For you, teacher....

Teachers hold special places in one's life. No matter what form of learning is acquired. I believe, a teacher is a messenger of god who teaches what god wants us to learn. In fact, life acts as a teacher when there is no human being present in one's life to essay the role. I am quite fortunate in this regard to have been blessed by teachers who not only taught me text books but life also. My parents and sisters are my best teachers 24x7 to learn what needs to reform my being. I belong to a family of teaching professionals. I met many teachers during the course of my student life. I have already shared the story of my blind music teacher earlier. There are some more who come for me on the same level.

Recently, I was telling a friend about one of my teacher who taught me English during 6th-8th standard. And then I got this idea of sharing his story on this blog. He was a retired teacher of a govt. school where he used to teach English and a 75 years old man with an athletic spirit and activity. I was preparing for All India Talent Search Exams then. Baba learned about a teacher who was retired and used to take private tuition at home. He took me with him to his place and my teacher asked me to start in a batch of 8 students from the very next day. I started enjoying his teaching soon. After a week, he separated me from the batch and started teaching me in a batch of only 1 student. And that student was me.

I told baba about it and he thought that he would charge more for teaching me individually. When the month got over, baba visited him and paid his extra tuition fees to his wife as he wasn't home that moment. In the evening, my teacher came walking with his walking stick to our place and returned the additional fees. Baba asked him the reason for that. And he said" I don't teach your daughter for money. If I need to earn money, I have so many batches and I get my pension also. I found something very remarkable in your daughter. The dedication she pays for my lessons and efforts satisfies the teacher in me. I can't ask from her anything more than that. But, I understand I am not obliging you. So, I will take 100 rupees. Thats all I want."

Baba told me about this conversation with him when he left. I couldn't believe my ears on what I heard. I decided that I will keep the faith of my teacher intact and started paying more attention to his lessons from then. Days were passing by and I was immersing in the ocean of his knowledge. But, every story has to pass a test...the test of hardship. One day, when he was returning home from a shop, he met with an accident. The first chest bone of his rib-cage got broken and he got constrained to rest on bed for 2 months. Because of his old age, his bone couldn't be joined. But doctor made him capable of walking and leading a normal life with that too by turning the bone's direction a little.

Before that, he needed to do proper bed rest with traction adjusted on his chest so that he doesn't move or roll over his bed. It was a curse for a man to not move even an inch who was so active physically. I visited him with baba and thought that he wouldn't be able to teach me at least for 2 months. He had canceled all his batches for that duration. But he expressed his desire in continuing with me. I was astonished to learn that. Baba asked him" Sir, you won't be able even to sit for 2 months. Why do you want to bear pain unnecessarily?" He replied" It is not unnecessary. I want to teach your daughter. She has her exams in 2 months and I can't leave her halfway in the course. Her learning will be my content. I would teach her in this position only. Please let me do it."

Getting his encouragement, I started going to him for the tuition again. He used to teach me with a book in one hand in that recumbent position. He used to exchange the book in the other hand if one starts aching. Sometimes, he used to get distressed with the pain but he never complained about it while teaching me. His room used to look like a hospital ward with all the medicines smells. I used to sit near his bed and I could smell his body stinking. Nobody else other than his wife used to step in his room. But, the only factor that was worth giving attention to, was his efforts despite all the pains and troubles.

Observing this, I forgot everything other than his lessons. I realized that there is no other person left in this world apart from me and my teacher in that one hour. 2 months later, when he came back to his ambulatory stage, my exams were over by then. I continued with him for 2-3 years. After that, baba got transferred from the place and we had to leave. I went to his place with baba and sought his blessings for my next course. He said" A student will always have many teachers in his/her life, but a teacher gets only a bunch of these kind of students who make his life worthy as a teacher. You justified the meaning of my being as a teacher. I am grateful to you."

I had tears in my eyes after listening this. That moment was one of the most truthful moment I have ever seen in my life. I have seen very few teachers with that spirit. And in this selfish age, who would like to teach someone for 100 rupees and in a painful condition like this? His earnest efforts and dedication towards me marked my future journey. Of course, he taught me English in that small room. But, I also learned life from him. I learned the definition of effort and devotion. I learned how one forgets his/her own pain for someone's ascent and well being. For him...my advancement was important than money, than rest, than any other possible gain in the world.

Thanks is a very small word for you teacher, as I would never be able to pay for what you taught me. I am indebted to you till I am alive. All I can say is, your pains and efforts won't go futile. I make sure that this world knows about you not only through this blog, but also through your lessons. I haven't seen god yet, but I am confident that he will have the same piece of spirit I saw in you. Your memory reiterate to me...that god exists....