During our school days, we had two short breaks and one tiffin break—moments we eagerly waited for every single day. The first break came after the second period in the morning, and the second followed the seventh period, just before the final class. Each break lasted only about ten minutes, but they were refreshing, precious, and absolutely necessary.
The first break was often a lifesaver, especially for finishing last‑minute homework that might be checked in the third or fourth period. But academics aside, these breaks were a time for bonding, mischief, and pure fun. The real charm lay in:
- Sharing jokes—ranging from silly to wildly inappropriate—with close friends.
- Catching up with friends from other sections
- Sneaking comic books into school, even though they were strictly banned
- Gossiping about teachers and inventing hilarious nicknames or impersonations
- Peeping through classroom windows to spy on others
- Chatting with school peons and teasing them playfully
Our peons (office boys) were quite a colourful bunch—Satyanarayan (a notorious troublemaker), Pandey, Shaw Ji, Suraj, and Kishori Lal—each with his own quirks and stories.
The second break was even more action‑packed. This was our time to:
- Play cricket or other games right inside the classroom
- Aim pieces of chalk at students enjoying tea and toast at Sheetal Toast, the legendary snack shop just outside the school
That toast was unforgettable. Even today, whenever I am nearby, I make it a point to visit the shop. His son runs it now and still remembers me fondly.
Sometimes, we would hurl random abuses—just for fun. At other times, the classroom turned into a dance floor. We created music with our mouths and used benches as drums. One classmate would imitate Madhuri Dixit from Saajan, or Shilpa Shirodkar dancing in the rain (Kehni Thi Ek Baat…), while another friend would dramatically grab him like Mithun Chakraborty in full filmy style.
We also sang together—four or five boys belting out classics like Aane Se Uske Aaye Bahaar from Jeene Ki Raah. Though the song belonged to an earlier era, it was still immensely popular during the 1980s and 1990s.
This break was also infamous for settling scores. If someone had complained about us to a teacher, this was the time for revenge. From Class V to VIII, our monitors, prefects, and captains often acted like party‑poopers—trying to enforce discipline and spoil our fun. Some of them were truly irritating. I still remember their names, but today they feel more like elder brothers, and I can no longer bring myself to curse them.
By Class IX and X, we had become fearless. No prefect or captain dared to challenge us anymore.
From Class V to VIII, the last period was usually reserved for subjects like General Knowledge or Moral Science. Since the marks did not count, teachers rarely taught seriously. However, after 1994, the rules changed—if a student scored above 34, the marks were added, making these periods more meaningful.
In Classes IX and X, the final periods became important. Subjects like Hindi, History, Book‑Keeping, and Additional Mathematics demanded our full attention—and yes, we did study seriously.
Even today, I deeply miss those breaks.
Do you?
Feel free to share your memories in the comments below.
During our school days, we had two short breaks and one tiffin break—moments we eagerly waited for every single day. The first break came after the second period in the morning, and the second followed the seventh period, just before the final class. Each break lasted only about ten minutes, but they were refreshing, precious, and absolutely necessary.
The first break was often a lifesaver, especially for finishing last‑minute homework that might be checked in the third or fourth period. But academics aside, these breaks were a time for bonding, mischief, and pure fun. The real charm lay in:
- Sharing jokes—ranging from silly to wildly inappropriate—with close friends.
- Catching up with friends from other sections
- Sneaking comic books into school, even though they were strictly banned
- Gossiping about teachers and inventing hilarious nicknames or impersonations
- Peeping through classroom windows to spy on others
- Chatting with school peons and teasing them playfully
Our peons (office boys) were quite a colourful bunch—Satyanarayan (a notorious troublemaker), Pandey, Shaw Ji, Suraj, and Kishori Lal—each with his own quirks and stories.
The second break was even more action‑packed. This was our time to:
- Play cricket or other games right inside the classroom
- Aim pieces of chalk at students enjoying tea and toast at Sheetal Toast, the legendary snack shop just outside the school
That toast was unforgettable. Even today, whenever I am nearby, I make it a point to visit the shop. His son runs it now and still remembers me fondly.
Sometimes, we would hurl random abuses—just for fun. At other times, the classroom turned into a dance floor. We created music with our mouths and used benches as drums. One classmate would imitate Madhuri Dixit from Saajan, or Shilpa Shirodkar dancing in the rain (Kehni Thi Ek Baat…), while another friend would dramatically grab him like Mithun Chakraborty in full filmy style.
We also sang together—four or five boys belting out classics like Aane Se Uske Aaye Bahaar from Jeene Ki Raah. Though the song belonged to an earlier era, it was still immensely popular during the 1980s and 1990s.
This break was also infamous for settling scores. If someone had complained about us to a teacher, this was the time for revenge. From Class V to VIII, our monitors, prefects, and captains often acted like party‑poopers—trying to enforce discipline and spoil our fun. Some of them were truly irritating. I still remember their names, but today they feel more like elder brothers, and I can no longer bring myself to curse them.
By Class IX and X, we had become fearless. No prefect or captain dared to challenge us anymore.
From Class V to VIII, the last period was usually reserved for subjects like General Knowledge or Moral Science. Since the marks did not count, teachers rarely taught seriously. However, after 1994, the rules changed—if a student scored above 34, the marks were added, making these periods more meaningful.
In Classes IX and X, the final periods became important. Subjects like Hindi, History, Book‑Keeping, and Additional Mathematics demanded our full attention—and yes, we did study seriously.
Even today, I deeply miss those breaks.
Do you?
Feel free to share your memories in the comments below.
Unforgettable pleasent memories
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Please share yours
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