We were about to cross the street when she tugged at my hand and said over the din of passing vehicles-” Lets not head towards that auto rickshaw. The driver was my student once and he will not charge us the fare.” I grinned and changed the angle of my targeted walk. Then I also discovered the extra coconut, that came along with the rest of the veggies as the vegetable shop owner was also her student!
She retired as the principal of the local higher secondary school with 32 years at the same place. Children with limited means go to such schools and they aspire to be able to earn their living and support their families.Hence, the real working hands out here- auto rickshaw drivers, masons, plumbers,mechanics, painters, grocers and shop owners too, all are alumnus of this school. Whenever interacting with the locals, I usually caution myself to tread and treat carefully or who might turn out to be her student, heaven only knows!! While driving through the palace roads here in Trivandrum, we ventured into a no entry zone. As I readied myself to be accosted by the state police personnel at the check post, a sassily smiling lady sub inspector smartly walked up to her principal madam sitting in my car and simply waved us through after the two minutes “madam, remember me?” and the madam trying to recall the batch without any success!Such is her imprint on the local community that all over zealous behaviour by any local stranger is usually interpreted as their regard for their teacher. The joke around the house of course being “Mom’s teaching could take them only this far!”
But what a reward,this immediate recognition is! Children from humble backgrounds, made capable to take on jobs in the service industry without any fear of scorn; educated and earning their living through hard work and pride. The service agency recently sent over a cook for the stop gap period on the permanent one’s leave. A mellow ‘tears shedding session’ took place in the kitchen as the new one too was from the same…š
Heartfelt 
How gratifying can that be !! Absolutely a brilliant piece Sush !!
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Thank you Rush!!
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OMG Sush! This is super awesome! Great going dear ā¤
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Thank you Maya chechi!!
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It is such a privilege to have been a teacher ….to so many. A very engaging read… relatable in so many ways…
Beautiful Sush…Loved it
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Thank you Shailja. You never fail to appreciate.
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Wonderfully Written ā¦I am a big fan of you now šš
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Thank you for reading and appreciating it my dear Seema.
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Thank you so much Seema. Your appreciation matters a lot.
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Hats off to the Principal mam as till date she is remembered for her work and polite behaviour.
Very well written and expressed
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Yes! Such people silently contribute to the society . Thank you for reading and appreciating Punam.
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Teachers build nation ; they are extremely precious facet of our society.. .. what a wonderful post .kind of tribute to all loving and dedicated teachers .. keep writing my frnd šš½šš½āš½āš½
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Yes, although a joke around the house , the essential fabric of the society cannot be ignored. Thank you for your feedback and appreciation.
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Loved the style of your expression! This is the blessing of being in this profession . There’s a huge responsibility alongside on the shoulders!
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Thank you Prof!! You give a lot without expecting any recognition.
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A very interesting read ~~ā i must say you have a lovely flair of making simple anecdotes into masterpieces…~ā Now I shall wait for some moreāā
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Thank you so much Milu di! Read 07July series on the same link.
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Only a teacher can understand and appreciate this, as I do recalling my decade of teaching journalism and the boys/girls who come to me whenever I enter a city newsroom, saying “…”Sir, I was your student in….” Itt also explains why I am moved to tears when I read APJ Abdul Kalam saying in his books that he became s scientst only because of that village school primary maths teacher who…..That is the best reward an ill-paid Indian teacher can get for being in world’s best profession.
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Thank you so much sir, for dropping in to read and then adding your valuable thoughts here ššš»
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Pl remove the typos .. writing on a phone.
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š no problem , didn’t see any
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Our love and respect for our teachers can not be denied, we owe a lot to themā¦.wonderfully written Sushmita ššš»
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Thank you so much for taking time out to read this one and liking the post dear Sony ā¤ļø
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