My Teacher, My Partner

Neha ma'am was the inspiration that we class eleven students were wishing for badly. Within two years we would be sitting for our Engineering and Medical competitive exams. There was no one to take care of our Maths and Science. Class ten teachers were not adequate enough to reduce our burden of ignorance. We were praying that someone good should come and take care of us. That void was filled by Neha ma'am finally. Thank you teacher, thank you Neha ma'am on this teacher's day.

Neha ma'am was very young and dynamic. She was just about five to six years older than the average age of our class. She had joined temporarily as she was waiting for her dissertation to be received by her and then apply for visa for Canada for further higher studies.

Within a short time Neha Ma'am had infused so much energy in us that from intense tension now we were a relaxed bunch. We could hardly imagine that someone could catch hold of Maths and full Science group subjects by the scruff of the neck and lay them bare before us. It was only possible for Neha ma'am and for that we were truly grateful to her. We thank her once again.

Complex problems of Maths, Physics and Chemistry could be solved so simply we had no inkling of an idea. Our previous batch were always grumbling for the poor quality of teaching and inadequate preparation guide for the competitive exams. But Neha ma'am was a genius. One so young and so inexperienced could do the job none had an idea. The two years of the plus two stage sailed away like a dream. We were so thrilled in doing the mock tests that we could hardly believe ourselves. The studies and the questions that seemed so boring and tough before Neha ma'am had taken over now seemed just a cakewalk. We were like champion team players all charged up before a premium match and we didn't need a separate psycho coach to pep talk us to get motivated. Neha ma'am was just enough. She had saved our parents thousands of rupees from us taking various coaching classes. The markets were teeming with coaching classes of every type and description and involving varied amounts. A student just had to be ready with hordes of cash. Neha ma'am had saved us from all such harrowing worries. 

Finally there were the thirty of us who would be appearing for the board exams and sitting for various competitive exams for the entrance to Engineering and Medical colleges. Without any doubt all of us sailed through the board exams with flying colors with more than twenty securing more than ninety percent marks in the aggregate. The rest had secured high above eighty percent. All the credit goes to Neha ma'am. 

Not one of us thirty failed to secure a medical or engineering seat at the premium institutes of the country. 

We took the opportunity and gathered together before our sessions began at the new colleges to make a grand thanksgiving and felicitation ceremony for Neha ma'am. 

At the valedictory speech Neha ma'am became very emotional and said, '' I dreamt of all my students to do well in their lives' stepping stone, but never had I imagined to see such a stellar performance. I am overwhelmed and the results are there to speak volumes about the hard work the students have put in. I have just been a cog in the wheel. I wish all success to my students. A teacher cannot ask for more ''. We all gathered around our beloved Guru, our mentor, and shouted out a loud thank you and then started the Thanksgiving music. It was an amazing happy moment for all of us. 

Then we all departed and went our own ways. In a few years we all graduated. Some went for higher studies. Others took up good jobs all over the world. But we all kept in touch. At every sphere of our working life we fellows discussed how those last two years of school had been so crucial and how Neha ma'am had come down from heaven as if like an angel and guided us. We all discussed the innumerable benefits we all had gained at various points in our lives and for most of it the credit lay with Neha ma'am. Every teacher's day after our passing out we made it a point to make a group call with our ma'am and wished her. We inquired about her health and she would want to know individually how each were faring in life. The teacher's day was like a special festival for us. Those who were in town on that day, they ensured to spend it with ma'am and ma'am would bask in the ambience of their gathering. 

Some four - five years passed down the line. Many of us were now busy with our family lives as some had married. But we kept in touch and specially with our beloved teacher, Neha ma'am. We came to know that Neha ma'am had become so involved in teaching and the students were now the jewel in her crown, so she had sacrificed her higher education in Canada and continued teaching at our school, The Modern Gurukul. In the meanwhile Neha ma'am had also married. We didn't know much about her husband but he also was a teacher we assumed. 

These few years, had kept in touch intermittently as I was heavily involved with my personal and professional life. Sometimes, I regretted not to have updated information with my erstwhile friends and my respected Guru, Neha ma'am. Unwanted problems had cropped up in my life suddenly and kept me bogged down. 

There had been some dramatic ups and downs. I met with my lady love in life and decided to marry her. But few months compatibility issues appeared in our lives leading unfortunately to our mutual divorce. This led me to an involuntary depression. 

Somehow, Neha ma'am came to know about my plight. She started long distant counselling with me as I was staying abroad those years. Neha ma'am was also facing some marital discord, I came to know as she was quite candid about it. Her husband seemed to be having an extra marital affair and Neha ma'am had definite proofs about it. Downplaying her own problems, she continuously counselled me so that I could overcome the difficulties ahead. Later on I would think about her in amazement. I felt so ashamed and self centered to be concerned with my problems only and turning a blind eye towards my ma'am. Much later through my friends, I had come to know that Neha ma'am had to repeatedly bear physical torture and she braved it patiently. Her husband was an alcoholic and with criminal bent of mind. He resorted to domestic violence repeatedly and Neha ma'am bore it with patience for fear of social stigma. 

Then, I finally returned to India. I had taken a years long sabbatical undecided about the future. My professional life had been good but my domestic life was a disaster. I had separated from my wife and failed to take custody of my daughter and the court had ruled in my wife's favor for the upkeep of our daughter. This had dealt a severe blow to my morale. Neha ma'am from then had done a lot to boost up my sagging mental state. 

On landing at the airport, destiny would have it, I bumped with a class eleven batch mate of mine. '' Bimal, have you heard, our Neha ma'am has met with a severe road accident and is in hospital fighting for her life, '' Pratik, my friend burst out haltingly with lot of emotion. Then whatever luggage I had deposited at the cloak room and quickly moved towards the hospital with Pratik. 

From Pratik, I came to know that none of our super thirty group was in the town now. All were living elsewhere according to the needs of their lives. Pratik had just come home last week and finding time from his busy schedule had visited our school to meet our charismatic mentor Neha ma'am. From other school members he had come to know that Neha ma'am had lot of problems now in her family. Her marital life was rocking like a floundering rudderless boat in mid sea. Only due to her optimistic disposition she was braving all odds and displaying a calm facade. But inside she was facing the worst storm akin to the cyclonic storm that torments Bay of Bengal every year. Everyone was of the opinion that her husband was an offender of the worst type that may befall on a hapless woman like Neha ma'am. 

Just a couple of days ago Neha ma'am and her husband were travelling in their car and as per assumptions of the police the couple might have had an accident when the husband lost control of the steering and banged head on on a wall by the road side. The husband was spot dead and Neha ma'am was admitted in the hospital in a very precarious condition. But when she would be stable and regained consciousness her statement would be recorded by the police. Till then every decision was being made on assumptions. Myself and Pratik went to the hospital with a bouquet of flowers in our hands. We knew Neha ma'am loved flowers. But as she was in the ICU we handed over the flowers to the nurse in charge and viewed ma'am from the glass panel in the door. In a few days Pratik had to go back as his leave had ended. But I stayed back as I had come on a sabbatical. Plus I had a duty towards our beloved ma'am who had given so much of her life for our growth. 

I found in a few days that none of her relatives came to visit Neha ma'am either from her side or from her in law's. Only I was present to see my ma'am. The hospital authorities finding only my self visiting Neha ma'am, started discussing her health progress with me. After full three weeks did Neha ma'am regain some semblance of consciousness to at least help the police to record her statement. As per the statement, with the argument continuing, Neha ma'am had asked her husband to stop the car as she was feeling asphyxiated and wanted to get off. But the husband lost his control over the steering as he had gone blank in mind due to deep anger. 

Neha ma'am continued to stay in the hospital for few more weeks convalescing. When she had gained strength enough to independently discharge her daily duties she was discharged. 

I had no home now after shifting abroad and due to the death of my parents, I had sold off my house. So I accompanied Neha ma'am to her house. Neha ma'am, now after the death of her husband was totally alone. She needed company and help. So how I could abandon her. Hence I decided to stay back and take care of her on Humanitarian grounds. After all she was my teacher and I was very much indebted to her. 

After few months Neha ma'am regained her normal self. So I felt now it was time for me to leave. But Neha ma'am pleaded with me like a little child that I had to stay back. '' You know, I have never lived all alone. I suffer from monophobia, '' cried Neha ma'am with almost tears in her eyes. '' Please stay with me Bimal for the rest of your life. I know you are also alone like me, '' said Neha ma'am appearing casual but with a deep down concern if I rejected her request. 

So I stayed on with Neha ma'am a one time student of hers now as a partner in her solitude.