Smriti

Chapter-7

One of the biggest reasons why Gyanpith was the most sought-after school in the city of Takshashila was due to its direct affiliation with the reputed Takshashila University. Gyanpith had also seen many of its talented students get admitted to the university in different courses ranging from medicine to philosophy. The university was well known for its political science, fine arts and medical programmes. Students who passed out from Takshashila were easily welcomed into the workforce as well as were looked up to as talented scholars.

Gyanpith apart from its academic success, also had a very beautiful campus in the city. Four large stone gates guarded by beautifully carved stone elephants welcomed students and visitors into the campus. The North gate led to the school buildings for Year Nine to Twelve. Beside the school buildings to the left was the students' infirmary that tended to small seasonal illnesses and injuries. To the right was the Sharada library, the largest library out of the two, which Gyanpith owned. Between the infirmary and the school building lay a temple dedicated to Ganesha. Senior students flocked towards the temple during important assessment and exam days. The hostel for students for the respective senior years was adjacent to Sharada.

Students from years One to Five had their classes on the east side of the campus. There were two hostel buildings for the primary school kids with the same name, Kaushika - one for the boys and one for the girls. Most primary school students had their families living nearby, so they opted to go home after class. There was a field for the primary school kids to play and have fun. Right in front of the school were the temples of Shiva and Parvati.

The West gate led to the school buildings for years Six to Eight. Beside the school, there were two temples dedicated to Vishnu and Lakshmi. A lovely garden had been constructed in front of the temple, which served as a leisure spot for students and teachers alike. A large field too was made near the school for students from Year Six to Twelve to play and have different sports matches.

Staff quarters and hostels for Year Six to Eight were at the South gate. The school had also set up a building for guest teachers and visiting parents who travelled from faraway cities to send their children here. In the middle of the school campus, a beautiful moorti of Goddess Saraswati had been installed. Benches arranged in a circle around the goddess served as a meeting spot for senior students who often studied there or chatted with friends.

Year Nine to Twelve students had four hostel buildings: Samsthiti, Abheri, Bodhi and Shakman. Bodhi and Shakman were for the boys, while the remaining two were for the girls. Year Six to Eight had only two hostels - Prajava for the boys and Iksha for the girls.

Smriti had been allotted the Abheri hostel from Year Eleven. She had reached the assembly hall of the building, where the senior students had to assemble for the welcome speech by the principal. She had brought a large trunk for her belongings and a cloth bag that carried some snacks for her journey from Kashi.

Her eyes scanned through the huge crowd in the hall. Some of her batch mates had waved at her and made a small conversation about the new academic year. However, she was impatiently waiting for her own core friend group.

A warm pair of palms covered Smriti's eyes, causing her to smile brightly. Placing, her hand on those palms, she said, "You do it every year, Medha. I know it is you."

Medha, a young girl of sixteen, her gentle doe eyes crinkled at the corners as she laughed sweetly. "But, it is my yearly ritual now, sakhi." Pinning a loose strand of hair by her ear, she asked, "So tell me, what was this breaking news, you wanted to tell me here?"

"Oh, that? Yes, but you have to wait until we go to our room. There are too many people here, and there is also something I want you to show."

A boy taller than Smriti by three inches sliding between the two girls on the smooth floor stood beside her. Fair skin as white as the snow-laden hills of Kashyapamar and lips, so soft and pink like pink roses. Ved, Smriti's closest friend since his first year, kept his arm around Smriti, asking, "So, who missed me the most?"