The story so far... (1000 Page Views Special) [Part -3]

So here I was, A five year old, in a place which I never knew existed. A Different culture, different language, different people, different house. The day I stepped in the unknown land of Ahmedabad, I knew it was going to be difficult. My first day in the western lands was marked by failure to make friends, the reason being, my inability to understand or communicate with them. The surprising thing was, that within a month, I was playing hide and seek with the same children I had failed to break the ice with. Childhood is one of the most magical things in life, children do not need any language to communicate, their actions and expressions is something which tells you the story. 6 Months of desire and grit was what it took for me to establish a shaky command over Hindi language and finally be able to talk to my friends.
Once I was ready to take on the challenges of elementary school life, Harvard Academy(now- Hillwoods School) was the school I was admitted to. The school had a special atmosphere within it. A humongous playground full of sand, an inner courtyard with trees and a small garden - every part of it had attracted me. Finally I was a student of Harvard Academy, one of the best schools in Gandhinagar which was 25 Km apart from my house.
As an elementary student, my impression was of an introvert and quiet student. I admit, I was so. I had a small group of friends with whom I interacted. The rest of the class seemed to unnerve me. Never the less, I was happy and accepted myself the way I was. I remember instances of the past when in the school bus, all I did was sit and stare out of the window to reflect my thoughts on the day and thinking about things which would have passed from the mind of other children. Thinking of what life taught me and the things I observed had a deeper meaning to it, gave me a sense of fulfillment. Even as a child, I was more mature than what I should've been.
Our first ever house in Ahmedabad was a 2 BHK rented flat in Motera, a place which was famous for it's Cricket stadium. It was small but cozy, old but pretty, but most of all it was a place I called 'Home' and I was proud of it. As long as I resided there, the friends I made were unbelievably supportive and cheerful. To them, I was a part of their family. The boundaries of culture, religion and language were forgotten, we played merrily.
Friendship, I learnt then, is arguably one of the best thing that a person can ever have. Its beauty lies beyond any description and is free of all the chains of religion, culture , caste , creed, race , gender or any physical barrier. It is a gift from God.