It was the year 2006 and our 12th exams of the Board were approaching. We were taking tuition for our weakest issue and the strongest enemy, mathematics. We had to ride about 4 km a day on our bicycles for enrollment.
The atmosphere of the house used to be strict deadly those days. Our parents would not leave the opportunity to remind us that we were supposed to study a lot for the exams of the Board. We, on the other hand, were as careless as we had always been. Due to this strict attitude of our parents, we used to be reluctant to stay at home and try to spend as long as we could only have more time to stay away from books and enjoy. Me and my friend, Vinneh (also known as Vinna) we used to live in neighboring areas (or sectors, as they are called in my hometown). So we always went to the tuition and we would be together on our bicycles.
We would arrive an hour or more before the scheduled time and return late to kill as long as we could outside the danger zone, which were our houses. As an additional benefit, our parents would think that we were spending extra time to mathematics, since it was difficult. By then they did not give us mobile phones, which was a great relief in itself.
There was a railroad crossing on our path that was famous for being almost always closed for vehicles due to the high frequency of trains on that route (now, they have built an excess bridge).
However, as you can easily expect from impatient Indians like us, all and everything that excludes cars and other heavy vehicles would generally pass from under the post with a little discomfort even when it was closed. Therefore, there was no problem for any type of two -wheeled vehicle to cross it under any circumstances.
On our way back home, we used to stop our bicycles at the crossroads and look at the trains that pass. We would discuss the estimated speed of the train. When a train passed and the post open, instead of crossing the railroad, we would decide to wait for another train so that we could have more time for our important discussion about train speeds, etc. until at least 4 to 5 trains would make it happen. That was a great hobby for us and we loved doing it every day religiously.
One day, we exaggerate it and we arrive too late before we can get home. It was already dark and there was no way that our parents believed that we study for so long. I arrived home around 8 o’clock and my parents asked the question obvious as soon as they saw my face. For some reason, I was no longer prepared for this. So, when they asked me why I was late, I told them the first thing that came to mind.
“The post of the railroad crossing was closed for a long time. Even among the trains, they did not open it. That’s why I arrive so late.”
My parents seemed to buy it and I thought I had successfully evaded the consequences. The next day, while we were going for the enrollment, I boasted my mental presence to VINESH and explained how I made this quick excuse the previous night. I had not even told him before he suddenly pointed to me: “We were on bicycles, idiot. We could have crossed the post even if it had really closed. Why would we only wait and see the trains?”
I realized my stupidity and I was surprised that my parents did not notice this defect in my lame excuse, or maybe they knew it and they still decided to ignore it, fortunately. We laugh and laugh at my silly act until our stomachs began to hurt. To this day, every time we talk about this incident, we cannot stop laughing.
Those really were the days!
Hello, this is Sachin Sharma and I hope you like this article. I am an enthusiastic writer and I love to share ideas for personal improvement and motivation.