My Gayathri............

It was the last period of the day. After an exhausting day of hectic duties I was sitting in the class. Students were doing some rough work. They liked playing sudoku and word formation games.

It was this day twenty years back I joined in the education field for the first time in Almora Hill Station.
I was so young then. I had a very good time there for almost four years. Vodka and rum made my evenings memorable.
……….
‘Sir, Principal is calling you. She is in her chamber’
I looked at the door to see John. He was the only hard working and sincere peon in our school.

I stood up and started walking after giving a caution to 

the students ‘keep doing your work. I’ll be back with in five minutes’

I was thinking why would madam have called me. Certainly it would be for assigning some extra work or giving some suggestions. I have never seen such an incorrigible face who always loved to add more and more work on others.

I never had a tough time like this in my entire service. This lady with a large spectale would always enter the class room without any notice. She thought that teachers did their work because of her supervision.In fact had she sit in her room or taken leave for a week, they would try to bring the best out of them, more sincerely and freely.At least for this profession more freedom must be given to execute their own ideas and techniques so that students would find their sharing of knowledge and learning more interesting.
……
When I entered her room I could notice a lady around twenty five years. She got up seeing me and wished ‘Good afternoon, Sir.’
I nodded my head and sat beside her.
I looked at principal to know what for I was called.

‘See Mr.Govind, she has come all the way from Patna to see you.’
I wondered and had a glance at the fine looking face. She had rose lenses in her eyes. Pretty well dressed with a refreshing fragrance. She was so pleasing, endearing and charming.
‘Sir, don’t you remember me? You have changed a lot.’
I guessed that she might be one of my students, but I could not make out exactly who she was.
‘I am your Gayathri, sir.’
?????
‘Not Gay one, Gay two but ………..Gay three.’ She told.
Oh my god………I could refresh my memory now.
‘Oh.. Gayathri…...now I got you. How are you? Where are you now?’
‘Sir, I am living in Patna, with my parents. I am a soft wear engineer there.’
She handed over her marriage invitation and requested me to bless the occasion. We had a long chat about an hour on her school life.
………
Keeping the invitation card in  the dashboard and started driving my car way back to my house.
………….
Gayathri…
She was not a very ambitious girl. Her trivial wishes were like becoming class monitor or standing in the front of the assembly line.
She used to give me a red rose flower daily in the morning, followed by a sweet ‘good morning sir’. In the dull and frozen mornings in Almora, this gave me an inspiring motivation.

After finishing my graduation and B.Ed, I was appointed as a primary teacher in Almora in 1985. I was the class teacher of Gayathri of I.B.
There were three Gayathri s in that class. I called them ..Gay One, ..Gay two and Gay three.
At the time of taking attendance, when I called Gay three, she would jump and shout a big ‘Yes sir’. She’d run to  kiss me. Her arms in the blue sweaters were warm and soft. She was very cute and sweet. Her main hobby was drawing butterflies and flowers.At times she used to draw colourful fish also.

During game periods she used to sit in my lap to 

tell about her mother, father and elder sister. 

She was so thrilled and excited to show me her family photos

She had invited me many times to her house to play with

her which of course I couldn’t make out. 

She had even told others that she wanted to become like me when she grew up.

Her very enthusiastic presence forced me to start liking the job.
…………
I parked my car under a gulmohar tree in front of the Kirali KTDC beer parlour in the town. Thinking about the cute, innocent and energy bubbling primary kids, I slowly diffused into the dim world of soothing instrumental music.

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