I remember my first day at my second school vividly. I was around five years old, having just completed two years of kindergarten while living with my maternal grandparents. Then, I moved to another small town to live with my parents. Although I don’t recall who dropped me off at school that day, my memory of the lunch break is crystal clear.
As lunchtime approached, I noticed my classmates eagerly pulling out their lunch boxes, while I sat there wondering why my mom hadn’t packed one for me. The teacher noticed my confusion and loudly instructed the class to “SHARE,” which I misheard as “सैर” (which means ‘outing’ in Hindi). In that brief moment, I got incredibly excited, imagining that we were about to embark on a trip to a zoo inside the school. Never had I imagined a zoo in a school, but at that moment, it seemed entirely possible, and for a few seconds, I was lost in the clouds.
Standing up, ready to go, I was quickly brought back to reality when a classmate placed the lid of his tiffin box in front of me, and everyone began contributing a bite of their meal. Still confused, I was gently asked to sit down and eat. It took me a few days to realize that the teacher had said “share,” not “सैर.” But even now, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if that day had indeed turned into a surprise outing instead of a shared meal.