THE HONEYMOON PERIOD

4.4.24, a date that has now been etched in my memory forever. It was the day of my last board exam, which marked the end of this tumultuous journey of school life. I remember writing the last word on the question paper, waiting for the voice of the invigilator to finally say, "With this, we come to the end of the examination." I was filled with a sense of happiness, just waiting to get up from my chair and leave the hall. For the first ten minutes, amidst the crowd of students exiting the hall, I found my eyes searching for my friends so that I could find myself at peace with what I had written on the answer sheet. 

As I headed home after some parting hugs and pictures, the journey back home was filled with a hint of emotion and tons of self-reflection. As I now get ready to step into this new chapter in my life, I am filled with a sense of gratitude for the connections I have formed, though short-lived, and the confidence it has given me to take the next step in my journey. 

When I closely think about it, pottery and school life are very similar. We are the moulds of clay that are often nurtured by the people around us—teachers and peers. However, just like the blob of clay that may break or lose its shape as we spin the wheel, we also experience setbacks and challenges that might shatter us, but it is for us to rise up from those challenges and strive to become the person that we always envisioned to be. 

When we first enter school, especially the high school years—the bundle of memories with a hint of nostalgia—we come in with the mindset that "listen, dude, enough of the masti, now it's time to get serious," and by the time it ends, the connections that we form become so dear to us that on the day of the convocation, we often make plans to meet up at least once a year and make promises to finally have our YJHD moment. But the reality is so different. 

As they all say, "school is the beginning—the honeymoon period." The real world is in stark contrast. As we grow older, the size of our friend groups grows smaller and smaller, and the interactions become more impersonal, infrequent, and indirect. Everyone is just so caught up in their own lives and pays more attention to their growth and success, which is how it should be, but in this process, our friendships and relationships do take a backseat. Yes, there are some who stick together, which is great, but most of the time, that is not the case. 

This is the harsh truth about life: it never stops for anybody, and everyone moves on. The challenges that we may encounter at the school level are nothing in comparison to those that adulting brings with it. The pressure to do well and succeed continues to persist and only grows as time passes, but the truth of the matter is that now the steering wheel is in our hands. We no longer have our parents badgering us or the teachers pressuring us to submit assignments on time with the fear of poor remarks; we make the choices and bear the consequences. 

However, with age comes great maturity. As we grow older, we value relationships a lot more. Having more friends gets replaced by having the best of friends with whom we share meaningful connections. We value our own time and resources, along with learning how to prioritise our health and happiness. We learn to find joy in the little things. Woh kehte hain na zindagi mein kuch paane ke liye kuch khona bhi zarori hain. This is just the beginning of your journey. At first, it may seem like you are stepping out of your comfort zone into a completely alien territory, but trust me, by the end of it, your heart will be filled with pride and joy. With no regrets and your eyes beaming with happiness over all that you have accomplished and the person that you will eventually discover yourself to be.