We are like this only

I was talking to a friend a little while back, and something she said reminded me, very unexpectedly, of a particular incident that took place about a decade back, almost to the day. Surprisingly enough, it remains, even today, as clear in my mind as it was 10 years back.

Scene: Manu Saxena's Class IV PTA, taking place in Manu Saxena's Ground-Floor classroom, at Delhi Public School, Vasant Vihar. As the scene opens, Manu Saxena's parents are seating themselves in front of Manu Saxena's class-teacher, and a highly unusual discussion on Manu Saxena's progress in class is about to ensue.

Manu Saxena's Parents: We are Manu Saxena's parents.
Manu Saxena's Class-Teacher: Aah. Manu Saxena.
Parents: Yep. Manu Saxena.
Class-Teacher: Wonderful. He's a wonderful child.
Parents (Taken aback and quite visibly surprised): He is? How come we never knew about it?
Class-Teacher: He is one of my best students.
Parents (Still unconvinced): Are we talking about the same person here?
Class-Teacher: Of course. I know Manu well. He's a wonderful student. He's academically strong, does all the work he is asked to do and more, and is, by far, the most animated and spirited child in class. There's just one slight problem.
Parents: And that is?
Class-Teacher: He doesn't use the door.
Parents: ???
Class-Teacher: He uses the window instead.

My 19th birthday shall come along in a couple of days. It scares me. Terrifies me, even. In another year I'll be twenty. Twenty. I'll be all old and responsible and old. Nevertheless, it's good to know that I still have a year. And it's even better to know how little things have changed over the past decade. I wish things could always remain the way they are. It's just too bad they can't.