Abhinav Public School

If you go to Pitampura in Delhi, you’ll find Abhinav Public School. It’s a part of the city that is always moving, with markets and people everywhere. The school sits in a spot where you can always hear the hum of traffic and the distant sound of the metro. We’ve been here for a long time, so the walls have that lived-in look, and the floors are worn smooth from thousands of feet walking over them. We don’t go in for anything fancy; the focus is just on the daily work of teaching. The morning starts early, usually when the air is still a bit cool, and by the time the first period starts, the heat is already rising. Our classrooms are simple, with fans that creak a little as they spin. We have a library that’s stuffed with books, some quite old, but the kids still pick them up and read. During the break, the courtyard is a mess of kids running around and sharing lunch boxes. It’s a bit of a squeeze sometimes, but we manage. The staff room is always a hub of activity with teachers marking papers and talking about the day's lessons over a cup of chai. We aren't trying to be the most modern place in Delhi, just a solid school where the kids in Pitampura can come and get their work done. When the gates close in the afternoon, there’s a brief moment of quiet before we go home and do it all again.