How to create a story

How to create a story using the frame: setup, struggle, and success.

The below story has the Setup: ground, school, principal cabin, corridor, college etc. The Struggle: to gain admission in school and break the barrier to speak in Hindi and English. And the Success: getting admission to Hindi medium school, overcome the language barrier and completing his education.

Hindi Medium Boy

I remember it was Monday. My mother and I left home early in the morning. I was a six-year-old boy and walking with her, unaware of our destination. After about ten minutes we reached near one of the buildings. I saw some children playing on the ground. They were playing a game, singing a song “fire in the jungle, run, run! Fire in the jungle, run, run!” I was curious, but my mother didn’t allow me to stand and watch. We entered a building, where she enquired about the Principal’s office. 

 We waited outside the office for our turn to enter for admission inquiry. My mother seemed anxious. She must have been thinking about my admission to the school. We were allowed to enter after half an hour. He offered us seats. My mother started the conversation and requested for my admission, but her dreams were shattered when she got the typical reply of “admissions are full in our school”.

 She requested the Principal to do something. “My son’s year will be wasted if he does not get admission. There is hardly any school in this area except this one,” she told him. 

 But he refused to do anything. We left his cabin without hope. As we walked down a corridor, she suddenly said, “let’s meet Aaji (Grandma).” Aaji, Kerubai Bhosle, was the mother of Karuna, a neighbour, and friend of my mother. She used to work as support staff in that school.

 Aaji soon came to meet us there in the corridor. She was our last hope. My mother told her everything. Aaji told her, “Why are you insisting on admission in Marathi medium section of this school when education is the same in both Hindi and Marathi mediums? I work here as support staff in the Hindi medium section. As per my knowledge admissions are available readily in that section. Let’s meet the Hindi medium section Principal”.

 She also informed us that I could switch from Hindi to Marathi medium next year if she wanted to. Though my mother tongue is Marathi, my mother agreed to her suggestion and was happy about me not having to lose an academic year. She got me admitted to the Hindi medium section; that was where my education journey started.

Initially faced a language barrier but soon adapted to the new language. Next year my mother didn’t get my section changed. I completed my Secondary School Certificate from Hindi medium section.

 After passing school, I took admission in a college and got enrolled in the science stream. The language of instruction in college was English. I remember my first day in college. It was a feeling similar to mine in Grade 1 after I was admitted to the Hindi medium section: a six-year-old boy who had never heard Hindi was clueless about that language.

The students from English-medium schools had an advantage compared to vernacular-medium students like me. They asked questions and discussed problems with the facilitator in English. I made up my mind. I decided that by the time I completed my HSC (10+2) I would be fluent in English.

 However, once you decide to improve on something you actually have to resolve various aspects of that problem. I asked questions like “How to learn English?” “How to be fluent in English?” and “What to do to have command over the English language?”

 In response, I got answers on the lines of “read English newspapers”, “watch English movies and news channels”, “always talk in English with your friends,” etc. I followed them consistently. They worked. By the time I passed HSC, I was speaking in English and had command over the Language. I overcame the language barrier second time in my life.

English helped me complete my B.Sc., M.Sc., and M.L.I.Sc. (Master of Library and Information Science). It remains a prized possession till today.