It was just after the last term exams, during the latter half of March, in Bangalore, and the hot summer had just set in. Priya and her fellow classmates were directed into a classroom which had turned out to be a makeshift medical examination room. There was a feeling of nervousness as well as anticipation around among the peers as it was going to be a group medical examination. It was a procedure that happened every year for the batch that passed out and it was Priya's turn this year.
There were a couple of nurses present along with a lady doctor to proceed with the examination when Priya and a group of six of her classmates stepped into the room.
"Remove your shoes, socks and your uniform," the nurse instructed, her voice lacked any means of emotion.
They all started looking at each other with anxiousness, before they started complying one by one. Priya bent down and unlaced her black school shoes and removed them off her feet. Next came the socks revealing imprints of the elastic bands on her delicate ankles.
Priya stood up and looked around. Waited for a second and started unbuttoning her white blouse one by one. The shirt fell off her shoulders revealing the delicate curve of her collar bones and her white camisole. Next came the blue pleated skirts. She slowly unclasped it and let go as it pooled around her feet. She bent down and picked it to keep it aside along with her rest of the clothing. She stood there hands across her torso, in her camisole and undergarments. Her classmates, too similarly attired now, stood in silence and embarrassment with arms across their fronts.
The nurse's voice, still had no emotions, cut through uneasy silence. "Remove your camisoles as well, please."
Again they all exchanged glances at each other before slowly moving their hands to slide off their camisoles.
Their arms crossed their torsos instinctively.
"Next, please step here for the eye examination" instructed the nurse.
