Aarushi's absence marked as school reopens

NEW DELHI: The holidays are over. But for the students of DPS Noida, returning to school on Tuesday after six weeks was a sobering affair. A special morning assembly and two minutes of absolute silence in memory of Aarushi Talwar poignantly reinforced the loss of a good friend and a brilliant student.

Aarushi would've been in class IX. "We want to move on, but the memories are so vivid that it's hard," says Aashna, a close friend of Aarushi. An empty seat, a number skipped in the roll-call don't make it easier. Neither does the persistent presence of the media, engulfing the school for a quote or a sound byte.

"Leave us alone," says a fatigued parent, at the school gate. "The kids need to forget; it's not normal for a child to go to school amidst all this press hullabaloo."

The principal, Nina Sehgal, addressed a waiting throng of reporters and photographers with a firmness that clearly voiced the concerns of parents and teachers alike: "I want the children to keep her alive in their memories, but it's important for them to recover, to focus on their responsibilities and grow into happy adults." And the constant glare of the media wasn't helping the healing process. "The media can help us by focusing on the progress of the case alone. Six weeks have passed; what's the point of scraping the wounds of young people?"

Speaking of the memorial service in the morning, she said it was important to reinstate a feeling of security among the students. They must believe that Aarushi's murder was an unfortunate aberration and that both school and home were still nurturing havens to grow up in. "I told them they mustn’t get swayed by what everybody is saying - no one is guilty until proven in court." The school is in the process of organizing counselling sessions, especially for Aarushi's class and groups that were close to her. "Parents too, must address the uncertainty that may have set in; the kids need their support more than ever now," she asserted.

Outside the school, students of class XII - for whom the new term started earlier than the rest of the school - stand in groups discussing an exam they have just appeared for. Amongst them is Pragun Vashisht, president of the cultural committee. Recalling Aarushi as "really nice to talk to" he is disgusted by the way the hype has overshadowed the actual murder of "one of us". Recalling a rumour that a competitive exam actually included the question 'Who killed Aarushi Talwar' in the general knowledge section, he says, "With all this loose talk, soon it'll be a social disgrace just to be a Talwar."

Teachers too felt the hush in classroom which was a sad departure from the usual cacophony. "We're all in mourning - even the ones who didn't know her too well," says one who belongs to the middle wing (class 6-8). Emphasizing the need to shift focus to the case, she says, "We've lost one of our children. We've analyzed the dirt. Is there anything else left to say?" For now, the silence says it all.