BHULE NA BHULAYE - Class VII Hindi Story Book of Tantia High School (भूले ना भुलाये - कक्षा सात की कहाँ की किताब )

टांटिया हाई स्कूल ने हमेशा मूल्य आधारित शिक्षा प्रदान करने का प्रयास किया है। कक्षा V में, हम बाल रामायण पढ़ते थे और कक्षा VII में हमारे पास एक किताब थी - भूले ना भुलाये , जो हमारे स्कूल के संस्थापक और राजस्थान और कोलकाता के प्रसिद्ध सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता श्री रामेश्वरलाल टांटिया द्वारा लिखी गई थी। पुस्तक की प्रत्येक कहानी किसी भी बच्चे के चरित्र निर्माण में सहायक है।

सबसे अच्छी बात यह थी की हमारी क्लास में ,यह  पुस्तक श्री एस एन पाठक द्वारा पढ़ाई गई थी। उन्होंने पुस्तक को पूरी निष्ठा और पूरी गंभीरता से पढ़ाया। प्रायः प्रश्न पत्र बनाने वाले टीचर्स पहले ही चैप्टर (जीवन की उपलब्धि) से सिर्फ एक ही प्रश्न हर परीक्षा में पूछते थ।  अर्थात बाकी चैप्टर ना भी पढ़े तो कोई फ़र्क़ नहीं पड़ता थ। 

लेकिन यह एस एन पाठक ही थे जो पूरे पाठ्यक्रम की प्रत्येक पंक्ति को समय के भीतर पढ़ाने के लिए बहुत गंभीर थे. उन्होंने सिर्फ अपना पाठ्यक्रम ही नहीं शेष किया , अपितु हर कहानी के मुख्या पत्र का चरित्र चित्रण पूछा बताया और याद कराया  | अगर वो गंभीरता से ना भी पढ़ते तो शायद उन्हें कोई कुछ नहीं बोलता। परन्तु शायद वो जानते थे की अगर वो अपने छात्रों को मानवीय मूल्य के ऊपर कहानियां पढ़ा रहे हैं तो उन्हें भी वैसा ही बर्ताव करना पड़ेगा 

यह व्यावसायिकता का एक सर्वोत्तम उदहारण ह।  अगर हम यह शिक्षा उनसे ले लें तो हमारे जीवन में बेहतरी ही होगी 

भूले ना भुलाये अगर आपको कहीं भी मिले तो अपने बच्चों को दे।  कम से कम मैंने अपने जीवन में कुछ शिक्षा तो ली ही है, उससे मुझे कहीं यशा मिला है | रामेश्वर लाल जी ने अपने जीवन के अनुभव और सुनी हुई ऐतिहासिक कहानियों को रेखांकित किया है।

A few pages for your lovely recollection .and on demand ... I have posted one chapter of the book

Hindi Antakshari of Tantia High School

Caveat : Grammar mistakes... first cut only

Antakshari has been one of the most popular inter house competitions in Tantia High School. We all knew that serious efforts are bestowed by house teachers, students, Principal and other teachers to make the event successful and useful. 

Antakshari was played once in a year somewhere between first term and second term of examinations. We enjoyed 6 Hindi Antakshari competition in our school during class V to Class X. We used to get notice of Antakshari a month before the competition date post which the preparations for the competition got kicked off. 

Some memoirs ---  to the extent I remember ---

Selection Process

• The first step was selection of good candidates. This was not a tough task for house teachers. They know which boy was a good orator and a good learner of Hindi poems. There were a few methods to select best candidates : Top rankers from all the classes from class V to X. Some good examples were Om Prakash Damani, Rabindra Agarwal, Manish Didwania, Dinesh Vyas,Ramakant Holani, Vinod Singh Rathore, Ajay Singhi, Nigmanand Ojha, etc. ... those were bright students hence they were quite obvious choices. Secondly, those candidates who used to be great singer in the class , they were also picked up. Teachers used to listen films songs and Bhajan in the classes provided I D Singh was not expected on school rounds. So they knew exactly which boy could earn more points. Thirdly, the boy who could memorize and orate as many as poems. So it was a fair selection process The group was a great mix of students... class V to X -- boys great in studies and good singers but not good in studies. But one thing was common , everybody used to be determined to play his role at best.
• Eight to Nine boys were selected to prepare for learning of poems. however only 4 boys from each house could make it to final 4 on the stage. Hence we could see 16 students on the dice for reciting the poems. 
• For Shivaji House, S K Bhattacharya was very tough in selection. He always invited candidates from class V to VII but always interested to give chance mostly to students from class  VIII to X. Every year he used to say non selected students that you will recite poems in the next year but he always had a good back up team if somebody does not come up on the final day. However, S P Pandey of Vidyasagar House , A Pandey of Raman House and R Singh First of Pratap House were quite liberal in the final selection. They always preferred junior candidates of class VI to VIII who can attract judges and entire school. 
• R Singh First was always adamant ... whatever be the competition (except sports) Manish Didwania was his obvious choice... and Manish never let him down. S P Pandey preferred to select candidates with good memories and speaking abilities. So his candidates during 1986 to 1982 could not do miracles much. However, story was a bit different for Raman House. A Pandey was not very serious in inter house affairs... he used to rely more on senior boys but luckily he had good orators like Pawan Bhatia and Dheeraj Khattry. 
• Dheeraj Khattry was a great choice. The boy was short heighted , very captivative, naughty features but most importantly ... he is a good speaker and reciter of poems. He was a surprise package in the year 1988 and the boy got famous in the first year of his secondary school years. His elder brother Vikash was our batchmate. Dheeraj always participated in the events of Antakshari, Debates and other competitions. 
• Pawan Bhatia was the permanent member of the Raman House team. Fate played a vital role in making him famous. The story is very interesting. During 1987, a Hindi Debate competition was held in our school. Extra speakers and mikes were taken on rent from outside vendors. Some 4 to 5 speakers deliberated their speech and suddenly there was a load shedding, mikes were dead, no light no clear sound and eventually everybody in the assembly hall lost interest in the debate due to lack of light and rising temperature. But the competition was not stopped, boys were coming and speaking... suddenly Pawan Bhatia came and started to deliver his speech without mike at the loudest of his voices and everybody in the hall got silenced and started to listen his speech. The boy became hero and got first prize in that competition. There were better speakers but they were not louder. A clear case of blessings in disguise... but Pawan Bhatia was the right choice. Pawan joined me in the daily prayer team at stage. 

Antakshari day ... 

• The last four periods post tiffin time were reserved for Antakshari. Everybody were supposed to sit on the mattress in the assembly hall. Class V students always got first rows followed by class V... and class X students in the last of the rows. Class VIII and IX students used to give harder times to prefects , captains of the houses. Most of the annoying students were ex-classmates of prefects and captains ... they were of same age but due to their failures they lagged behind to clear class X. Some teachers used to enter in to halls with thin sticks and such boys were beaten up by teachers after that they could be silenced. 

I am writing now in present tense ... 

• All 16 students come on the stage. They sit on the benches on the stage behind special invitees on the stage. 
• The proceedings are always started by S K Mishra... such a thankless job... Always he was the first and last to speak in all the programmes. He was the first and the last choice of our principal to play the role of 'sutradhar' 
• First of all he invites our principal , then Mr. K N Singh First ... one of the senior most History teacher of our school on the stage. 
• Then two judges were invited to take their seat . The seats of judges were always set up in the hall so that they can see the poem reciters. Those two judges were our great Hindi teachers.. N  N Mishra and KP Mishras. They ruled over our school in teaching Hindi for a number of years. They were best...but not very useful for our students. They made Hindi non interesting and fearsome for students. They could make Hindi easier and interesting but perhaps they assumed it to be against their ego. 
• Finally, every year... S K Mishra always invited an ex teacher of our School to be an additional judge on the stage. His name was Mr. K Pandey. We were told that he remembered hundreds of poems in his life time. We always listened some great stories about him.... he was a great teacher of Mathematics and Physics. So he was a permanent invitee for the competition. It was his love for his school and employer who attracted him always to play some role during his retirement.
• Rules : Maximum four can participate from each house and one boy cannot recite more than 4 poems... some 3 to 4 minutes time limit was set up for a poem. Film songs were restricted. The boys has to speak his name and house... then he can recite. S K Mishra always requested students not to clap after the poem but who cares. Those who recites well they were rewarded with clappings. 

Fun 

• Funniest part was .. some boys always forgot their poems due to which they were indivially penalized and their house got lesser marks
• Objections from other houses was also a regular feature.... say for example if a boy finishes his poem at a particular letter Say 'S'.. The next boy has to start the poem from the letter 'S' ... that was an area of manipulations. There was a story.....Raman House got the word 'G' to speak ... Dheeraj Khatri came and started to orate...' Gadhe Hi Gadhe Hain, Udhar Bhi Gadhe hain.....' the poem was funny and everybody aimed to orate the poem.... but actually the poem was supposed to be started by 'Idhar Bhi Gadhe hain.. Udhar Bhi Gadhe hain..' .... Dheeraj was stopped and not allowed to complete the poem... somebody else from Raman House came and orated a poem starting from the letter 'G'. But next year ... Dheeraj came and completed this poem. Our judges were never impressed by junior candidates ...they were pukka Hindi Bhakt... so they used to give marks only on the pronunciation, oratory skills and good poems. 
• N N Mishra was always happy with Ajay Singhi...... as the later knew N  N Mishra likes modern Hindi Poems... which cannot be sung rather they are spoken like speeches... i.e. Gadyatmak Kavya. He got individual first prize in the year 1991 and Shivaji house won. 
• Anshuman Singh was the boy from Pratap House... he orated a poem... Ranbhir Chaukri Bhar Bhar ke Chetak Ban Gaya Nirala Tha... Rana Pratap Ke Ghode Se  Pal Gaya Hawa Ka Pala tha .... The boy became famous and we came to know we have one more good singer around us. The boy was taken in the team of daily prayer team within a week by Pawan Bhatia. Good choice. 
• Om Prakash Damani ... one of the most brilliant students of our school .... he was great in orating poems and he never forgot what he remembered.. 
• Rabindra Agarwal, Vinod Singh Rathore , Damani etc were favourites of S K Mishra and N  N Mishra..Rabindra and Vinod won many prizes for Shivaji House and Damani for Raman House. 
• Vidya Sagar House could not give much impact in Antakshari competition. In the Antakshari of 1990... one of the contestant, Nigmanand Ojha,  got fever in between the competition so he was replaced by Krishna Bihari Ojha. That year was bad for Vidya Sagar House. 
• Some of the important poems which always used to be listened .... ' Himalay ' of Dinkar ... Kalam aur Talwar by Dinkar.... Din Jaldi Jaldi Dhalta Hai.. by Harivansh Rai Bachhan... etc. 
• Now once everybody finishes their part... it was time to listen the score. The scores were announced within half an hour... but we had to listen our principal and Mr. K Pandey on the importance of poems. By that time students used to lose their patience.... and everybody just started to cry for results. ... S K Mishra never got opportunity to speak full length Bhasan during any programme. He just played the role of connector. I am sure he could give lights a lot on every topic. But he always knew that students lost interest to listen anything by anybody except results.
• The score sheets prepared by K P Mishra, N N Mishra and K Pandey were always given to the permanent Auditors... D N Jha and Y Singh. Probably they were honest in counting marks... we never felt any preferential markings to student. 
• Results were announced by S K Mishra only .... He used to announce Third, Second and then First.. The house which won the competition... every member of the house felt pride on the same day and on the next day. We used to talk a lot about speakers and prizes.. 

Antakshari had a clear objective .... students should know what are the good poems and interest of boys should be created..There were a lot of good memories attached to such competitions. will write..

I D Singh - The person who left impact on us !! - Part 1

Whenever I think about a headmaster or the Principal of a school of my kids or we see a principal in movies, talking about teachers... its quite natural that I do remember our very own headmaster Mr. I D Singh of Tantia High School. The baton of the school was transferred from Mr. H S Sharma Ji to Mr. I D Singh during late 70s (correction required). We all heard that , Mr. H S Sharma was very popular in non Bengali schools of Kolkata. He was a personality with a good speaking ability, an idol of discipline and one of the best education guide. When he retired, it was a tough decision to transfer the burden to a person who could run the show and get fit in to the shoes of Mr. Sharma. But, what we heard and experienced, I D Singh was proved to be a person of different league and he created his own shoe and his retirement has filled up a vacuum which could never be filled up and till now the school is suffering. Forget about post I D Singh era, we may discuss some other time, but currently I am motivated to write something about our great principal. I dont know his current status but I am using past tense to glorify him :

• Full name of I D Singh is "Indra Dev Singh" but how could he be an exception ... school boys gave him another name ...Idli Dosa Sambar... but nobody dared to call him by this name.
• We heard that he was an ex serviceman and had a military background. A tall and handsome man. Always used to be the first person to arrive at school and the last person to leave the school. But there were great students like Sanjay Chamaria and Prakash Das of section C who sometimes used to reach school prior to ID Singh. Those students had different objectives to arrive school at first. Will discuss later...
• I D Singh never came to school in chappals. He was the teacher with least absence on account of bad health or any other reasons. His best outfit was cream Safari and it suited him most.His shoes were always polished. 
• During H S Sharma ji's reign, he used to teach History but later on he confided himself to Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihas. Our senior boys used to be his students. From class V to X , I never saw him taking any class or setting any paper for exams. He was a full time headmaster and left teaching for his last 10 to 15 years of service. 
• He was a voracious reader and a regular subscriber of Dharmyug. He used to sit in the second floor and his entire office was visible from staircases. Either he used to read a book , magazine , talking to teachers, guardians or used to prepare for a lecture. 
• I D Singh was a great orator. Monday morning was fixed for him to speak in the assembly hall after the prayer. His speech was always long and I could never understand the inner meaning of his lecutres. Only our teachers could understand the gravity but those were also least interested to listen but they were forced to be present in the hall and listen to Headmaster. Although I could not understand the meaning of his speeches in Hindi but yes... there was a feel that our principal was a great speaker. He used to speak on current issues like "Kaveri Jal Vivad" , " Kashmir Conflict" , " Saddam Hossain" , "Gulf War -1 " , some great noble persons, Disciplines..etc etc. etc. 
• I was one of the team members of the morning prayer team. Only we could see, that our Headmaster also used to sing all the prayers with us with no exception. His lips always used to sing " War De Vinavadini", "Watan ki Raah me" , "Himadri Tung Shring Se" , "Saare Jahan Se Acha" , "Chisti ne jis Jami ko" and on Saturday .... our National Anthem. Prior to these poems we used to chant 7 Sanskrit Slokas .... and those were also sung by I D Singh. May be some ex students do not believe.. but it was an established fact.My fellow team members are witness.

• Our school was Hindi medium but the rules, regulations, discipline were not lesser than a convent school. Every year school used to visit a hill station or somewhere else. It was the period of I D Singh during which the school visited Kashmir. He took school's students and teachers to the residence of the then chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir , Dr. Farooq Abdullah. We saw the picture in annual magazine "UDAY". In that picture, Rajeev Khandelwal was also visible ... hope he remembers. I would be glad if Rajeev can bring such picture. 
• He used to start his speech by saying "Pyare Bachoon" ... he always believed on his students like his family members. He knew the internal abilities of his children. His most loved students, what I saw, were Ram Gopal Verma ( our Head Boy of 1986) , Rama Kant Holani, Rabindra Agarwal, Pawan Bhatia, Vinod Singh Rathore, Vineet and Vikash Khaitan, Manish Didwania, etc etc. 
• His favourite teachers were S K Mishra, D N Jha, Y Singh, P Tripathi, K Singh, B Pandey , N N Mishra, K P Mishra. We could see :) nobody liked him.. I D Singh could play with anybody at any point of time. He could burst out at any student or any teacher. He was a shrewd leader and a perfectionist, never compromising character but most caring person in Tantia. I remember sometimes water supply could be suspended by corporation due to repairing of pipes or any other reasons, But it was the respect of I D Singh .. our senior boys used to bring drums and buckets of water from nearby buildings like 3 No. or street tube wells. All senior boys used to bring water for junior students and we used to drink from Jugs without touching lips. I think most of my friends could have forgotten such stories. 

I D Singh's story cannot be finished in one page... I shall write the blog in parts... Enjoy this one , Refresh your memory , Do remember your Principal ..... till next blog page..

Mr. J K Singh

A Tribute to J K Singh – A Teacher Who Inspired a Lifelong Journey

The full name of J K Singh was "Jhar Khande Singh." It was a peculiar name, and when I first heard it, I could hardly believe it was his. Most people had affectionately given him the nickname "Jalebi Kachodi Singhara." In hindsight, I can now correlate the name "Jharkhand" with his own.

When I entered the secondary section in Class V, J K Singh was the class teacher of 6B. He was a man of very short stature, always with a smile on his face, and dressed in a dhoti and kurta. His heart was pure, and he was always clean in both appearance and demeanor. Though his core subject was History, he also taught English to the junior classes. One day, when our 6C and 6A classes were combined and seated together in the 6A classroom (on the first floor) while most of our teachers were away preparing for the Annual School Sports at Victoria Ground, J K Singh was teaching us History. The topic that day was "Pharaohs" — the kings of Egypt, part of the chapter on "Misr Ki Sabhyata" (The Civilization of Egypt).

For the first time in Class 6, I heard a teacher present history in his own words, rather than just reading directly from the textbook. In our section, 6C, R S Rai taught history by simply reading the book as it was, with no additional context. Perhaps he felt that a Class 6 student wouldn't be able to grasp much more. But in the other section, 6A, J K Singh brought the topic of Egypt and the Pharaohs to life. I vividly remember how he explained that the Pyramids were built long before Christ, and that the Pharaohs worshipped different gods — they weren’t Christians.

It was his storytelling and unique way of teaching that sparked my interest in visiting Egypt and seeing the Pyramids. That lecture stayed with me, and in 2008, I finally fulfilled my dream of visiting Egypt, spending time exploring the Pyramids. It was an experience that was directly inspired by his teaching. Tantia High School was fortunate to have such dedicated teachers, who went beyond just completing the syllabus to ignite a passion for learning in their students.

J K Singh, without a doubt, was pure at heart. Though he was known to discipline students when needed, he did so without fear, always with the goal of helping them improve. He truly loved his students. Despite his short height and bald head, senior students often teased him with mockery, but no one ever criticized him. I don’t think he had any enemies.

One moment that stands out in my memory was when J K Singh delivered a speech the day after General Zia Ul Haq, the then-President of Pakistan, passed away. The students were not particularly sad about it, and neither was he, but he still felt it was necessary to express his condolences, as a gesture of respect. After briefly acknowledging the death, we students couldn’t help but smile and laugh at the awkwardness of the moment. He acknowledged our reaction with good humor, accepting that Indians weren’t particularly affected by Zia’s death. He continued his speech, seamlessly transitioning to other topics.

Looking back, J K Singh was a teacher who truly left an impact on me. His approach to teaching, his integrity, and his sense of humor made him unforgettable. I'm grateful for the lessons he taught me, both inside and outside the classroom.

Whats App Groups of Tantia High School - 1992 batch

The batch of 1992 is still very much in touch. We regularly exchange messages, share moments of fun, and sometimes just chat about anything that comes to mind. At times, we host friendly quizzes, and other times, the messages get more emotional, touching our hearts. Recently, something unique happened that brought everyone together.

Dr. Siddhartha's son is studying at Miranda House in Kankurgachi, and there was an informal competition to see which student could get the most likes on Facebook. Siddhartha made a request, and we all took it as a mission. It was amazing to see how everyone rallied around, religiously promoting his son’s post. The spirit of the group was incredible — we all wanted to make Siddhartha’s son the winner.

In a humorous twist, Sanjay Kulthia advertised it as his own son and received some hilarious comments from his friends! There were also some more serious members, like Vikash, who religiously kept us updated with the latest numbers. You could feel that, deep down, we all would have been thrilled if Mayank won.

Among the most lively members in the group is Sunil Chapparia, who makes sure that no one forgets that we're all still men! He keeps the group buzzing with messages and photos, some of which are award-winning collections.

The main promoters of both groups are Vikash Khattry and Pawan Gupta. Although we chat about a lot of things, school never seems to come up much anymore — but at least we're still in touch. Even after more than a year, we haven't managed to add everyone to the group, and though there was talk of merging the two groups, it never quite happened. The reason for that remains unclear.

The playful banter between Sunil Saraogi and Sunil Chapparia has calmed down a bit these days. Meanwhile, we’ve got a number of drink lovers in the group, constantly sharing photos of themselves with bottles and glasses, their eyes clearly telling us they’re enjoying drinks with old friends.

It’s not all fun and games, though. We also share vacation pictures, celebrate proud moments when our children achieve something, and send condolences when a member loses a loved one. We come together to vote in online competitions, or to sell extra IPL match tickets — these little things keep the group spirit alive.

Of course, there are also moments of tension. Recently, there were sharp arguments between Amit Sharma and Vikash Khattry, which stirred things up a bit.

As the years pass, it seems our friends have developed a habit of posting photos with their drinks — rum, whiskey, wine — and the praise they give each other for those pictures has become almost a tradition.

But in the end, we keep the group alive, and we keep sending comments. It’s all part of staying connected and enjoying the bonds that have lasted over the years.

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Top five exciting events of Tantia High School : A tradition of success

Our school was always successful in organizing events, and students were thoroughly trained to participate in and manage everything from small gatherings to large celebrations. The Principal also took an active role in both organizing and participating in events, no matter the size.

Here are the top five events that were always highlights of the school year:

1. Annual School Sports
2. Annual Function
3. Independence Day / Republic Day Celebrations
4. Saraswati Puja
5. Antakshari Competitions

These events were not just well-organized, but they became a part of the school’s tradition, bringing the entire community together. They are still fresh in our memories, each one filled with excitement, participation, and school spirit!

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Rendezvous with Old Friends – 15th August 2014

The gathering on 15th August 2014 was nothing short of exciting. I met up with Sunil Saraogi, Chapparia, Ginoria, Prakash, Pawan, Anish, Ashok, Manish Choudhary, Didwania, Thakkar, Sanjay, Rahul, Jitender, Alok, Anand, Ajay, Sandeep, Dr. Sid, Vikash Modi, Khattry, and a few others. A big thank you to Vikash Khattry for inviting me, as I wasn’t on WhatsApp at the time!

We met just outside Bhikharam in Kankurgachi and waited for a few more friends to arrive. The reunion was as lively as ever, with the typical Tantia-style conversations filling the air. In short, everyone was still the same at heart.

A Few Highlights from the Meet:

• Jain brought roses for everyone. Thanks, bhai!
• Anish has managed to maintain his weight — neither gained nor lost any.
• Didwania and Alok still have their charming faces, and they look like they’re still in their twenties.
• Dr. Sid didn’t show off his clinical skills this time, but he seemed to be the same old alumni of Tantia.
• Jitender and Ashok were the hosts of the party. Big-hearted as always!
• Manish Thakkar looked completely different. His appearance had changed quite a lot.
• Anand was hiding behind dark sunglasses, but still looked sharp.
• Sanjay Jain appeared more civilized than during school days — a pleasant change!
• Manish Choudhary was as expected — unchanged, and probably never will be.
• Pawan was busy doing PR and left after the kachori session.
• Samir Saraogi — we need more people like him who can keep everyone connected and bind the group together.
• Sunil Chapparia looked great! He doesn’t talk like he does on WhatsApp, but still had that boyish charm. Congrats, buddy!
• Sunil Ginoria looked fantastic and didn’t recognize me at first — though I’ll admit, I beat him in the weight-gain department!
• Sandeep Bhansali still carries the same warm smile he had in school. It was clear how happy he was to meet everyone.
• Rahul Sonthalia seemed to be recovering from a neck injury. Hope he's fully recovered now.
• Ajay Chaudhary — hahaha, he really needs to ditch the beard. Otherwise, everything else was good.
• Vikash came late, but he was in good form. Note to Vikash: leave Pan Parag or Rajni Sajni Gandha (Ganda)! It’s killing your communication skills, my friend! But he’s definitely more mature now and seems to have gained a lot of experience.
• Prakash — I reminded him that we once had a fight in school, but he forgot all about it. His face hasn’t changed much, though.
• Manish Jalan — Still has the same height and slim waist!
• Vikash Modi — Looked great and pretty much the same as ever.

I’m sure I’ve missed some people — the names are getting blurry, but after one or two more reunions, I’ll update this page with more memories from the 15th of August meet.

Afterwards, Manish Didwania and others suggested going to "Nashta" — the little shop behind Bhikharam — to enjoy Kachori and Jalebi. It was clear that we couldn’t enjoy the full Tantia-style banter in such a confined space, so we made our way to Nashta.

It was a great decision! We had hot, crispy Kachoris with Aloo Saag and steaming hot Jalebis. Jitender and Ashok were the hosts again, keeping everything in order while we enjoyed round after round of snacks.

People couldn’t stop talking about how Manish Thakkar’s appearance had changed, and how Anand Sancheti still looked so youthful. There were a few forgettable conversations between Manish Didwania and Manish Choudhary, but nothing too serious.

Most of the group seemed to be more focused on having drinks later in the evening. The talk was about a liquor/cocktail party they were planning at Salt Lake.

Enter Khattry… He was given a fresh plate of Kachori, and we all listened to him with great attention.

Nashta was truly blessed that day!

Afterward, we headed to Haryana Sweets near Phool Bagan for tea. The passersby were staring at us, especially since some of us had returned to our “old form.” Our loud voices certainly attracted attention, and we could feel people wondering who these enthusiastic group of friends were.

The conversation shifted to colleagues from past and current jobs, and we shared information about each other. There was a fun little argument about Shuddh Hindi (pure Hindi) between me and Manish. We reminded him that he was once the head boy of Tantia High School — the only head boy who became head boy mid-year after the expulsion of the previous head boy. Manish wasn’t too thrilled to be reminded of that story.

We took some photos to capture the memories and then parted ways. Those photos are now on Facebook for everyone to relive the moment.

Here’s hoping for more such meet-ups in the near future.