Md. Usman Zakaria (Muz) Inter College

Out here in Masaurhi, things move a bit slower than in the main Patna city. Our college is located in Sain, specifically near the Hazrat Sain area, which has a very specific quietness to it. The building is simple and stands out against the more open spaces around it. We have a lot of students who come from the surrounding villages, often walking or cycling quite a distance to get here. The classrooms are large but plain, with high ceilings that help a bit during the hot Bihar summers. We don't have air conditioning or anything like that, just the old ceiling fans that we have to repair every few months. The courtyard is where everyone gathers in the morning before the first bell. You’ll see teachers sitting under the shade of a tree during their free periods, marking papers or just chatting. Life here is very much tied to the local seasons. When it rains, the ground gets a bit muddy and we have to be careful where we walk. It’s a very practical place. We don't have a big marketing budget or flashy brochures. People just know about us through word of mouth. The office is usually stacked with registers and old files that go back years. It’s a bit cluttered, but we know where everything is. We just take each day as it comes, helping the local youth get through their intermediate studies as best as we can.