Prarthana Vidhyalay

Our place is tucked away in Gaytri Nagar, over in the Gujarat Housing area of Gandhinagar. It’s easy to find once you know the street. It’s been here for a while now. The building is two stories and we use every bit of space we have available. In the mornings, you’ll see parents dropping off their kids at the gate before heading to work. It’s a bit of a squeeze when the bell rings. We have the usual classrooms with the wooden desks that have seen a lot of use over the years. Some have names scratched into them, which we try to discourage, but kids will be kids after all. The teachers here mostly live nearby so they know the families well. It’s nice having that local connection. We spend a lot of time just making sure the kids stay on track with their books. During the monsoon, the ground gets a bit muddy and we have to keep reminding everyone to wipe their feet. The windows stay open for the breeze, though it gets quite hot in April. We have a small area where the kids eat their lunch. It’s not fancy, just some benches and a bit of shade from the trees. We focus on the daily routine here. It’s about the lessons, the homework, and getting through the syllabus. It’s a plain building, really, but it’s full of life from morning until the final bell rings in the afternoon.