ALTHOUGH ONE COULD HAVE BENEFITED GREATLY FROM THE BENEFITS BESTOWED BY THE PANDEMIC, THE BOTTOM LINE WAS THAT EVERYTHING HAS AN EXTENT. HOLED UP WITHIN THE SAME INFRASTRUCTURE UNTIL A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD IS ACCEPTABLE. BUT AS THE DAYS GUSH BY, IT BECOMES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT, YET AT THE SAME TIME MORE AND MORE NECESSARY, TO MAINTAIN A FIXED ROUTINE WHICH HELPS ONE GET A GRIP OF THEMSELVES IN THESE TESTING TIMES.
STRUGGLING TO KEEP MYSELF THUS AFLOAT. I EAGERLY PRAYED TO THE STARS FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO ESCAPE INTO A PLACE WHERE TIME TRAVELS PROPORTIONALLY AND BY THE RULES. EONS LATER(MAYBE A LITTLE LESS), MY PRAYERS WERE FINALLY AND I RECEIVED A MAIL FROM MY BOARDING SCHOOL REGARDING OUR RETURN IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND SOON, THOUGH AFTER MUCH DEBATE, I WAS HEADED TOWARDS THE GATE OF THE DOON SCHOOL, DEHRADUN.
AS SOON AS I STEPPED INTO THE MESMERIZING ATMOSPHERE OF CHANDBAGH, IT WAS AS THOUGH AFTER A LONG TIME I HAD FELT THIS COMPLETE. A VOID INSIDE ME INSTANTANEOUSLY FILLED UP AND I FELT A PART OF SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER THAN MYSELF. BUT THIS RUSHING SENSE OF FAMILIARITY WAS SHORT-LIVED AS MANY FOREIGN ENTITIES WERE EVIDENT AS I PROGRESSED ALONG THE GREENERY NUMEROUS SANITATION STANDS AND IMMEASURABLE BANNERS, SERVING AS A CONSTANT REMINDER TO STAY SAFE, WERE LOOMING AS FAR AS THE EYE COULD GO. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THINGS WOULD NOT BE QUITE THE SAME FOR A PRETTY LONG TIME NOW.
AFTER UNDERGOING ALL THE REQUIRED SAFETY PROCEDURES I WAS FINALLY HEADED TOWARDS THE PLACE I WOULD CALL HOME FOR THE NEXT 4 MONTHS. THIS WOULD ALSO BE THE PLACE WHERE I WOULD HEAD ON FACE THE DREADED BOARD EXAMINATIONS, WHICH WERE ALSO RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. DUE TO THE MANDATORY QUARANTINE PERIOD, WE UNFORTUNATELY HADN’T SEEN THE LAST OF ONLINE CLASSES AS THE FIRST WEEK AT SCHOOL WAS MOSTLY SPENT ATTENDING THE SAME UNDER STRICT QUARANTINE REGULATIONS. THIS QUARANTINE PERIOD WAS ARGUABLY THE MOST CHALLENGING TIME I EVER FACED AT SCHOOL. THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT ALL THE JOYOUS ASPECTS OF A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SUCH AS SPORTS AND FRIENDS WERE FAR FROM REACH AND EARLY MORNING ONLINE CLASSES AND COLD PACKED FOOD HAD INSTEAD TAKEN OVER. IN HINDSIGHT, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE AND ADMIRE ALL OF THE WONDERFUL EFFORTS PUT IN BY THE SCHOOL TO PRIORITIZE AND ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS IN SUCH TESTING TIMES, BUT MY PAST VERSION WAS A LITTLE LESS GRATEFUL. NEVERTHELESS THE LOOMING THREAT OF PRELIMINARY BOARDS AND BOARDS KEPT ME IN A SOMEWHAT ACADEMIC MOOD AND INCENTIVIZE THE ATTENDING OF ONLINE CLASSES. THE MORNING HOURS AT SCHOOL WERE THE MOST STINGING AS IT HAD BEEN CLOSE TO A YEAR SINCE I HAD EVEN SET EYES UPON A SUNRISE OR EVEN HEAR SOMEONE UTTER ‘GOOD MORNING’ FOR THAT MATTER .
LOOKING BACK, EVEN THOUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF QUARANTINE AT SCHOOL WAS NOT PARTICULARLY ENJOYABLE, IT CERTAINLY WAS QUITE MEMORABLE AND EDUCATIONAL.
