Countdown to Graduation

We all knew the results had to come out some time or the other. But after one false alarm, and then another, and another and another. . .

So it happened, that on the third of April, 1974, while I was listening to Elton John's 'Funeral for a Friend,' when the phone rang, I answered it, expecting it to be either one of mine or one of Ragini's friends. It was Dad. Ringing from Delhi that the results were out!

It took me a minute or two to absorb this information, and then I (and the rest of the household with me) went berserk. It must have been about 1 p. m., Mr. Newton etc. were busy enjoying their respective lunches, leaving me to bite my nails and tear my hair out on the line, while the phone rang on and on and nobody answered.

I had promised to ring up "everybody" as soon as I heard anything about the results. I first rang up Kiran, who promptly had a nervous breakdown, and then came out with the only sentence she is capable of producing on such occasions - "I'm dying. . . . . ." I left her still dying slowly, and rung up Amrita. Amrita, cool as only she knows how, said something to the effect of - "Oh, the results have come, have they?"

Waiting for my car to come, or Kiran to ring and say that her car had come; pacing up and down near the phone; ringing up school every few seconds; getting phone calls everyone minute; getting on.

Ragini's nerves - "You fool! Go and put on some perfume or do your hair or something sensible!"

Finally we all set off. Amrita had profitably spent the afternoon practising her "Third-class faces!"

In school at last, we all sat at the entrance, waiting for the postman. The rumours that flew around! Jug came running up, saying the bundle was at the G.P.O. but they were refusing to distribute them (Whereupon I promptly rushed to Mum and told her to go to the G.P.O. and investigate); Somebody else said that Fort Convent had already got their results, and four or five boys were all set to walk to Fort Convent and find out the truth behind that rumour.

We hung around in school that whole evening, trying to do anything to take our minds off the results. Mum threw down a packet of magazine proofs for checking from the third floor to where we had all camped at the bottom of the stairs, and poor Neville got the shock of his life, thinking the results had dropped from heaven! In the end we decided that the best remedy was to play a game of Basketball, so we got a game organized.

I was sure that our results were coming out between 5 and 7, and when Mr. Nepali offered me a bed I was all prepared to spend the night in school, but then Mum said 'NO' in that tone of voice which means "no" and so I changed my mind. In the end, we hung on in school till 7, singing hymns and the like, but then finally, reluctantly, made our way home.

Needless to say, none of us got any sleep that night.

The next morning we all were in school by 8.30, to find Neville and Eric already there. Between eight and ten, the whole '73 batch collected - each newcomer sliding in, eyes silently asking the dreaded question. Even people like Darius Moos had been reduced to a state of nerves. Any stranger coming in with a bundle in his arms, was jumped on by five to ten hostile boys, his bundle removed and thoroughly searched, and only then was he allowed to pass.

Rumours flew madly. Queen Mary's had got their results, B'bay International had got their results. Mr. Jacob arrived and was promptly gheraoed. Finally, everyone got sick of the waiting and wandered off to cinemas, restaurants, clubs.

Jug went up to ask Mr. Jacob something or the other. The next minute Jug was running down the stairs screaming-"Results! They've come!!" we didn't know whether to believe him or not, when we heard Mr. Jacob calling us.

I think everyone was at that time offering up prayers to the Man-Behind-The-Scenes. I know I certainly was. Kasturi came in absolutely cool and un-ruffled - "Calm in a feverish world", as Ragini aptly put it.

Mr. Jacob's voice: "Punam Anand, Literature -, Language -"

People kept coming in, faces tense, sweat very visible. All the boys came charging back from the movies, all their bright spirits magically gone. Some-one talking at the back; useless English results; hopeless Maths results somebody coughing; palms soaked in sweat; some-one restlessly pacing up and down behind me; Ragini gripping my shoulders; trying to concentrate on the pen in my hands, but failing miserably.

The waiting was sheer agony.

Mr. Jacob announcing someone in the Commerce classes results, when suddenly Behram screamed, "I've got it! I've got it! Got a 7!" A war dance of sorts followed with everyone shouting congratulations.

Geetu came in late to be greeted with the news that she had got a 7. Naazli's results - a 6! More and more results. More and more names. A never-ending list.

"Kasturi Halder - ............ agg. 6, class I." Loud cheering and congratulations.

"Anjini Kochar" and a deadly silence. - Maths 2 - agg. 7 Whereupon, I promptly burst into tears.

More and more results which gave me time to compose myself. G. V. Arun, a straight and expected 5 - the only one! Where was G. V.? 15's, 20's, second divisions, and a few third divisions. Mothers and Fathers waiting anxiously for their children's results to be called out - all keyed up, tense. I was hardly aware when the last name was called out.

It was all over - the 1973 batch had been launched.

- Anjini Kochar
(originally published in our 1973 graduation yearbook)