" I still remember my first day of the 9th grade. I was brought up in Dubai and had just shifted to India. I was sad, because I had to leave my friends. I didn't speak Hindi at all, and I was afraid that I would embarrass myself by even attempting to speak in Hindi. All of this, coupled with the fact that I was an introverted 14-year-old, meant that I wasn't able to make new friends at all. I remember coming back home, and crying to my friend from Dubai over the phone, repeatedly saying, "I can't do this. I don't fit in here." (I was the typical melodramatic teenager)
The harsh reality was that I had no option but to try to fit in because I couldn't go back. So, I turned to books for comfort. I let them lull me into a fantasy world and they became my escape. The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, The Mortal Instruments, Divergent; I'd read them all. I had become the wallflower of my class, and I was content with it.
One day, while I was in the middle of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, somebody behind me said, "It was so sad when Dobby died." Guess who is not a fan of spoilers? I whirled around, ready to lash out, but was met with an unfamiliar face. He was the new boy in the class. It dawned on him that I had not reached that part yet, and he said, "Oh my God, you didn't know that? I am so sorry!" Even though the ending of the book was not as enjoyable as it could have been after I got the spoiler, I had made a new friend.
Slowly and steadily, by forcing myself to attend MUNs and participate in class discussions, I made new friends. I was no longer the wallflower. If anything, I had become someone who enjoyed meeting new people and striking up conversations.
When college started, I remember feeling a little nervous about starting a new chapter of my life. It took me back to my first day of 9th grade. Although this time, instead of finding an escape in books, I looked forward to meeting new people and creating new memories. And so far, it has worked out just fine. "
Mahi Vohra is a second-year student of Economics at Indraprastha College for Women
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