The Last Letter

Psychology always interested me so when in college I got a chance to choose it as an elective subject I quickly grabbed it. But it was the tough nut, I failed miserably in the first terms, and went to my teacher for help.

"I refer you to Dr. Homesh Mukherji. He is the professor at the university." Ma'am said.

"Fine" I took my bag and ran towards Dr. Mukherji's cabin. The room was closed, the peon outside told me to wait outside as Sir is busy with some students inside. I waited for an hour, finally, a student came outside,

"Hi!" I said,

He turned and looked at me,

"You've also come to study under Dr. Mukherji?" He asked me.

"Yea" I replied,

"Oh God ! I hope you be fine after the session"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever met him? He is just...just pathetic" He said irritated and left the room.

"Shall I go in?" I asked the peon who just came outside the room after the student passed,

"No, Sir is busy' He said straight and sat on his chair again.

I waited for another hour and finally went to the canteen to have some food.

When I returned, the peon agreed to let me be in. As I entered the cabin, I saw a man in his seventies, he had mixed hair and mustaches that would reach till his lips. He was wearing a half pullover and a shirt underneath it. He looked at me with anger,

"Where were you?" He screamed.

I stiffened at my position, "I...I was hungry so I went to...to the canteen" I said stammering.

"Canteen!!!" He yelled, "You were supposed to be here, and you were roaming here and there. Do you want to study or not?" He said angrily.

"Sir, I waited for two hours and..." I was about to say something, but he cut me in,

"I heard about your grades from Madam Julie, if you want to survive this semester, you have to work according to me" He added.

"I am sorry Sir," I said looking down as I had no other option.

And then the story started, I started going to Dr. Mukherji every day. It was a routine, I would get scolded by him every day. There were days when I thought of quitting this whole thing and leave, but still, I had no other option but to stay with him, no one could deny the fact that he was actually very good at his work. He had so much knowledge and his ways of teaching were also good, but yes it was also true that he was a hard taskmaster. He would give me tons of assignments and punishments and I was somehow copping up with all this.

One day I got the news that Dr. Mukherji was ill and will be staying at his house. I won't lie at first I was happy that no class at least for one day. But at the time of his class, I was feeling lonely and bored. I finally decided to go to his place.

When I entered his house, a sudden heavy air stuck my face. It was a large house but the lights were all so dim and almost turned off, all windows closed. There was a kind of suffocation in the house, No one except the professor.

I entered his room he was lying on the bed half-awake,

"No class for today, I already told you," He said.

"Sir, I am here to see you. How are you feeling now?" I asked

"None of your business, leave," He said in his arrogant voice.

I realized that no one was there to look after him, the peon who used to sit outside had ones told me that his wife and daughter died in an accident and he lives alone. In a second I gathered all my courage and finally opened my mouth in front of him,

"Sir, I am here to take care of you, and I will not leave," I said, the first time in my life going against his orders.

He yelled again and again, but I had decided, at first I opened the window and switched on the lights, later I went in the kitchen to cook for him. The day passed in him screaming at me.

Again it became the routine, I would go to his house, took care of him, get scolded by him and came back at night. Now I had started to like his scoldings.

Finally, he recovered from his illness and started coming to college again.

I passed the semester with distinction. I even received a gold medal in psychology. The last day when I went to meet him, I touched his feet.

He handed me a small letter in my hand and went away. When I opened it, tears rolled down my eyes

YOU ARE THE BEST STUDENT I'VE EVER HAD, THE DAYS WE SPENT TOGETHER, I FELT AS IF MY DAUGHTER WAS HERE WITH ME. THANK YOU

The letter said, I still have that letter engraved in a small frame, it's the best letter I have received in my life.