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“Which clothes should I wear tomorrow? The blue shirt is too loud. So is the red tee. It has to be the black tee and blue jeans!” It was 1:00 a.m. in the night. But I was unable to sleep. This was the first time in my life that I was poised with the challenge to dress smart on a weekday. The thrill to live up to my own expectations wasn’t allowing me to sleep. It was the first time that I would have an individual identity beyond the uniform. The uniform that had been an integral part of my life! The uniform was the past! And wasn’t I glad about it?

The very thought of stepping into a new world full of vibrant colors had stolen my sleep since a week. Now that the moment was so close I was at the pinnacle of excitement. I had started preparing long back for this day. Each and every detail had been taken care of. The coming day had been planned and discussed in detail with my friends over and over again. We were all excited. After all it isn’t everyday that one steps into a new world. We had shopped for clothes together for almost a week. My very ordinary wardrobe consisted only of a few daily usage tees and some formal shirts till a month back. Now, the picture was different. I had three brand new jeans and several good t-shirts.

Our shopping was not restricted to clothes. I had fought with my mom for a new bag though my old one was not really old. “The old bag won’t go with my new image mom” I had said to her. Some emotional blackmail and I had the permission to buy a new one. Three hours and seventeen shops later I had found what I had in mind. A dazzling red nike bag! My friends thought that the color was too bright but I didn’t think twice before paying a good 400 bucks for it. “They are jealous!” I thought. The shoes were next! This time it was my dad. “1000 bucks for a pair of shoes! Are you nuts??” A skipped lunch and a few crocodile tears was all that I needed to convince him. By evening I had a good pair of sport shoes. So did my friends!! I also managed to squeeze in a new cap. “NYC” it said! Lastly I needed a new haircut. Usually I was forced by school teachers or parents to get a haircut. I hated haircuts!! But not this time! Along with my friends, I decided to visit a newly opened haircut saloon. This place had air conditioners, a color TV and most importantly the hair stylists (that’s what they called themselves) didn’t eat paan or guthka. I chose a new trendy hairstyle from one of the reference books lying around. 30 minutes and a lot of snips later I was looking different. The charges were a whopping 100 bucks! But I didn’t hesitate even once. In fact I even thought about giving a generous tip, but then decided against it.

I had also planned a big meeting with my parents on the penultimate day. The agenda of the meeting was pocket money. I put forth my proposal for a 300% hike in my allowance citing traveling and eating out as extra expenses. My dad proposed a new tiffin box and a 3% increase in the allowance to accommodate the bus fare. My mom proposed 0% increase in the allowance and promised to get me a bus pass. After a lot of discussions the final amount was decided. A weekly allowance of 100 bucks with the bus pass paid for. I was ecstatic!! 20 bucks a day!! It was double of what I was getting earlier. That was my last 100% hike in life. I was already imagining a new lavish lifestyle.

Come “D” day and I was fully prepared. Got up early and shaved my imaginary moustache. Next I checked my bag. All the things were intact. I verified everything mentally… jacket, wallet, handkerchief, a book, a pen and a comb, everything was there. I couldn’t believe myself I that I was carrying a comb. I smiled and thought “Times do change”. I then took a long shower which angered my dad. That was because he was supposed to drop me to the bus stop and he was already getting late when I had entered the bathroom. But did I care! I took my own sweet time in the shower and then I was in front of the mirror admiring myself. After a generous usage of the deo, I started to work on my hair. It took me precisely twelve minutes to set my hair right. With even more effort and a heavy heart, I said goodbye to the mirror. (On important occasions, men love the mirror more than women)

Had a quick breakfast during which my dad was cribbing about the value of time. “Kya yaar… aaj first day hai..aaj to bahar khane do!!” This is what I said to my mom when she kept the tiffin box in front of me. To my surprise she agreed to it. Very soon I was at the bus stop waiting for my friends. I was a full ten minutes early. “Hey Smarty!” I said to myself when I saw my reflection in the tinted windows of a parked car. My friends arrived soon too. We got into a conversation over all the gorgeous girls we were going to meet soon. Pretty soon we got into an overcrowded bus and were en route to our destination.

With new dreams in our eyes we were ready to face…COLLEGE!!