Junior High Was Life

For Paromita Mukherjee, who made me see the importance of those magical days.

Because I want to go back to Junior High. Back to the routine and daily life of classes and P.T. and canteen food.

Back to the crowded staircases and colourful softboards adorned with posters of popstars and soccer players.

Back to when the most difficult thing in life meant Newton's Laws of Motion and Calculus meant eccentric professors in Tin Tin. When Bournvita was staple diet and not black coffee. When late nights meant 12 a.m.

Back to when the perfect guy existed in a story book. When people did not lie because you weren't worth the truth. Back to when people left, but they always came back.

Back to when every fight could be resolved with a hug and a few words of apology. Back to when 'I hate you' meant 'I'm miffed you took my pencil' and 'I love you' meant 'Ooh, I like that colour of nailpolish, mind if I borrow it sometime?'

Back to when Once Upon A Time and Happily Ever Afters existed. Back to running on the field and playing Chinese Whisper. Back to re-enacting every scene from every Harry Potter movie because 'it was cool'.

Back to when college was stuff that happened to 'other people'. Back to when adults were the 'other people'.

Back to when living alone meant slumber parties. Back to when eating alone meant being grounded. Back to when crying alone happened at the back of the bathroom.

Back to eating orange ice lollies on a hot summer day and dribbling it down your white school uniform. Back to when multiple bad things only happened in soap operas.

Back to when we had friends who were soulmates and always there for you. Back to when they became such an essential part of your existence that you thought they'd be around forever.

Back to when 'forever' existed.

Back to when life was junior high and junior high wasn't life.