School journey-
Before the structured life of engineering, there was a world full of chaos, freedom, and pure, unfiltered joy — my school days.
One day, my mother saw me by the village lake — not reading a book or heading to tuition, but joyfully jumping into the water and swimming while sitting on buffalos with my friends. That was the moment she made a decision that changed my life. She decided to send me to Bilaspur, hoping a new environment would offer better educational opportunities. That one decision not only shaped my academic path but also introduced me to friendships that became stronger than blood — relationships I still cherish to this day.
I remember the joy of walking to school every day with my closest childhood friends: Arun Siria, Dinesh Siria, and Santosh Narwani. Our walk wasn’t just a commute — it was our little world of conversations, full of stories, imagination, and wisdom way beyond our years. We talked about everything — from world problems to cricket controversies — and somehow, we always had a solution for everything, at least in our heads.
Life back then was delightfully simple. We had no career goals, no idea about the future — and it didn’t bother us. We were busy enjoying street games, celebrating festivals with unmatched energy, and yes, studying hard when the time came. We lived in the moment, and that moment was perfect.
Dubey Madam’s Surprise Return
When I was in 5th standard, our class teacher, Dubey Madam, taught us Maths. She was extremely strict and believed every kid should run straight home after school and get lost in solving equations. One day, however, she was on leave. That meant only one thing: freedom.
Me, Sandeep Vaishnav, Rahul Selukar, Manoj Gupta, Atul Swarnkar, and a whole bunch of friends decided it was time for cricket. We grabbed our gear and headed off to play like there was no tomorrow. Lost in the game, we didn’t realize how much time had passed. Then, out of nowhere, WHACK!
Dubey Madam appeared — like a bolt from the blue — and smacked me hard with the very slate we used in class to write on with chalk. When I turned around, dazed and confused, all my partners-in-crime had disappeared like magicians — poof gone! That one “slate shot” wasn’t just painful — it was a life reset. It reminded me what my “primary duty” was at the time: study, not cricket.
The Brick Incident at Ravi’s House
Fast forward to 7th standard. We were at Ravi Lalwani’s house — me, Dinesh, Arun, Santosh, Shekhar, and Shiva — doing what we did best: playing cricket. We were deep into a heated debate about the Cricket World Cup. I was passionately defending my side of the argument, but none of my friends were agreeing with me.
Then came the “Santosh twist”. In a fun, joking tone, Santosh turned to Vijay, Ravi’s younger brother who happened to be holding a brick, and said, “Vijay, break this brick on Shirish’s head — he’s arguing nonsense and not listening to anyone!”
It was meant to be a joke. No one thought Vijay would actually take it seriously. But the next thing I knew, the brick came flying at my head. Thankfully, by some miracle, it didn’t cause any major injury. But we all froze. Fear, shock, and guilt hit all of us at once.
Today, when we talk about that incident, we can’t stop laughing. It became one of those legendary stories that never fade, told and retold at every reunion.
Those carefree, unfiltered days — walking to school with friends, playing until the sun set, and getting scolded for skipping study time — might seem like simple memories now, but they laid the foundation for some of the deepest values I carry with me even today. Those years taught me the importance of friendship, the beauty of living in the moment, and how innocent mistakes often lead to the greatest lessons. The trust we had in each other, the laughter we shared, and the ability to bounce back from every scolding or scraped knee made me resilient. I learned early on that life isn’t always about goals and achievements — it’s also about the journey, the people who walk beside you, and the joy of being fully present in every moment. As I moved forward into the more serious phases of life — like engineering college and beyond — it was these early values that kept me grounded and gave me strength when things got tough.
Lost in the Wild – The Kanha Kisli Detour
Between my 9th and 10th standard, my family planned a summer trip to visit our relatives living near Kanha Kisli National Park. While most kids were spending their break watching TV or playing cricket, I took a slightly more adventurous route — quite literally. I ended up working for two months as a forest guide inside the national park.
At first, I was excited. The idea of wearing a uniform cap, sitting in a safari vehicle, and talking to tourists about wild animals sounded cool. But there was just one small problem — I wasn’t entirely familiar with the roads inside the dense forest.
One fine day, I was leading a group of tourists in a 12-seater vehicle, confidently navigating through the winding paths. Somewhere along the way, I missed a critical right turn and unknowingly took them straight to a dead-end on top of a hill.
As the vehicle came to a halt and the tourists looked around, expecting a grand wildlife sighting, I felt my heart racing. What do I tell them now? Admitting I got lost could have caused panic or ruined their entire experience. I had no idea how they would react.
Then, inspiration struck — or maybe it was pure survival instinct.
I put on my most serious face and calmly announced, “This hilltop is actually a common spot where bisons can be seen… but unfortunately, today seems to be an exception.” I suggested we take a U-turn and try our luck elsewhere. To my surprise, the tourists didn’t get upset. Instead, they started teasing each other, saying things like, “You didn’t pray today, that’s why we didn’t see any bison!” and “Next time, bring your lucky charm!”
What could’ve turned into a disaster ended up being one of the funniest moments of their trip — and a huge lesson in confidence and presence of mind for me.
That day, I learned something very important: no matter how lost you feel, stay calm, think smart, and never give up. Mistakes happen — but how you handle them is what defines you.