Saturday, January 30, 2010
(Editor's Cut): My Moment of Truth
(Editor's Cut): My Moment of Truth
Two years ago, I started looking for mates, some faces and some names still vivid in my memory...
Along the way, I met more...
That's when I took this resolve to reconnect my whole batch in an endeavor to find and reconnect with all I went to school with (supposedly to study) and lost touch over the years...to know them all over again.
Today after seeing you all so excited and thrilled at School and Last Night, I humbly accept, I felt a winner.
The Journey of "The Making of MHS-85 Silver Innings" started in May'08.
I met you all and felt young again. Some names that I knew of in school just in roll calls, became close buddies, while some close buddies...drifted...
I met you all and felt young again. Some names that I knew of in school just in roll calls, became close buddies, while some close buddies...drifted...
Destiny struck-a series of challenges-my tryst with Reality, my sudden unexpected personal loss at almost the concluding of MHS-85 Silver, led me almost to the brink, when a firm hand silently came over my shoulder, Neeraj Singhal & Vibha Khanna; each one of them in their own way, stood shoulder to shoulder with me, in my grief. Sapna Goel, Gurbani Malik, Rohit Gupta, Rohit Mani Sharma, Ashish Khanna, Akash Barthakur, Brijender Singh.
The Title Track "Dus Kahaniyan" depicts our experience, emotions, challenges and triumphs in this "Making of MHS-85 Silver Innings".
Slide Show was always on my mind. First, Shonali Bose wove it together on PPT. Edited & converted to a Slide Show by a Senior Modernite in his studio in Mumbai. Last evening, Some editing glitches and Shiven came to my rescue. 4 PM onwards we started, and realized would have to re-do the whole thing again. 6:30 PM we started and 11:15 PM we managed to complete, just in time before the Clock struck the Midnight Gong and the date changed...
Thank you Varun Sharma, courtesy Shiven Surendranath."That's the Spirit of Comradeship"
Today, when Rohit Gupta announced my name, I was taken aback, an otherwise stage fright, Camera Shy girl, boldly walked up that stage through the spot light and warm glares ;-). An otherwise talkative me went zipped, didn't know what to say, hadn't prepared a speech ;-) and the lights wouldn't just change spots (lol)... And when Neeraj Handed me a gift ;-) - I was touched, really touched, I felt I'd rec'd an award... This was my moment of truth and my instinctive reaction within was
"This is for you Dad".... I know he's up there - happy... When I came home and kept my award, in front of Dad, Mom came (i thought she would be sleeping at 04:00am), touched my head and said "You make us proud"..........
Rohit G, Rohit M, Neeraj, Vibha, Ashish, Brij, Akash, Sapna, Gurbani - "love you, JLT"
Everyone had this BIG Q's? Who is Kavita, what section was she in, why is she involved in this, what's her Moti(ve) & how long did she stay in Modern...etc....
I'd site "Eklavya and Dronacharya" as the metaphor for "Kavita & Modern School"Vividly from what I heard from my father, Once a year, Our family was invited by Principal MN Kapoor at his residence in school. It was a ritual. All my elder three brothers are true-blue modernites, right from 1968, 1975, 1982 batch. I was the last born addition and that too a daughter after 3 sons. Admission time and Principal Kapoor was approached, the conversation between my father and MNK was interesting, its still repeated often between the two families.
Dad: MNK Now Kavita's also getting ready for school. Any formalities?MNK: Omi, you've got a daughter after 17 yrs, you want her to remain a daughter or become a son?
DAD: What's your advice.
MNK: I'd suggest put her in a convent till junior school and I'll pick her to Modern in 5th. Her language base would become stronger.
All this while the little girl sitting on MNK's lap was listening. A 5 yr old, whatever little understanding she had, with whatever she was told, didn't like and dropped out of MNK's lap. That was my first silent rebel.
Dad: Which one?
MNK: Any.
My admission process started and I learnt, I got admission in all convents.
Back to MNK,
Dad said, ab?
MNK: Saw the choices and Picked Carmel Convent (because it was nearby)
But Dad & the educationists in him: Picked Loreto Convent - That was the only Irish convent & the Best then (even now).
MNK: the visionary that he was, perhaps gauged Modern & his term beforehand...
Today I'm thankful to him for making that decision for me.
MNK left in 1978, but he kept his word and I got admitted in S-1 A.
So that's how my student life in MSBK started. It would've been short lived the very next year, after MSVV was on track, but I continued until mid-term S5 A and once again MNK took a decision to move me to MSVV, after Arun graduated in 1982. 1st term in MSVV, I was lost, I would land every Saturday to MSBK & sneak in between the Assembly Lines, no one noticed, till One day Mr. IS Arora caught me...I was petrified....but, he smiled and said "Don't like it there in MSVV, Should we call you back"..., I almost said yes, but that would've overstepped my mentor, Mr MNK's decision...
That was the last I came back as a student. But I remained in touch with you all thru my friend, Charul Bhargava. As much as our father's scolded us for talking long over the phone, we didn't miss a day and sometimes at night too. And Aparna Prasad "Appu" as we fondly called her. We used to exchange letters, when phones weren't allowed...lolz..., & Occasionally through Ashwin Agarwal who came to play Hockey @ MSVV...
I met Anjali Sukhdevsinghji & Tanya Seth (Soota) in MSVV, who helped me belong to MSVV.
There was no looking back, then....My stay in MSVV was equally memorable.
I made some wonderful new friends at MSVV, Ritu Maithel, Late Poonam Chopra, Sapna Chawla, Manjushree, Priti Sood, Sangeeta Bhuraria, Tanya Seth (Soota). While I loved my new friends, I cherished and maintained my good ol' friends at MSBK, Charul Bhargava, Vandana Chojar, Gurbani Malik, Appu, Akash, Ashwani Shroff & Anubha Kakkar, even till after school...
I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.
Today, as I look back in time, I feel I'm blessed to have the best of both school's.
For me Modern's like second skin, I grew up with it... I didn't have to be in school since P-1 to imbibe what MNK stood for - Comradeship, Commitment & Ownership were the hallmarks I learnt early from both my Dad & my Mentor, Mr MNK "Bond"
I dedicate our MHS-85 Silver Innings to the Visionary Principal, Our Beloved Mr. MN Kapoor, who made Modern a legend, an Institute I would revisit and an Academy I could reckon with.
Three Cheers For Modern School!!
Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
MHS-85 Silver Innings Success - A Toast To all Batch mates, Near & Far
Day/ Date: 29th & 30th Jan 2010
Venue:
Day 1: Modern School Barakhamba
Time: 15:00 - 18:00
Core Team: Akash Barthakur, Kavita Batra, Neeraj Singhal.
Day 2: Daffodils, Tivoli Club
Time: 21:00 - 04:00 AM
The Perfect Host: Rohit Gupta
The Executive Team: Ashish Khanna, Brijender Singh, Gurbani Malik, Rohit M Sharma, Sapna Goel, Vibha Khanna
So Long...
Kavita Batra
S1-S5 A (MHS 85)
S7 C (MSVV 85)
30 Jan 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
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