– Satyakam Ray
90s kids and the romance in the school days- there lies many fascinating stories for the readers to grasp in their leisure time. It was a time when the teenagers’ total universe centered around board exam pressure, a few sports or cricket sessions, and imitating sachin or shaktimaan. A few young romantic brats and studs those days made the headlines in the informal chatter in the school common rooms, hostels, or playgrounds arena. The romance was pure as few experienced love for the first time. Let’s divulge into the never-forgotten school romance of 90s kids.
When the adolescent stage is at its peak, new romantic Bollywood movies hit the theatre, and a few romantic novels enjoy the school desk on the pretense of preparing class notes; then comes the euphoria of sly romantic ambiance and a sweet lovely feeling called love. It’s a feeling sacred to the young souls who never forget its charm later in adulthood when dating is so common in urban or rural places and where Tinder-like apps rule the forced chemistry. The 90s- the epitome of romance and hit SRK movies hit the youngsters in the hearts to try out the slightly hidden pearl of the school days- romancing.
Infatuation becomes the whole point of attraction towards a certain boy/girl of the same or junior class in the school days. The interest happens because of looks, status, academics, or excellent behavior during the course. Many girls fall for the guy who tops the class or is good at sports. It’s a universal phenomenon that the topper is a crush of many girls or boys. Apart from studies, looks play an essential role in this infatuation process. The beautiful girl is the most popular; students make a beeline for her in or from different schools. The 90s kids followed all these attraction rules.
If the infatuation becomes too strong and with the help of a few close friends( or love wingers), the school love birds become a pair; the love remains a secret for a brief period. It’s obvious the words spread rapidly, and the couple is identified very easily gossiping during sports hours functions or any other leisure time. During study time, the class notes become handy for sharing heartfelt, profound messages to the secret/known paramour with the help of a few exchanges of hands across the study desks/chairs.
With no help from mobile phones, texting, or sprouting CCDs, the 90s kids had an intense experience of first love/infatuation, which was very pure and honest. The Breakups were there, but the frequency was relatively low compared to today’s generation. Under the strict vigilance of parents, teachers, neighbors, or even close Kirana store owners, the love didn’t blossom quite openly those days. These adults taught a moral lesson if a couple was caught romancing in the nearby parks, school campuses, or tuition centers. A few open-minded persons espoused the school romance back then. Nowadays, school kids behave like adults, and the lust part is more prominent than in the 90s kids.
The author can remember the experience of a friend involved in a love story during the school days. After the school breaks, the person waited for a whole hour in the market close to the school to meet with her crush every day during her daily coaching institute itinerary cycle ride. The couple would chat and silently go to their respective coaching institutes without fuss. The author didn’t know what happened to the love birds after they became adults or finished college. It is just a tiny example of the 90s kids’ love story.
The gift shop owners had a good time during the 90s kids’ love story. Birthday cards, news year cards, and love message quoted cards were in vogue demand those days. Chocolates and bouquets were also in fashion for some time among the urban crowd. The silent waiting for the crush, giving secret looks during the prayers or parades or prize ceremonies, and creepy smirks looking at each other of the 90s kids are now replaced with texting, voice calls, or video calls among teenager romances. Going to pubs or clubs during school days was unheard of among the 90s kids. The silent, sweet, love-stricken schoolkids of the 90s era now feel shocked to see today’s generation’s bold, adult approach. Nevertheless, time changes, and so does the style.
The SRK hand pose by the wannabe lovers to impress their crushes in front of the mirrors is a tad old-fashioned now. So do the hand-written love letters written by “experts” in the hostels and passing on information about the time or place of the secret next meet through the help of close friends( love wingers) become antic? These things are done in a whisker through a text or an emoji now. Still, the charm and innocence of the love appeal among the 90s kids remain authentic to this day, and now the adults remember these sweet romances of the school days or promises made to each other at school reunions, most probably in an expensive hotel or resort after having 1-2 kids to company them with different partners! Adulthood hit everything differently, and 90s kids’ romance is no exception. But we should enjoy the glorious past in a light-hearted manner to have a good laugh among school chaddi-buddies.