Everybody makes friends in School. While we make all kinds of friends, school friends are friends for life! There are friends who are sport buddies, or study companions, or movie buffs but perhaps the earliest group formed in the school was the ‘Tiffin Friends’ who sat together in the football field – at the same spot every day, during lunch break and shared their home packed grub. As children they had a great time throwing bits and pieces of their rotis’ to the pariah kites circling above. The unforgettable aerobatics of these opportunist raptors that swooped down to snatch up the offerings was very exciting that the children would often forget to take a bite themselves!  Sometimes an eagle would even strike with lightning speed to whisk the whole chapatti-in-hand when there was a momentary lapse in attention.

‘Cycle Friends’ was another early group. In those days there was hardly any traffic and roads were relatively empty. In early winter mornings the boys would cycle with hands in the coat pockets. Hands free from the handle! In the Bani Park group there was Rajendra Singh, Pavan, Nihal and Sumit. Then there were the Bapu Nagar boys who enjoyed gossiping and cycling side by side. Piyush recalls cycling back with Arun Kaul and often they stopped by to have ganne ka ras!

None of us can forget ‘the Badmash Gang’ who were forever plotting to disturb the peace usually by planting bombs in the bathrooms timed to go off soon after the interval got over and classes were in progress. Some like Ramesh Tandon & Naresh Joshi, who were in complete know of the plan, staunchly refuse to disclose their identities even 50 years later!

And yes, in our final year at school, there was also a smoker’s gang that would make their way to the Upper Field and in the approaching darkness of twilight.

They would light up the cheapest cigarettes available like Passing Show and Charminar! At 10 paisa per cigarette everybody had to pay up for their smokes! With those antecedents Sudhanidhi, Rajiv Kanwar, Naresh Joshi and Raman Sarda grew up to be smokers.  Finally, now they are reformed individuals.

There was also the ‘hostlers’ or hostile bunch that moved together intimidating anyone who tried to act too smart. Led by Ram Singh Ras, the group had many members to suit the moment for action – like Anil Satija, Hoon, Ajit Singh Dharampal, Hari Singh, Karni, Fateh Singh, , Dolly, Anil Ram, and of course chief mischief maker Micheal Jain! In this tough group the softies were Korla, Mahaveer, Raman Gupta, Basantt and Dhinsa who was the perennial high flying Space Cadet!

There were many in the Sports group but the Basketball boys were perhaps the most visible as a group consisting of Ajay Jain, Dalpat, Naresh, Raman and Sudhanidhi, who were regular at the courts every evening.  After the practice rounds they would saunter to Gupta Ice at Panch Batti to reboot their energy levels with Cokes!

Vinay Dharwadkar was indeed a class apart and was never a member of any group. He walked a separate path, unencumbered by friends! No wonder he was recognized as the Best Hosteler and the Best Boy of the School in 1969.

After school, friends went their different ways pursuing their dreams but after Graduation there was a coming together again like the Medico Gang and the Engineering / IIT guys. Pavan says that there are more than 20 doctors from our batch. Ajay Jain tells us that there are x guys from our batch who are from the IITs & another x many from regional engineering colleges in the country.  And then in 2010 another group consisting of Jaipurwalas got together to form their own Kitty Party group along with their spouses where they meet once in two months to catch up on gossip, politics and drinks!

Now Cheers to that my Friends!