Government Nehru Memorial High School

People usually just call us the Nehru school around here. We’ve been here in Chennai 600026 for a long time now, and the building shows its age a bit, but it’s home to us. Every morning, the kids start trickling in through the main gate, mostly on foot from the nearby houses. It gets pretty loud once the first bell rings. We have those old wooden benches that have seen better days, and the fans overhead hum loudly trying to keep the heat away. The teachers spend most of their time trying to keep things organized while the street noise from outside drifts into the classrooms. It’s not a quiet place, but it shouldn't be. You can hear the sounds of lessons being read out loud and the occasional shout from the playground. During the rainy season, things get a bit messy near the entrance, but we manage. We don’t have fancy stuff here, just the basics like chalkboards and a few maps on the walls. Most of the staff has been here for years, so we all know each other’s families. It’s a busy life, and by the time the final bell goes at the end of the day, everyone is ready for a cup of tea. It’s just a normal school where kids from the neighborhood come to spend their day, learn what they can, and then head back home through the busy Chennai streets. It’s just how things have always been here for us.