sir, i will have 50 dinner rolls...

 Hello, hello, hello! I know the title sounds strange, but don’t worry—I’ll justify it soon.

In 2017, I cleared my Sainik School entrance exam. I was overjoyed and eagerly waiting to join Sainik School Gopalganj. I spent my days packing my bags, buying the necessary items, and counting down to April 5th. The excitement was indescribable.

After waiting for one month and eight days, the day finally arrived. My parents and I loaded our luggage into the car and began the journey to my new school. Throughout the trip, I couldn’t stop looking out the window, impatiently asking my father, “How much farther?” or “Where are we now?” He was visibly irritated but didn’t say much. After 3 hours and 28 minutes, we reached the school, and I was mesmerized. The campus looked incredible!

While we waited outside the main entrance, I saw contingents of cadets marching toward the central parade ground for their morning assembly. Suddenly, they stopped, and a senior cadet with badges began inspecting them. He instructed a few cadets to bend down, and to my surprise, they remained in that position throughout the assembly. My father glanced at me and smiled knowingly—it was clear he was hinting at the kind of discipline I would soon experience.

After the assembly, the gates opened, and we entered the campus. Once the document verification was complete, two students came to carry my luggage. Alarmed, I shouted, “Stop! What are you doing?” The housemaster reassured me that they were seniors and were only helping me.

Then came the hard part: saying goodbye to my parents. Strangely, I wasn’t homesick, but I saw tears in my mother’s eyes, which made me emotional. Somehow, I managed to hold back my tears and waved them goodbye.

I followed the seniors to the dormitory. On the way, a senior from the 9th grade called me over. “Hey, come here! What’s your name?” he asked. I still remember replying, “I won’t come; I have work to do.” It was my first day, so he let it slide. Otherwise, well—you can guess what might have happened!

Inside the dormitory, I arranged my bed with help from the seniors and my new classmates. Later, our house captain introduced himself and explained how the school functioned. He emphasized that our seniors were not just our brothers (bhaiya) but also like our superiors (sir). That’s when it dawned on me—I had made a mistake by disobeying a senior! Thankfully, the captain was friendly, and his demeanor made me feel at ease.

In the evening, our housemaster, Mr. S.N. Singh, visited us. I got to call my parents and told them how happy I was and how quickly I had made new friends. After dinner, we went to sleep, only to be woken up the next morning by a new term: fall-in.

My classmates shook me awake, saying, “Get up fast! We have a fall-in!” Guess who was in charge? The senior I had disobeyed—Sonu Rai Sir! I was shaking, thinking I was doomed. However, he treated us kindly, as it was only our second day. They asked our names, hobbies, and interests and shared stories about the house’s legacy and responsibilities.

At the end, they asked us to sing a song. Now, I am a terrible singer—bad enough to empty an entire auditorium. I confessed this to them, and they laughed. Just as the interaction was wrapping up, our captain announced, “Tonight’s dinner will be a dinner you’ll cherish forever.”

I assumed it would be something grand like chicken curry. Instead, we were instructed to approach a senior and say, “Sir, I will have 50 dinner rolls.” My 10th-grade senior, who happened to be the house prefect, Anshu Sir, listened to my declaration and smirked. “Good luck,” he said. I didn’t understand why he wished me luck, but I thanked him anyway.

Later that evening, we entered the dining hall with great excitement. To my utter disappointment, the “special dinner” turned out to be chicken served with bread! Who eats chicken with bread and calls it a treat? My enthusiasm disappeared. I barely managed to eat one dinner roll, while my senior, seated across from me, watched me struggle with a knowing smile. That’s when I realized why he had wished me luck.

Over time, my perception changed. In 6th grade, I could barely finish one dinner roll. But by the end of my time at Sainik School, I was eating 12 to 13 dinner rolls in one go! My personal record stands at 22 dinner rolls, though I never reached 50.

When I became a senior, I passed on the tradition. I told my juniors, “Today’s dinner will be the most memorable of your life, and you’ll remember it forever.”

And they did.

Thank you!