Understanding

There is a story not many years ago of a senior lecturer who taught in college. Her name was Mrs. Indranee Ghosh, known to her children as "IG mam". As she stood in front of her Post-Graduate class in English M.A, she told children something 'untrue'. She looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. That was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat there was a boy named 'Rajiv'. IG mam had observed Rajiv the year before and noticed that he did not work well compared to other students, and that his behavior was awkward, stiff and had lacked the basic nourishment for his appearance was quite 'shabby'. It got to the point where IG mam would unhesitatingly mark his answers with broad underlinings and attesting several remarks at the top of his paper. At college, where IG mam taught, the teachers were required to review each child's past records and she put off his until last. However, when she reviewed his cumulative file, she was in for a surprise. His grade one teacher wrote, "Rajiv is a bright candidate, with a ready smile on his face". He does work substantially, and has refined manners...he is a joy to be around". His second teacher wrote, "Rajiv is an excellent student, well-liked by all of his class-mates, but he is troubled because of his family problem at home, hence life for him may be a struggle for him there. His third teacher wrote, " His family member's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him, if some steps aren't taken urgently. Rajiv's fourth teacher wrote, "Rajiv is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in college. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class. By now IG mam had realized the problem and she was feeling awkward with herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Teacher's Day gifts and presents wrapped in gorgeous colorful papers, except for Rajiv's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that one gets from the grocery shop. She took the pain to open the packet in the middle of the whole class, some of them begun to mock this poor thing! some started to giggle. She found a silver bracelet with some of the stones missing. and a bottle that was one quarter full of 'attar' perfume. She stifled the students' satirical laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbling some of the attar on her wrist. Rajiv stayed back after school that day, just long enough to say : "Mam, today you smelled just like my mother used to". After all left, she weeped for quite sometime. From that day, she quit reading, writing and convincing her students. She began to teach children. She paid particular attention to him. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Rajiv had become one of the smartest student in the entire department, and despite her general focus on each individual, he grasped most of her attention. He was now the "Teacher's pet". A year later, she found a note under her door from Rajiv, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. 3 years went by before she got anothe r note from Rajiv. He then wrote that he had finished his Bachelor of Education degree from "Jawaharlal Nehru University, INDIA" with a second class, and that she was still the best teacher he had in his whole life. 4 years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he had started teaching in an university down south, and was in the mid path of his research work. He assured her that, she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. Then 2 more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his Ph.D degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter declared that she was still the best and the most favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer, the letter was signed; Dr. Rajiv Das, M.A, M.Ed, Ph.D (Eng). The story doesn't end there. You see there was yet another letter that sprang up. Rajiv's said he had met this old friend, his girlfriend of college days, and was going to be married to her. He explained that his father had died a couple of years and he was wondering if Mrs. Indranee Ghosh, Senior Lecturer for establishing one's life, not only for college genre would mind to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Ghosh did, and guess what ? She wore that bracelet, the same one, with those stones missing. And she made sure that she was wearing the 'attar' that Rajiv remembered his mother wearing, on their last time together...

They hugged each other, and Dr. Rajiv whispered in IG mam's ear. "THANK YOU IG MAM FOR BELIEVING IN ME, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING ME FEEL SO IMPORTANT AND SHOWING ME THAT I COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE'.

IG mam, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Rajiv, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know that... "Lotuses do bloom in stagnant waters".

Warm some one's heart today...

Never underestimate the Power of Purpose.

Yesterday is History,

Tomorrow is a mystery,

Today is a Gift.

That'z why it is called..."PRESENT".

Dedicated to my favourite teacher...IG mam, who is also like my mother.