INTO THE NIGHT

Guys, are you ready for the roll of the dice again? Chalo, let's see what we get this time. (Dice rattling.) "INTO THE NIGHT." This anecdote teleports me back to my 11th grade. Wait a sec—you might be wondering why I'm talking about my 11th grade when it should be about my 6th grade. Gotcha, guys! I pulled your leg about being OCD and all that. The plan all along was to be random or, in the words of Rukutty Sir (our science teacher and an elegant man), "Don't ask me, baba. Ask the dice."

Moving on—those were the times when we were rebellious yet humble, hungry yet patient, and gutsy yet responsible. Our young blood ached for action, but the consequences kept us at bay. Still, some daredevils had already smuggled phones onto the campus, but no one dared to break out of school (let alone come back safely). It was regarded as the highest crime, and the punishment was considered severe.

As these events unfolded, a desire grew in me to break out of school—a kind of jailbreak—but the real challenge was to get back safe and sound. "Hey, aati kya Khandala?" (Hope you guys didn't forget our code word.) Our topic for today is "PREP TIME" (which stands for preparation time; we casually call it "prep"). This can be described as a holy time from 6 to 8 P.M. when we boys would catch up and get things done. This definition suffices for now, but it was a whole lot more than that—perhaps a topic for another blog someday. But you got the gist, right?

It happened one fine day, and even now, I still can't believe how it went down. But we can't deny what happened. I (nickname: Polarbear) and Abhiram (nickname: Bokva) discussed it and hatched a foolproof plan to avoid the security guards. (We definitely ought to talk about nicknames and their backstories, but not now.) The plan was set, but as the night stretched on, doubts crept in. Were we really going to pull this off?

As planned, around midnight, we gathered and stealthily made our move to the action zone—a wall behind our academic block, in front of the laundry. From afar, the whistles of the security guards made us shiver a bit, but we didn't stop. At the stroke of midnight, when the school slept, we jumped the wall to freedom. This act would go down in history (if a book on our school's mischievous activities were ever written) as the first jailbreak from school.

The feeling of newfound freedom, sneakily walking into the night, can't be expressed in words. Our thrill was short-lived, though, as we hadn't accounted for the challenges we were about to face. The first hurdle was the darkness—it was pitch black (no moonlight or street lights), and we hadn't even brought a torch. (Some plan, huh?) Next came the dogs, barking fiercely and warning us to stay away. To avoid further trouble, we decided to head back early. As we walked along the nearby road, thinking we'd made it, a pair of headlights cut through the darkness, and our hearts stopped. Was it just another passing vehicle, or something much worse? Destiny threw its ultimate hurdle at us—two policemen on a bike, their headlights flashing as they appeared out of nowhere. We were terrified, convinced we were done for. Our minds raced with thoughts of being reported to the principal and facing endless consequences.

They started questioning us about our whereabouts. We faked our details, stayed calm, and kept our composure. Miraculously, it worked—they were convinced. Not to boast, but we actually played it pretty cool.

As we walked back, our hearts still racing, we couldn't help but feel a mix of pride and fear. We had pulled off something unimaginable, but the thought of what could have happened lingered like a shadow.

The next day, news of our little jailbreak spread among some friends, and we were celebrated like war heroes. It felt satisfying, not great. Still, our small adventure sparked huge motivation for many. Looking back, that night wasn't just about sneaking out; it was a reckless dance with freedom—one that left us both wiser and a little braver.

Let's meet again with another wonderful anecdote to cast some more magic on you, guys. Till then, take care. Enjoy.