This is one more story from my
school times. When you are in your teenage years all you want is acceptance and
attention. Less attention from your family (read: protective parents) and more
attention from peers and friends and boys!
We used to have this fete at our
school which was like a Valentine’s Day for us – I was in an all-girls school!
That was the only day when boys, men women everyone was allowed and you know
well by now who got most attentions!
Every girl in the eighth to twelfth
standard prepared for this day in advance! Picking your outfit, handbag, time
to hit the grounds - those were not the days when girls were quite allowed to
sport makeup and fancy hair. Otherwise those would have been in the list too!
We never had things like prom or anything, nor was the society too liberal for
a date between two young school going people! And they were also not the time
of easy access to cellphones!
Anyways, the best part used to be
the competition between the girls – who got how many phone numbers! Yeah as
silly as it may sound, we used to feel we were extra smart and if boys came and
left their number with you – you have really achieved something. I now feel it is the dumbest silliest thing to
ever think of – but you, know TEENAGE!
So one particular year I had
collected quite a few numbers. These used to be landline numbers (no cellphones
remember!) In return we always gave fake numbers, at least I did. I couldn’t
even imagine a random guy calling me up and my mom picking up the call!
But this one time with someone I
slipped and ended up giving my actual number. I don’t know how. And guess what
this guy called up that very night and my mom picked up the phone! FACEPALM!
Got a good lecture at the end of
the day too!