English Teacher

Poorvi's exhilaration and exuberance was bottomless when she spotted her name on the list of selected students for the post graduation course in English displayed outside her college's notice board. 

Poorvi as well as her best friend Swapna  was born under a lucky star to secure a seat out of the only twenty seats allocated for the post graduation in English to their degree college by The Himachal Pradesh University. Both of them knew well that for them it was no less than epoch-making to get admission as there were minimum chances of them being sent out of the city for higher education due to their own respective grounds.Poorvi's father had a transferable job and Swapna's family was dyed-in-the-wool, unwilling to budge even for an inch from their centuries old orthodox track .

Another reason for their desperation to get admission in their city's college was the bond that they shared. Since class ninth they had been together.

"Swapna ,so we have two more years of togetherness."Poorvi patted on Swapna's back.

"Yes,our last two years."Swapna sighed.

"Why last ? We will continue our march on the path of higher education side by side."Poorvi's optimism could get only a faint smile from her friend.

"My father is on a look-out for a bridegroom for me."Swapna spoke looking grimly towards the tall hills of their beautiful Kullu valley. The thunderous sound of Beas river flowing majestically piercing the heart of valley echoed in the hearts of the two young buddies.

"Wow,your wedding ! It would be a great day. We will tip our hat to that day when it would come. At present think of the next two bright years that future has in store for us."Poorvi tried to pull her friend out of her dismal family world.

Next day when the friends marched hand in hand towards the college where they had spent three years ,they were knocked for six. They no longer felt like at home in the college premises where they had spent three years in a go ,the college surfaced bizzare to them as almost all of their batch mates had left for novel terminuses in their life's journey. Soon they realised that then all the fun they had at the college canteen, grounds, corridors with rest of their friends was a thing of past.The fact that no one would be there to share their umbrellas with them on rainy days was heart breaking. Their college life was going to shrink in the two solitary dismal rooms near the administrative block. Where one room was alloted to them the first semester students and another for their twelve seniors of third semester, as one of their seniors later told them that after first semester five or six students left their masters degree. Thus in every session a few seats for Master's degree stood wasted.

"Poorvi ,when we were doing graduation l don't remember ever seeing  the post graduation students. Did you know about these classrooms?"Swapna said when they set foot in their new classroom ,which wasn't better than a store for keeping decrepit junk things. Already ,there were around fourteen girls sitting inside that cubicle .Swapna dragged Poorvi towards the third bench in one of the two rows which was unoccupied. 

"Hai,"Poorvi took the initiative by breaking the ice. It was strange that though most of them were from the same college ,none of them had ever noticed eachother. Poorvi thanked Almighty in her heart as her bestie was with her.."So,we are sixteen. Who are the rest of four ?"Before she could complete her sentence four handsome Himachali boys entered the class.

"May, l come in mam?"the boy in front wearing a sports cap took Poorvi to be the teacher as she was the only one standing near the black board. 

Poorvi was embarrassed and without answering rushed to her seat making everyone in the class laugh.

"Do l look so old to be a teacher ? "Poorvi questioned Swapna.

"No , you don't look old. Actually semester three boys were telling us that one of the English teachers mrs. Negi is very ravishing with arresting features.l thought you are the one they were talking about. They all ,l mean our seniors wait for her class."one of the boys who had overheard Poorvi spoke up.

"Swapna ,do l look married ?"Poorvi pinched Swapna.

"Ignore mrs remember only word ravishing .My dear you are pretty as a picture."Swapna smiled.

They could have chatted more but the door opened and a dark complexioned ,stubby and burly woman with curly hair in her early fiftees entered their class.

All the students stood up from their seats to put on a show of their deferance for the teacher though for most it was just a superficial motion. Poorvi found that except for she and her friend Swapna all were reacting in a weird way. A few of them were pinching each other , another few of them were trying to suppress their laughter . Most of them behaved as if they had seen a clown.

"Sit down all of you. Let me introduce myself . I am Nishibala one of the four teachers who will be taking your class in first semester. I will be teaching poetry to you." Even Poorvi and Swapna could not hold their smiles when Nishibala mam almost sprang on the chair kept for educators in a corner of the room Her feet were dangling a few inches above the floor. Poorvi wondered if she was a dwarf .

"I know some of you are laughing at me. "Nishibala mam's words took everyone with a surprise. There wasn't even a trace of vexation or frustration in her voice"You can continue to laugh. I don't mind .l am habitual to it and am grateful to Almighty for making me a reason of joy and amusement for others rather than being a reason of someone's abhorrence and displeasure."Poorvi felt her voice to be the sweetest of the voices she had heard.

"Look at the confidence of Sambher Vadda. While we were waiting for ras malai she has come to spoil our day."one of the girls among backbenchers remarked in a hushed tone.

"Did you say something?"Nishibala pointed towards the girl.

"No ,mam",the girl began to break out in sweat like a thief who is  being caught red handed .

"Mam,she was asking do you sing? Actually your voice is very sweet."Poorvi intervened to cover up bringing a smile on her teacher's visage whose seasoned  eyes had seen that she was a recepient of a comment by the girl.

"No dear,l don't sing. I hope all of you have bought books of semester one .l wish you all to bring Wordsworth tomorrow."Poorvi was enthralled for the next forty minutes while their teacher in short talked about great poets both lndian as well as the poets' abroad, importance of poetry, poetic beauty etc.She was a knowledgeable person like Poorvi's father. She had always felt mesmerized by the scholarly discourse of her banker father ,who almost knew about each and every topic.

After Nishibala three more teachers came and introduced themselves as well as their respective fields in English language and learning.But,the most awaited pretty teacher to their disappointment was taking only semester three and graduation classes. Mrs. Negi was a non-fictitious beauty ,an icon of comeliness,her dressing style ,her shoes and assessories made her mannequin a role model of maximum students in the college . Every day the students of semester one looked forward to her arrival as she resembled the retro actor Sadhna with her blunt cutting and endless collection of beautiful Sarees. As far as Swapna and Poorvi were concerned they waited eagerly for Ms Nishibala whose sombre austere ways were in complete contrast to Mrs Negi.Her mostly plain cotton suits , always ironed gave her the chaste look of Sanyasis.

"I wonder who all live in Nishi mam's house. Her children must be lucky to have her as their mom."

"Swapna,her children! Do you really think someone could have really dared to marry our zombie mam?"one of their classmates scoffed.

"Mind your language .She is of your mother's age. You should think before you speak."Poorvi became furious.

"Is she your mother?"another girl yelled.

"I don't think anyone but a blind fellow would have married her."One more of their classmates blurted .Swapna pressed Poorvi's hand to keep her in check. She was aware that once Poorvi got attached to someone she would not hesitate to fight hard for that fellow.

"Nishibala mam is a spinster. She resides near children's park with her old paralyzed mother."One of the boys added a comment.

Poorvi got up from there and left with Swapna towards the canteen as she couldn't hear the jokes which were cracked by her classmates about her favourite mam.

Days went by, half of their semester was over when all of a sudden Nishibala mam stopped coming to the college.

"Thank God , zombie mam has stopped coming to college. Now ,l don't have any nightmares."

"Stop calling her zombie. You and your mom are zombies that's why you think everyone to be of your creed."

"Enough is enough Swapna tell your friend to mind her business. If she doesn't like our talks she can go anywhere. There is no need for your goddess of goodness to be here."Poorvi's tormentor spoke up.

"Poorvi ,let's go from here."Swapna pulled her forcibly to avoid any feud.

After a week , for all semester one students a surprise was waiting as Mrs Negi entered their classroom to keep the train of their syllabus of poetry moving.Her way of teaching was as prodigious as was of Nishibala mam.

"I wish zombie mam never returns."One of the four boys who was otherwise introvert spoke up.

"Yes, you are right."many of Poorvi's classmates voted in his favour. Poorvi also adored Mrs Negi's teaching but still she couldn't help missing  Ms Nishibala.

Poorvi many times thought of probing about Ms Nishibala, but she knew college teachers were indifferent lot. They were not like school teachers to whom they used to approach easily. College faculty was inaccessible , mostly off the map. A distance was always maintained and appreciated. Everything was mechanical.

After a fortnight,one evening at home Poorvi's father asked her,"Dear do you know Nishibala?Is she in your college?"

"Yes, papa do you know her?"Poorvi looked towards her father switching off the TV.

"Yes, she was my classmate."

"Really papa. Nishibala mam was teaching me poetry. All of a sudden she has stopped coming to college."

"I know , Poorvi. She was one of the most decent students of my time . She was the topper in University. "

" Papa, why didn't she marry. Did you all also make fun of her in college?"Poorvi's eyes were full of tears to think of all those times when her classmates had made fun of her.

"No ,dear. Noone could dare to comment her. Infact all were fond of her . She was the best debater and chess champion of our time. Because of her fine mannerism she had won many friends. She was a very bold  personality.Nishi in her times was strong enough to pull eyes out of sockets of those who misbehaved with anyone."

"Papa,you must be mistaken our mam doesn't say anything even when in front of her eyes students make fun of her. You must be talking about someone else. "

"Poorvi, isn't she dark and short highted?"Poorvi nodded .

"With age dear may be she has become mature enough to not to react to the immature people. I really feel sad for her. Do tell her that you are my daughter."

"I will papa. But these days she doesn't come to college"

"I know dear. Her mother has recently passed away. You know Poorvi she was the only child of her parents. In order to take charge of them in their old age  she had turned down all marriage proposals. I have come to know that a few years back her father had passed away. And ,now her mother. God knows now how she would survive."

"How did her mother pass away ?"Poorvi's mom asked.

"Because of monkeys.As you must have read in newspapers these days a lot of discussion has been kicked off on the menace created by monkeys.  Nishi lived near the children's park . When Nishi went to the college a maid used to  take care of her paralyzed mother. Nishi would take care of all the needs of her mother.She nursed her mother round the clock and only trusted her with the maid for a couple of hours she spent in the college. Two weeks ago her maid who usually took care of her mother didn't turn up for some reason. In place of herself she had sent her cousin who had carelessly left one of the windows of her mother's room opened. Sadly the window had no grill. A troupe of monkeys gained access to her ailing mom's room lured by the eatables kept on her mom's bedside. When she tried to shoo them away that vicious troupe went wild and bit her mother fatally. The poor old lady succumbed to her injuries. "Poorvi could not hold her tears.

The following day in her college when she narrated her dear teacher's saga word by word as her father had narrated to her in class everyone was ashamed of their behaviour . All had tears in their eyes. All eagerly waited for their English Poetry teacher's return and who did finally turn up after two months. She was looking very infirm . But her dolefulness didn't intervene on the way of discharging her duties. 

"Mam, do you remember mr. Rohit Thakur ?" Poorvi one day followed her dear teacher.

"Are you Rohit's daughter?" A sweet smile adorned her teacher's countenance .

"Yes, mam."

"Now,l know why you felt so touched when your batchmates commented on me.You have inherited goodness of your father. You know when l was his classmate he would always stand by my side to support me whenever someone spoke ill of me. Where is he? What does he do?"Nishibala mam smiled.

"Mam,he is in a bank . We came here a few years back when he got transferred. Actually ,mam he had read news of aunty's sad demise."

"It was really very unfortunate. We are helpless dear in front of Almighty's way. Don't think about it. Pay my regards to your parents." Nishibala mam concealed her tears and went away.

Time flew and farewell party of Poorvi's batch came. Out of the four semesters Nishibala mam had taught them poetry in three semesters. To everyone's surprise in that party when all the twenty final semester students were asked about their favourite teachers all had only one name to say Nishibala mam as they had realised that the golden heart is more precious than the golden locks of hair..........

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