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First Day of School

'S' of AtoZ Challenge 

शाळेचा पहिला दिवस 

जून महिना आला की शाळा आठवते!
आपण कितीही वर्षाचे असू, 
तरी शाळेच्या नवं वर्षाची ती उत्सुकता आठवतेच ! 

जून सुरु झाला की थोडातरी पाऊस पडतोच! 
मग आई बाबांबरोबर दुकानात जाऊन, 
नवीन इयत्तेची पुस्तके आणायची trip आठवते. 
नवीन textbooks, notebooks, pencil box, pencils, water bottle,
अगदीच जुनी झाली असेल तर नवीन school bag... 
अश्या सर्व नवीन ,कोऱ्या वस्तू आणून,
घरी येऊन त्या सर्व बाहेर काढून, त्यात नाक खुपसून त्याचा वास घेणे! 
अहाहा! It was the smell of 'Newness'! 
तेव्हाच खऱ्या अर्थाने  शाळेचा नवीन वर्ष सुरु व्हायचं ! 

घरी येऊन शाळा उघडायच्या अगदी तीन-चार दिवसांपूर्वीच,
आई माझी सर्व पुस्तकांना नवीन brown covers घालायची!
आणि ती ताठ आणि कडक मस्त बसायची!
तशी covers मी नंतर 7th-8th मध्ये गेल्यावरही मला जमली नाही!

मग नवीन uniform, तुटली नसेल तर नवीन छत्री, 
आणि पायाची size जास्त मोठी  झाली नसेल तर, 
नवीन पावसाळी चपला! त्यापण Bata मधल्याच!
मला Bata मध्ये घेऊन जायची जबाबदारी mostly माझ्या बाबाची असायची! 
अजूनही मी जेव्हा कधी साधी चप्पल जरी घेतली, 
तरी Baba बरोबरच्या त्या ''shoe trips' आठवतात!
Bata च्या दुकानामध्ये शिरताच, तो एक rubbery वास, काय मस्त वाटायचं!

शाळा सुरु झाली कि ते पावसाळी चप्पल 'पुचुक पुचुक' वेगळाच आवाज करत. 
त्या आवाजात चालायला लाज नाही वाटायची, 
उलटं आपल्याबरोबर कोणीतरी नवीन feeling and enthusiasm share करणारं ,
आपल्याबरोबर घरून निघणारं असं कोणीतरी आहे,
असं वाटायचं ! 

(image courtesy: Google images)

मग पहिला दिवस उजाडायचा! 
लवकरचा  Alarm वाजायचा! वरून आई बाबा हलवून उठवायचे !
इतके महिने alarm वर उठण्याची सवय मोडलेली असायची!
उठायला त्रास व्हायचाच पण 'आज शाळेचा पहिला दिवस आहे' असं आठवताच,
टूणकर उडी मारून उभी राहायचे!
माझ्या आठवणी मध्ये असलेल्या पहिल्या दिवशी जरा रिमझिम पाऊस पडत असायचा!

बाबांनी छान गरम पाणी काढलेला असायचा, 
मस्त अंघोळ करून, नवीन uniform घालून, 
आई छान केस विंचरून आणि बांधून देत!
कधी आजी वेण्या घालत !
मग नवीन school bag, lunch bag, पुचुक पुचुक करणारे नवीन चपला घालून,
बाबा आणि मी bus stop ला जायला निघायचो. 
आई आणि आजी दोघेही balcony मधून टाटा  करत!
वाटेत बाकीच्या शाळेतली मुलं  दिसत!
त्यांच्या चेहेऱ्यावर 'पहिल्या दिवसाचा' आनंद असायचा!

मुलांच्या आवाजाचा किलबिलाट लांबून ऐकू यायचा, 
आणि मग bus मध्ये चढताच, ओळखीचे चेहेरे दिसायचे! 
मग तो शाळेचा नेहमीच रस्ता, पोटात butterflies, 
ह्या वर्षी 'कसं असेल सगळं' ह्याचा विचार करत, शाळा यायची! 

त्या शाळेच्या परिसरात पाय लागताच काय मस्त वाटायचं! 
नवीन division मध्ये कोण असतील, ह्याचा विचार करत, 
corridors मधले नवीन craft बघत, 
माझा नवीन वर्ग शोधायचे! 

काही नवीन चेहरे, काही जुने दिसायचे! 
एखाद्या मुलाला, मुलीला आजवर फक्त corridor मध्ये बघितलेला असायचा, 
ते चेहरे लगेच वर्गात दिसायचे! 
ते feelingच वेगळा होतं ! 

कोणाला मिशांच्या खुंट आलेल्या असायच्या, तर कोणाचे केस मोठे छोटे झालेले असल्याचे! 
कोणाची उंची वाढलेली असायची तर कोणी जाड़-बारीक झालेलं असायचा!
पण सर्वांच्या चेहऱ्यावर 'नवीन ववर्ष्याच्या सुरुवातीची' ती  उत्सुकता आणि आनंद दिसायचा! 

Bell वाजायची, school prayers, school song, व्हायचा! 
वर्गात नवीन Class Teacher यायच्या! 
सकाळचा prayer routine संपताच, नवीन period सुरु व्हायचा! 
मग बॅगेतून नवीन सुवासिक textbooks, नवीन compass box, नवीन notebooks निघायच्या!
पूर्ण class खुडबुड करायचा!
'ह्या Subject ला नोटबुक कुठची वापरू', काही मिनटं त्यात विचार जायचा! 
ती excitement नवीन diary सुरु करताना अजूनही वाटते! 

Recess मध्ये आईनी दिलेला डब्ब्यात काय दिलंय, 
आणि आपण ते नवीन classmates बरोबर share करू, ह्याची excitement! 
Recess मध्ये जरा school ची छोटी चक्कर मारून व्हायची! 
Washroom आणि corridor मध्ये जुने classmates भेटायचे, 
झटपट ''Hi" आणि आता कुठच्या division मध्ये आहोत ह्याचा discussion व्हायचा, 
मग पुन्हा back to class routine! 

त्या दिवशी घरी आल्यावर 'पहिला दिवस कसा होता',
हे माझी सांगायची आणि आई, बाबा, आजीची ऐकण्याची उत्सुकता एकच असायची!

अजूनही whenever I feel down and out, especially in monsoons, I go back to that feeling of 'my first day of school' and feel the enthusiasm and happiness I felt back then. And then it gets easier to associate with the 'current feeling or gap' and move ahead. I truly believe there was a certain innocence, simplicity, authenticity for what we felt as a child and when we try to recollect that 'true feeling' it helps us connect to our real self irrespective of our age and situation.
This is my way and my got-to mechanism! 

Would love to hear what is yours :) 




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