Something- which all the OLSites
dearly miss, is the wonder-struck simulation of words done by Amrit Sir -“Come here you
foolish chap; Father will give you TC; I will make football out of you” and not
to forget his all time best –“Gadhe kahin ke”. He was more like a friend than
an instructor. His PT sessions would always have at least one girl victim, and
sometimes even boys; falling down due to vertigo. According to him, fragility
and lethargy were the main reasons for all types of ‘Down’-‘Falls’. His verbal
lectures were more terrifying and it seemed as if the Indian Parliament is on
a standstill, when he spoke. Once in an Inter-School cricket game, when the number of wides
thrown by me exceeded the number of balls in an over, he got so much enraged
that from the periphery of the field, he remarked forcefully, “See the wickets
properly, Gadhe kahin Ke”…… Miss you so very much Sir…... I really feared Vishal
Sir but always knew that there exists a soft-hearted soul, hidden behind his sternness.
At times, half of the forty minutes of his class would go in vigilantly
counting the number of O.Ks and ‘Dears’ that he said. Super-Exciting! His
infinite ‘For Loop’ of O.Ks made him infinitely special. ‘I am saying you
O.K…You BBBbetter O.K, study hard there O.K….” and followed by ‘O.K. Sir, I
will’. In all, it was all about –O.K……. The thunderous booster given onto my
head by Dinesh Sir, during one of his mathematics sessions, in class seven; strengthened
my notion, as to why he is such a die-hard cricket fanatic. Nonetheless, in cricket,
it’s only a matter of hitting, whether it is a cricket ball or a skull. But believe
me, his shot made my head to land out of the stadium and thereafter, I never
ever dared to open my mouth, even while sitting in the extreme corners of the
class. Fatefully, if Team India lost against its rivals, it was certain that in
the next day’s session, a discussion board headed by Dinesh sir would sit and
ponder upon the pros and cons of the match. At times, I felt that the ‘Extraa
Innings’ broadcasted prior to the game should be hosted by Sir and his fanatic student
analysts, rather than Sidhu Phaaji. Cricket ran parallel to mathematics and I
am sure, it still runs and undeniably, he stands as a maestro in both…… A class
in commotion and absolute hullabaloo would instantly put a halt to its uproar,
by the mere sensation made by their nasal glands, under the influence of *Intense-Concentrated-Aromatic*
perfume of Ishita ma’am. It made her presence known, even before she actually
did in self. The fragrance of her scent served a precursor to her arrival. It
had the potential to stay alive for the whole day long, and oftentimes, I would
wonder about the quantity which she put. Indubitably, her teachings are as fragranced
as her aromatic perfume. She stands as one of the greatest teachers I have ever
seen. I remember an incident of fourth standard, when once sitting at the last
bench of the class-room, I was literally crying. On seeing my lachrymosal
glands secrete, she instantly embraced me in her arms; wiped my rolling tears
and in a motherly manner asked the reason for my cry. I was touched, immensely
touched.
‘Our lady of The Snows’ is not just a name
representing an Institution, instead it is a symbolism of unparalleled
devotion, never ending commitment and immeasurable diligence of its teachers; who
themselves stand as institutions of learning, within. Father Paul rightly
mentions OLS as ‘A home away from Home’. By quoting that, he distinctly
signifies the latent essence which ‘Our lady of the Snows’ holds within the
hearts of its students. I desire to live those moments of innocence again; I
want to relive those golden times of fun, ecstasy and mischief with my buddies;
I
want to grow again, as a student of OLS. When a child is admitted to a
school, he is just like a bud in absolute tranquillity. The guidance and
teaching imparted by his teachers moulds him into a blossomed flower. I still
remember the very first day, when I entered the fairy gates of OLS- ‘A water
bottle hanging around my neck, a cute little bag supported by my shoulders at
the back; dressed in light-grey coloured pant, blinking white shirt, a maroon tie
and radiantly shining black shoes…Amazing! it was…. We all looked no less than tiny
UN delegates. With a difference that these delegates were crying to the highest
level of the pitch scale which their throats permitted. On the last day of my board exams,
when I returned home, my heart seemed to cry, for I knew that it was
the last time when I was cherishing the emblem of OLS next to my heart and
thereafter I would never get an opportunity to adorn this school-uniform of
mine. There is always a great emotional content that bonds a student with his
institution. At times this emotional bondage with OLS makes me nostalgic and I get
completely drenched in the memories that I lived. OLS has enabled us to ‘grow’-
A growth that signifies all domains of life. May it be- intellectually,
emotionally, morally, socially, physically and above all spiritually, OLS has
carved its each student with perfection. Every morning Father Paul would greet
each OLSite with his loving smile and good hope. Those morning assemblies, the
speeches, the folk dance, patriotic competitions, those zero period
preparations for teachers’/Parents’ day……awww…I miss every bit of it. Who says
Gods don’t reside in earth, teachers of Our lady of the Snows are no less than
Gods and Goddesses...... OLS is beyond description.
Thumps up to our Alma Mater !!!
Akshay Thakur
OLS, Kullu
