Someone has rightly said that time flies with a blink of an eye. My elder born cleared IELTS with 8 bands and headed for a new destination, a new world where he was supposed to be both ship and anchor himself. He was going to hold reins of his life all by himself for the first time.His journey in itself is full of many surprises , shocks and obstacles or hurdles which l will take up later on.
Today, l intend to talk about my cute younger child ; the young energetic teenager, princess of our home my daughter. My daughter, who is in true sense spirit and essence of our home, would make every festival year on year enjoyable with her inexhaustible energy. She, having hardly one and half years' difference from my eldest born, also passed her twelfth grade from humanities with ninety one percent marks. Since she was born, it was my dream that either she should get higher education from the Punjab University, Chandigarh or Saint Beads College, Shimla. I wished her to do Doctorate in English, the subject which l teach. I couldn't do Ph.d but l had wished that for my child. My husband, who is an extra cautious and possessive father especially in case of our daughter, had made his stand clear when she was in sixth or seventh grade that either she would study in the Kurukshetra University or l would have to resign from my job and stay with her at the place wherever she would study in later stages. The fear of my daughter's education being compromised would often stifle my spirits.On one hand, my husband taught her driving car and riding bike and always kept her at par with my son. On another, l feared he would be the one who, though never bothered about how she went to school or for tuitions, would definitely pick and drop her from the Kurukshetra University making situation embarrassing for her. Though as parent here l must confess that l was more strict and concerned about her and would always keep vigil on her every step. l used to discuss my apprehensions about her further studies with my siblings and colleagues. I wanted her to be bold and beautiful like my younger, sister who has been excelling in her field.
The day the result of twelfth was declared I got busy filling forms for her in Punjab University, Saint Beads and as a back up in the Kurukshetra University like l did for my son. The moment she declared to her father that she also wanted to head to Canada for education, the first unhappy one with the prospect was none other than I. I had been a spectator of the struggle my son had been undergoing for six months which in any case l didn't wish my daughter to face. Otherwise also the thought of my light my daughter leaving me wasn't acceptable to me .She, being a delicate doll l thought, needed us. My husband tried to bribe her and told her that he would buy a new car for her for commuting to the Kurukshetra University. But, she straightaway rejected any such offer. She questioned us if the equality projected between boy and girl in our house was just a hypocrisy. She also questioned if all funds were exhausted in sending our first child abroad. My husband just smiled and assured her that he had kept equal or even more amount for her. Our family was still in a dilemma when one of her dearest friends, who is a real angel in her life, visited us. My heart has always given me a testimony of the fact that the heartfelt relationships sometimes surpass the blood relations. Since l as a mother had met her, all my worries related to my daughter which are normal for any lndian mother of a teenaged daughter, had evaporated.Till seventh my daughter would use cycle to reach her Maths and Science tuitions mostly accompanied by her brother leaving no reason for me to worry. By the time she was in eighth, her elder sibling was busy in Aakash institute and l would worry about her reaching tuition centres all by herself. I would often worry what would happen if she suffered eve teasing or had any other bad experience. My efforts at learning driving had failed twice and her father being workaholic had no time for the same. At that time, her friend's maternal aunts came as God sent aid. They started to pick and drop my daughter from home sometimes thrice in a day, whichever may be the weather, for tuitions. And for this they had to travel an extra mile always. A bond of love and trust was developed between the families. Even during the board exams, her friend's Masi would pick her when l was mostly at my workplace and my husband out for his work. Only the Almighty knows if l would ever be able to pay that family back. For four long and crucial years, IX to XII, l had nothing to fear about. Amidst all this, one of her angelic friend's aunts was married and left for Canada.
My daughter, like my son, got seat in all the three desired places DAV College Chandigarh, Saint Beads College and the Kurukshetra University. But she was annoyed and refused to study at all those places. Our joy knew no bounds when all of a sudden her friend's younger Masi took us with a surprise by asking us to send her to Canada for higher studies alongwith her niece and even offered us that she could stay with the other Masi who had recently been married and shifted to Canada. The moment she offered that my husband readily gave his consent even without a second thought. We knew in our hearts that my fortunate daughter was going to get equal love as her friend over there as we had known that family for four years by then and knew that they are the most selfless people we have ever met. Soon one more friend of theirs was about to join them for studies in Canada.
when education for my daughter in Canada was finalized,l was in Solan at my mother's place during summer break. Soon I came back to Kurukshetra for initiation of the process required. Then it was time for her to prove her language proficiency in IELTS exam. Her father challenged her to get 8 bands like her brother.
History repeated itself. When l and her friend's Masi, who is now one of my dearest friends,
went to the IELTS coaching centre, the people over there insisted for three months coaching. This time there was a very smart female educator who had shifted from their Chandigarh branch. She straightaway told us that girls,in any case, have to join three months class for good bands. She was depreciating the quality of the students of Haryana inviting my ire. I intervened and told her that l was teaching in one of the best schools of the city and about my subject i.e. English. I also clarified to her that all the three girls were my students in class X and had a very good hold over language. The fact, that l am an English teacher, was of least significance to her. She informed me that the language we teach is entirely different from what comes in IELTS. I was also unstoppable. l told her that l knew what IELTS was all about and that even l had cleared that years back with seven bands without any coaching while l wasn't even working. Even my that claim went down the drain. I told her that, by any means, we intended to send the girls for January intake and we didn't have three months time at hand. Then l also told her that my son had scored 8 bands around eight months ago with one month coaching. Finally she burst out that she had no seats available in advanced batch. Then l called one of the instructors at the centre who was very cooperative and understanding. When he came, he informed the high-headed female instructor that l am a blogger and l have written two books. Then she began to brag that she had also written books and she had been to USA and a few European countries. Her intention was to prove that l am a frog in well and to that fact l hadn't any objection at all. Finally my daughter's friend's Masi, who so far for me has been the strongest and excellent decision maker contacted the owner who was in her acquaintance. The female instructor finally yielded and gave three seats in advanced batch. But, she warned me of the consequences. I just smiled and told her that the centre would be proud of the result of all the three girls.
Then the trio started to prepare for forthcoming IELTS exam. I knew my daughter who is always confident and fearless. She was a wonderful orator and had not even the slightest of stage fear. She had been participating in all the oratory competitions organized in school since her junior classes. l had to compare her with my son to keep her geared though l knew, being their mother as well as English teacher, that there wasn't even the slightest difference between them when it was command over language. The only contrast was that my son was focused and an avid reader while my daughter needed a push and so far had read only a few fairy tales though one hobby of her listening to English music was in her favour.
At the IELTS centre, during the mock tests, results of their third friend were always better but l had no doubt at the capability of the rest of the two. Whenever that snobbish instructor would take their class, she would target two of the friends one being my daughter. Both the girls would have a whole box of complaints about that female instructor. I would always tell them that only way to silence the criticism was to show their result. The morale, that l would boost, would dip down every second day. She instilled so much fear that against my wishes dues of one more month's coaching were paid. On insistence of her friend's aunts, l decided to help the girls with the spoken section. I would sit with the duo regularly and would speak on the different cue cards to give them ideas about how to speak. I would feel ecstatic when my daughter would point out my mistakes at times. After two months, finally exam was filled. While everyone had a feeling that there were chances that their third friend would score better, l assured my daughter and her dearest friend that l was sure either there won't be any difference or just the slightest variation.
The exam in two phases was conducted.When after the exam the girls met that female instructor, she asked them not to waste time and rejoin the centre. Both the girls were disappointed. But, my 16 years experience had foretold me that a wonderful score was on the way. Finally after a fortnight the day of result declaration came. Early in the morning, we received my daughter's result who had proved she wasn't in anyway lagging behind her brother as she had also scored eight bands out of nine. After fifteen minutes, we got to know that their third friend had also got glorious eight bands. Now result of her dearest friend,an angel in disguise for us, was awaited. The only cause of my concern was spoken part in her case because like my son she is a person with few words. When l was her teacher in X grade, she would always steal glances so that l wouldn't ask her for chapter reading or for oral questions. She had always scored above ninety in written exams. Before her IELTS exam, she had been counseled by us to speak at least on the day of exam which she had promised. We all knew that that was the most difficult promise for her to keep. Finally within half an hour her result also came. It was a time of party since she had scored excellent 7.5 bands, loosing only point five in spoken part.
We had started to prepare for the Visa process when we received call from the IELTS coaching centre for the advertisement of their centre which was politely turned down by us.
Powerful display of emotions
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