National Matriculation Higher Secondary School

National Matriculation Higher Secondary School is located at 63 B, right near the Kathipara Junction. If you know Nehru Salai, you know how hectic it gets with all the cars and bikes rushing toward St Thomas Mount. The school has been here for a while now. You can see the wear and tear on the walls if you look closely, but it’s a sturdy place. Mornings are a bit of a scramble because of the traffic outside. We usually have someone standing near the entrance just to help the kids cross safely. Inside, the hallways are narrow and the stairs are made of that old stone that never really wears down. It smells like old paper and floor cleaner most of the time. We don't have those big glass lobbies you see in the city. The desks are wooden and have names carved into them from years ago. Sometimes the noise from the junction drifts in through the vents, but we just talk louder. During the lunch break, the yard gets packed. It is loud and messy, but that is just how it is. After the final bell rings, the crowd thins out fast as everyone tries to beat the evening rush. We spend some time picking up stray pens or wrappers left behind. It is a lot of work to keep a place like this running, especially in such a busy part of town, but we manage somehow.