Those Two Rupees

An ode to the Srinagar we grew up in, where life was slower, hearts were warmer and every day felt enough.

- Syed Majid Gilani

Sometimes I slip back in time without even trying. A familiar sound, a faint smell, or the sight of an old school bus is enough to bring back the Srinagar I once knew, the city that moved at its own calm pace and taught us how to find happiness in simple things.

My schooling began at Caset Experimental School, Rainawari, founded by C. L. Vishen Sahib, and later at Greenland High School in Hawal. That school was a world full of warmth, friendships, and teachers who shaped us with patience.

The Srinagar of the eighties and nineties was slower and softer. Mornings smelled of kangri smoke, neighbours greeted each other warmly, and evenings were for tea, laughter, and family talk.

Classrooms had wooden benches and cracked blackboards, water came from a shared tap, and schoolbags were light. We didn’t need gadgets or air-conditioned rooms. What mattered was learning respect, honesty, and kindness.

Our teachers made every subject feel alive: Siraj Sir, Farooq Sir, Narinder Sir, and Rita Ma'am among them. Discipline came through care. Parents trusted teachers completely, and that trust built character.