Holi Holiday in our Haven--Navodaya

Holi had always been a fascinating and most awaited festival in Navodaya Vidyalayas. Every Navodayan, me without being an exception, would love to have old-time from school. Mr. A. K. Trivedi was our principal then, having an aura around him by dint of his personality and more because of his foreign return status(May be from America, I don't remember distinctly now).
He used to fancy a kind of French beard. To touch Sir's beard and caress it was our unattained dream, most awaited yet out of reach.

Well, Holi was the festival that was just fetching our dreams in daylight realm. We would perhaps be touching his beard in an excuse of smearing his face with 'Gulaal'.

That morning saw us woken up early in our dormitory. Some intelligent brats were busy preparing "Bura na maano, Holi hai" placards/ charts with our nicknames of every Tom, Dick annd Harry from our room. These charts then were to be pasted on a small electric box as it was en route of girls' way to mess. (Adolescents behaviour as usual)😊

Breakfast saw us all in motley clothes, all geared up to play Holi. Some smart chaps would even point out some girls smiling and gossiping among themselves perhaps after reading our weird nicknames. (As such we thought so).

After breakfast, we started for our house master C.T. Joshi Sir's quarter whose skin was quite allergic to artificial colours. (Thus he had told us.. may be wanted to ditch us away). Well, Indians (more precisely the Navodayans) are adept in preparing such colours as would not easily be washed away. So these scientists had put in all their expertise in inventing such colours the previous night.

There was a bit worry mixed with a lot of exuberance as we paced towards Principal's quarter. Principal was too happy to receive us and happily enjoyed our fidgeting his (itchy🤑) beard. Well, God always grants to children's prayers. We had touched the Parian sea.

Next few hours flew by in enjoying Holi. Almost everyone was out of colours but then real Holi started when pupils started pushing and pulling each other in muddy puddle. Slipping, squatting, racing in mud soon became favourite game.

There was a pool of overflow water near water tank. It used to be deserted on other days, but now it was busy bees' hive. Gathering around the pool, everybody started jumping, paddling in that pool. The pool was rather 12-15 ft long, 6-8 ft wide and 8-10 ft deep. Within a few moments the water was dark brown as chocolate.

I was simply sitting on the edge of the pool watching other guys enjoying. I hardly had been in water for swimming earlier. I didn't know swimming then. (To be honest, still I learnt the ABC of swimming. But I am an expert swimmer atleast in my dreams in which I have followed the footsteps of many).  I had a desire to get in water. Rather the water was pulling me.

At last I dared to enter the pool. Holding onto the edge of the pool, I started thrashing water with my legs. I was amused first, curious next. I wanted to put my head under water. I tried once while holding onto the edge, and the thrill took me over. I tried a few more times but unfortunately for me, the edges were all slippery because of all jumping, diving, dragging. With the next holy dip my grip loosened and at once I started downward. Literally I was blind as water was too dirty to see through. To add to misery, pupils like me who weren't swimming, were ignorant part.

Thank heavens that as I was groping for something, my hands held onto a cement pipe which was in that corner submerged. That pipe came to my rescue and pulled me out of that quagmire. But alas! Some chocolaty water had entered my right ear and I had to bear the pain for 3-4 days.

Though there is the inert desire and intensity to learn swimming, hardly had I ventured in pool or water afterwards. The Holi holiday's holy dip had pushed my desire further deep in the burrow of my heart.