Gone Are The Days...

Gone are the days...
When the school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and benches.

Gone are the days...
When we queued up in the book depot,
And got our new books and notes.

Gone are the days...
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet,
Managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.

Gone are the days...
We learnt writing with slates and pencils, and,
Progressed to fountain pens and ball pens and then
Micro tips.

Gone are the days...
We began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Colour pencils and finally sketch pens.

Gone are the days...
We started calculating first with multiplication tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to calculators and computers.

Gone are the days...
When we chased one another in the corridors in
Intervals, and returned to the classrooms
Drenched in sweat.

Gone are the days...
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds, under the trees and even in cycle sheds.

Gone are the days...
When all the colours in the world,
Decorated the campus on Second Saturdays.

Gone are the days...
When a single P.T. period in the week's timetable
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons.

Gone are the days...
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls.

Gone are the days...
When we played "kabbadi" and "kho-kho" in the scorching sun,
While others simply played "book-cricket" in the
Confines of the classroom.

Gone are the days...
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of competitions but seldom jealousy.

Gone are the days...
When we used to watch live telecast of cricket matches,
In the opposite house in intervals and lunch breaks.

Gone are the days...
When we rushed at 3:45 to
"Conquer" window seats in the school bus.

Gone are the days...
Of Sports Day and the Annual School Day
And the month long preparations for them.

Gone are the days...
of the stressful quarterly,
Half yearly and annual exams, and the most enjoyed
Holidays after them.

Gone are the days...
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when we
spent almost the whole year writing revision tests.

Gone are the days...
When we learnt, we enjoyed, we played, we won, we lost,
We laughed, we cried, we fought, we thought.

Gone are the days...
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more.

Gone are the days...
When we used to talk for hours with our friends
Now, we don't have the time to say a simple ''hi".

Gone are the days...
When we played games on the road
Now, we code on the road with a laptop.

Gone are the days...
When we saw stars shining at night
Now, we see stars when our code doesn't work.

Gone are the days...
When we sat to chat with friends on playgrounds
Now, we chat in chat rooms...

Gone are the days...
Where we studied just to pass
Now, we study to save our job.

Gone are the days...
Where we had no money in our pockets
And fun filled on our hearts
Now, we have the ATM as well as a credit card
But with an empty heart.

Gone are the days...
When we shouted on the road
Now, we don't shout even at home.

Gone are the days...
Where we got lectures from all,
Now, we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now...

Gone are the days...
But not the memories, which will be
lingering in our hearts forever and ever...

No matter how busy you are,
Don't forget to live the life that still exists
As it won't be there forever