Finishing Xth

So this is an entry to record those events of Xth I've missed so far. I'll start with Greeshma's 'Kaalukudungaalu sambhavam', otherwise Aparna won't let me rest-in-peace. So, what is the great incident after all? Many of you might know it, I'm just elaborating the finer points you may have missed.

So, it happened in Xth. I don't remember now, what we girls were doing outside school, in the 'Kolothumpadi vazhi', after school time, in school uniform, walking like 'Nilaavathazhichitta kozhikal'. There was a great deal of laughter and shouting; everything was jolly. I think most of the girls were there. And then we turned that curve and there, infront of the Kodakara house( somewhere there), two dogs were busy with, you know, 'dingolfy'. So, we all kept a straight face, tried to act normal, though Neethu, who was right beside me, was overcome with her 'attahaasam'. Aparna and Greeshma were in the front and I was just thanking god that they had ignored the scene, when, Greeshma did an about-turn, made a beeline to me and said: 'Nokku, aa pattikalde kaalu kudungiyennu thonnunnu.' There was an explosion of laughter all around and, I think, some of the boys(I think I saw Yathu) in the front actually turned around to investigate(But Greeshma denies it now, she says none of the boys heard her). Considering her standard, it was a very normal thing for Greeshma to say, and as Aparna said later, it was a miracle that Greeshma didn't go help the poor creatures get out of the tangle(Aayussinte bhalam kondaavum avalkkangane thonnanje!).

So that's it.
Now, I think I'd mention Radhika. May be it was because of Rekha miss's shrewd schemes, anyway I sat with Radhika for most of10th. She was a very innocent girl(for one Biology test paper, she expanded IUCD as Inherited Union of Copulation Devices) . She was very quiet, but I managed to break her shell, made her talk a lot, helped through her lessons and we became friends. I gave her a Christmas Card and she was very surprised and happy. I made her dance in the bus for tour in Xth; I told her I wouldn't speak to her unless she danced with us and she stood up immediately! She gave me a chocolate for her birthday that year, she didn't give anyone else and I was very surprised and happy. But after 10th I've hardly talked with her at all. I don't know where she used to sit during English classes; I'm pretty sure the only places I've met her during these last two years are in the toilets.

Then there was Surya. She was also my bench-mate during Xth. I remember, she had an ear-ring with leaves on one side and flowers on the other and her constant refrain was 'Flower-to-the-top?' and I'll check her ear and adjust the ring. Once me & Aparna got into trouble with Girijamani miss because of Surya. She'd failed in some Maths exam and in class, she cried to us and asked us if we'd go tell miss that she couldn't study because of some problems at home. Me and Aparna are always ready to help people in trouble, and 'ketta paathi, kelkkaatha paathi irangippurappettu!' We went to Girijamani miss in the staff room, called her aside and told her that Surya had such and such problems and she couldn't study this time and miss shouldn't judge her too hard. Miss nodded her head and we came back happily, satisfied that we'd redeemed a poor soul in front of her eyes. But the next day, Rekha miss called us to staff room, and she didn't scold us, but told us quite softly, that we shouldn't have gone with 'vakkaalathu' for Surya to Girijamani miss. and we were stunned and sad and went to miss and told her sorry and that we hadn't meant to offend her or anything and she consoled us and said it is OK and we came back, looking utterly stupid, but of course we never mentioned the incident to anyone else. That day I consoled myself that this one incident was to teach me a lesson, but of course, I never learned anything and my impulsive nature never changed and I have again and again found myself in deep trouble for trying to help others, for not-minding-my-own-business.

OK, enough with the academic year, now to the vacations.

In April I joined Orkut. I didn't have any aversion to strangers and accepted all friendship requests that came to me. There was a 'Chinz'. He was originally my chechi's friend, she used to chat with him. I liked him immediately because his photo seemed like that of 'Nashettan' in Post-Box in Kiran TV. I chatted with him, told him I was Catherin's sister and sent him one friendship request( he was the only stranger I ever sent a request). He used to wish me 'goodnight', 'good morning' and all with cute scraps and called me dear and all, so I liked him a lot(like an elder brother, mind you). But one day, he became silent, no more scraps and I was very sad. He came back later but by then I'd learned to distrust strangers. There had been a Josy stephen, he used to send me jokes to my G-Mail account. There had been an Alex from Goa, with whom I've chatted only once, he told me he was a cricketer and I laughed at him. But there had been some Tamilan( I forgot his name), one day, he told me 'i love you' and I got angry and scolded him, and he said he was joking and asked me to cool off but I told him it was nothing to joke of and he told me sorry and all but I decided things might get off hand and deleted my account soon, sometime during June. I've mentioned all this now only because it plays an important role in my 'fabricated-love-story' in 12th.

I'd also gone for C++ course at Jyothis, with Aparna, for two weeks only. My sister told me, since I was going to take Bio- Maths, it will be a waste.


I was at a hotel in Thiruvanathapuram when the board exam results came in May. My whole family had gone there because my sister had JIPMER exam and my father had leave, so we could all go as a small tour. I had no idea when the results were to come. That morning I woke up like as on any other day, and asked my mother should I call Aparna and ask her if any news about announcement of results had come. My mother told me that it had come already, it was written in the newspaper. I didn't take her seriously, got up slowly, read the newspaper and didn't find anything. Then after brushing my teeth and having tea, I again asked my mother, should I call Aparna. And she took the newspaper and showed me the news item, it was there right on the front page, and I'd missed it!! Well, was I in a state! Results had come at 6 O' clock and it was well past 8 O' clock then! I frantically dialed Aparna's number but it was busy. Then I dialed Greeshma's number, but I knew she didn't have internet. However Greeshma told me I had 98% and was I stunned! Even now she remembers the gasps she heard from my family when they heard the news. Then I called Neethu and she had internet and read me all the subject marks and I was shocked to learn that I had full in SS, I had been so afraid that my graph was loosely tied, and that prasannakumari miss might take of marks for my project because I'd cried that day. It was much later that I learned that I was school first, I was happy to her it, but that's all.

But once I had reached home and called everyone, I realized that a lot of friendships were going to break. Both Aparna and Neethu were taking Computer. And me and Greeshma were left in Biology to contemplate our next year with a class full of(except Ann maria) strangers...