As if we were not already feeling the pressure of a supposed ‘life-changing’ exam, as if we were not stressed about missing units, as if we were not worried we will fail.

As if these things were not enough, they brought in the ‘flying squad’ during board exams.

DNA India

Do you guys remember this? 

A bunch of serious looking people used to come to the exam centers, to make sure we were not cheating. 

They were not invigilators, those were separate. 

Hindustan Times

These people ‘visited’. Flying squad aa raha hai.

Now that I look back at it, it’s hilarious. But at that time, dude, it was some serious shit.

I’d feel nervous even though I wasn’t cheating. 

Hindustan Times

What if they find a chit in my pencil box, that doesn’t exist? 

It was like airport security. 

They had this weird body language, too. ‘You’re fucked’ type. For no reason.

And they’d WALK (if you know, you know).

Hindustan Times

They used to take rounds of the entire hall, looking at everyone, pausing once in a while.

That pause was deadly. You didn’t want them to pause.

The pause meant your body language was suspicious, which could be anything from shaking your leg too much, to blinking more than normal. 

DNA India

Seriously, it was random as that.

I never saw anyone being caught, but I have heard stories about them taking kids outside and grilling them. 

After which, they were taken to the concerned authorities, crying and begging. But with flying squad, you had no chance.

IB Times

I was too scared to cheat even in class tests, but the flying squad still scared me. Still does, TBH.