An Unexpected Bond...in the Rain!

It was a day like any other at our school, until the clouds rolled in. Thick, heavy, and darker than we’d ever seen, they covered the sky by mid-morning. We could feel the tension in the air as we sat in our classes, trying to focus on lessons that suddenly seemed so distant and irrelevant. 

When the first raindrop tapped against the window, we all looked up, and within minutes, it was as if the heavens had opened up. The rain poured down, turning the school grounds into a sea of mud and puddles.

By lunchtime, the announcement came: the buses couldn’t reach the school. The roads were flooded, and it wasn’t safe to send us home yet. A murmur of excitement and worry rippled through the students. We were stranded at school, and no one knew how long we’d be there.

The teachers, sensing our unease, quickly sprang into action. They assured us that everything would be fine and then did something unexpected: they told us to gather in the auditorium. We shuffled in, dripping rainwater from our hurried dash across the courtyard, and sat down, wondering what would happen next. The principal, appeared on the stage with a smile. “Well, it looks like we’re all going to be here for a while,” he said. “But don’t worry, we’ve got a plan. First things first, who’s hungry?”

We all cheered. The teachers had raided the school’s canteen and brought out snacks—chips, cookies, and even some leftover sandwiches from lunch. As we lined up to grab our treats, it felt like the beginning of a strange, unexpected party.

With snacks in hand, we spread out across the auditorium, sitting in clusters with our friends. The teachers didn’t retreat to their offices or watch us from a distance like they usually did. Instead, they mingled with us, sitting down to chat, laugh, and even joke around.

Our math teacher, challenged a group of students to a game of chess, while Mr. Rodriguez, the gym coach, organized a makeshift indoor relay race using paper airplanes. The art teacher, Ms. Chen, set up a doodling station where anyone could grab a marker and add to a giant mural that slowly took shape on a roll of butcher paper.

We played games, told stories, and even had an impromptu talent show where students—and a few brave teachers—sang, danced, and showed off their hidden talents. Time flew by, and before we knew it, the rain had started to let up.

The buses finally arrived as the day was turning into evening, but none of us were in a hurry to leave. The rain that had trapped us at school had also brought us closer together. We had seen our teachers in a new light—not just as the ones who gave us homework and quizzes, but as people who could share a laugh, tell a story, and play a game.

As we boarded the buses to head home, we all felt a little warmer, a little closer, and a lot more connected than we had that morning. The rainstorm had turned what could have been a dreary, uncomfortable day into one we’d always remember—a day when we didn’t just learn from our teachers, but with them, sharing a moment of togetherness that would last long after the rain had gone.

Written By Aadya Kashyap

Aadya wrote this article as the Editor-in-Chief of the program zine, Didi's Notebook.

This zine was established to showcase the work of students and interns at the Media-Makers Fellowship's July '24 cohort.