Barnes School & Jr. College

Barnes School & Jr. College is up in Devlali. It’s a bit different here compared to the big cities. The air feels a little cleaner and things move at a slower pace. We have been here for a very long time, and the buildings show it. They have that old look to them, with thick walls and high ceilings. We spend a lot of time maintaining the grounds because there is a lot of space. There are trees all over, and you can hear the birds in the morning before the students arrive. When the day starts, the quiet goes away and it gets quite lively. We have both the school and the junior college, so there is a wide range of ages walking around. Some of the staff live nearby or even on the grounds. It’s a close-knit kind of place. We don’t have the same traffic problems they have in Mumbai, but we have our own stuff to deal with, like keeping the gardens tidy or fixing old pipes. People in Devlali know us well. It’s a landmark in this area. In the winters, it gets quite chilly, and we all wear our sweaters. The afternoons are usually peaceful once classes are in session. We just keep things running day by day. It’s a lot of history in these walls, but for us, it’s just where we work. We see the seasons change and the students grow up and move on. It’s a steady, quiet kind of life for the most part.