Gayatri Devi Inter College

If you head down Sidhaur Road in Barabanki, you’ll find us. Gayatri Devi Inter College is a place that’s seen a lot of students pass through over the years. The road outside can get pretty muddy when it rains, and the sound of cycles and rickshaws is constant. Inside the gate, it feels a bit more organized. We have the usual classrooms with the big wooden doors and desks that have been scratched by generations of kids. The office is where we keep all the big ledgers and the stamp for the paperwork. There’s a specific smell of old paper and chalk that never really goes away. We start pretty early in the morning when the air is still a bit cool. You can hear the morning prayers and then the shuffle of feet in the hallways. Our walls have some old posters about science and history that have faded over time. We don't have a lot of high-tech stuff, just the basics that a school needs to keep running. The staff room is always a bit cluttered with bags and tiffin boxes. Most of the teachers have been here long enough that they know every corner of the building. It’s a busy life here in Barabanki. We just try to keep things moving one day at a time, making sure the bells ring on time and the registers are marked.