroj Teacher. She was and still is an extremely kind and loving teacher. I remember, as a child, I loved sitting with my friends. But, many-a-times, our seating arrangement was changed by other teachers. Then, I would ask Saroj Teacher if I could sit with my friends. She would say," You can sit where you want." with a genuine smile smile on her face that would win my heart. Thank you so much, Saroj Teacher, for making me fall in love with benches.