A for Ninnihammer, B for Slaves !

It was getting late. My mother put some kind of cream to settle my hair before she combed it. My half-Brogue shoe was shining its best. I ran the guidelines in my mind that I was handed over about how to behave and some basic etiquette.

I was not apprehensive at all. I was keen to go out and make new friends. So, I walked in. It was a large room where an aged lady sat at a Victorian desk, with the light from the table lamp falling on our faces and almost blinding our vision. Very God-like!

The year 1973.

“A for ?”, she asked.

I looked around to confirm if the question was for me.

“Asterix”

“No”. came in like thunder.

My mother looked shocked out of her wits.

“A for?”, again asked the lady from behind the light.

I was bloody confused. And I just couldn’t remember what I’d otherwise mugged up. Besides, I was actually interested to see her face.

“A for Anupam”, I fumbled after a lot of thinking.

“Sorry Mrs. Sen Gupta. He’s still not prepared to join our esteemed school! You’ll have to try again in the next session”.

That was my first interview to get into a school to receive an education that should have been my birthright.

“It's for Apple and not Anupam, my son”, the faceless lady smiled beyond the Godlike light as we walked out.

And I still remain confused to date about where I went wrong.