The School Bell Is Never Heard

Trrring...And the school bell rings piercing through the gossips and giggles of the girls and the howls of the boys of the school. Yet...yet for a reason (still being researched), it seems to penetrate just the ears of the teachers and well...the hard concrete walls, the lush green trees, the blooming flowers and anything else in the world except for the students. Perhaps, their minds are preoccupied with thoughts of better significance. Oh! And who can deny, the brittle minds are so busy. Who takes care of the friends being hurt if you leave them abruptly sans a warm farewell? Who takes care of that lonely, helpless ball that dribbles off to a corner, if not placed gingerly back on its stand? Who takes care of the trailing hot gossip dripping with sweet syrup of excitement which if not fully heard haunts the students in all the rest of the classes? Ah! It’s that small mind which cramps all of this and much more in its limited realms. Then well...how can anyone expect that brain to register the harsh ringing of that dreaded school bell? How very cruel of anyone to expect the ever busy mind to pay heed to those irritating summons of the school bell. While walking down the hallowed corridors of the school, or while taking a stroll round the school garden, or even while gossiping endlessly with the girls, or maybe while enjoying a stolen bite from the lunch box...the school bell is never heard!!

The Day My Class 10th Results were Declared

Thud...Thud...Thud...The sound of my footsteps, the only audible sound in my house otherwise in a silent lull after ricocheting off the walls was ringing in my ears. Although, I could hear it distinctly yet I was unable to register it in my mind since it was preoccupied with thoughts of better significance. I looked at the clock. It was 1:47 am. The calendar showed me that it was 30^th of May. Though I made all attempts to deny the fact and prove the calendar wrong somehow, I couldn’t! How could I? No one has ever been able to rewind time! What was troubling me was the fact that my lass 10^th CBSE result was due to be announced in another eight hours and I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t score well. I stopped pacing the room after some time and sat down. My hands and feet were cold as ice. I tried to forcibly shut my eyes, but to no avail. I looked at the clock once again more out of a habit than necessity. It was almost 3 am. I spread the prayer rug and started praying...I cried hard and pleaded to God to have mercy on me and land me in a safe spot. Then covering my face in my hands I sat down in a corner. I still can’t fathom how it all happened but way too soon, my sister’s cheerful voice of "It’s 10! It’s 10!" made my aware of the time. I straightaway went for the mouse and clicked my way to the CBSE website. Chanting prayers, I entered my roll number and DOB and closed my eyes. A hard hit on my head by my sister made my eyes flutter open! I was in for a sweet surprise! I had scored quite well! It was completely unexpected! What followed it was a loud cheer, congratulations, hugs and...and...well...Need I say more?

Hurray! I sailed through!

The Creepy Alarm Clock

Trrrrrring...The alarm clock at my bedside table makes me almost jump! As I fiddle with it, it wakes up everyone not only in our house, but I think the whole neighborhood!!  And yes, everybody seems to know that Iqra is awake now...hunh!! I sometimes marvel at its power, really!! It’s something, every child should have (yup, especially the ones, who have a habit of sleeping till late in the morning...been watching a movie?? No?) The clock strikes six and the poor old alarm with all its strength gives a loud shout. It even pierces through my dreamland. So, if I dream about me and my friend gossiping and then hear a loud ‘Trrrrring’ my eyes flutter open and I see that the alarm clock is literally jumping up and down or when I see myself flying an aeroplane, and the engine suddenly gives a roar, it’s actually my alarm clock, dutifully ringing!! It seems to enjoy itself when it sees me fidgeting with it, getting irritated or even banging it on the wall! In fact, it rings louder than ever! I have an uncanny feeling that it knows when I’m in the best part of my dream.I think, I once even threw it hard on the concrete floor, far from me but see the heights of shamelessness, it kept ringing till I went out of the room and Switched it off! And although I was in no mood to go to the school, I had to because, I was unable to even forcibly close my eyes! That poor old alarm clock, not only does the job of waking me up in the morning for the school, but also shrieking in my ears whenever my eyes become droopy during classes. I remember that incident when during one of my classes, I had literally slept(I couldn’t somehow sleep through the night) and that creepy alarm clock sounded in my ears with full force and as per my habit, I started pushing the nose and pulling the hair of my friend sitting with me! Poor girl! She thought I had gone mad!! But before she could report it to the teacher, my eyes opened wide and I was shocked and embarrassed (I apologized to her as well). So, despite all its creepy powers and unusual disturbances, the alarm clock still remains one of my most prized possessions.

Aaaaargh!!