This story is dedicated to Dipika Ma'am.
A True Teacher
“Hello ma'am ! May we come in?”
A old woman sat there on revolving chair. She seemed as if she were waiting for someone who meet her and spend sometime because She sat alone in home just like a thing. sometime we became lonely in croweded world and that time only our lovable person can give relief.
Home was beautifully decorated by devotion. Photo frames of family conveyed happy life of her but now all were absent both family and happiness, present only loneliness.
She looked from her old spectacles and tried to assume about those unknown girls. Having thought much, she left thinking. She welcomed them “come girls come.”
They came with gifts and home made cards. They presented to ma'am. She was astonished and said ,“ For what dear? Gifts were made with love and decorated by feeling that's why she couldn't say no. She asked instead of it. Girls replied a prepared answer as if they knew it already that she would ask them.
“We know ma'am we are late to give gift of Teacher's day but we are sure that you will accept it as late homework” said one of them with light mood. It makes her smile after long time.
She went to her classroom and she was such a kind teacher that she couldn't deny to sign late homework. Though she was strict but for those who are naughty, not for regular students. She came back and thought, how do these girls know about my nature? She thought they might be my former students but they didn't give any introduction so that I can remember them.
“When did you study in my class? Means which year? Which class?”
“We indirectly studied under you. We never attended your class”
She was surprised and shocked by their reply. If they didn't ever attend my any class then why did they came with gift for teacher's day?
She asked same question as she thought. She got reply but in someone's voice which was not belong to these girls.
"Ma'am, they are my students and I am your student that is why they are indirectly your students."
"Who's there?" She asked with wonder. She also tried to think because voice was known. She suddenly remembered that she was Mitali from higher secondary school and she was only one who could make such great place in her heart. She was kind and clever girl. She was attached with her.
Didn't you recognise me ma'am? said Mitali with broad smile. "Are you forget me? How is it possible? She asked her as if she asked her friend.
"Mitali?"
"Wow! Great! Thank God you remembered me because I came to wish you happy teacher's day with 'Gift'."
Gift was such a thing that created little sweet quarrel between teacher and student because Mitali came with gift to wish teacher's day with too much love and Teacher always denied her saying that teacher's work is to give not to take. This was happened every teacher's day during their college period but after college, Mitali just wished on mobile with lovely poem or sentence.
After long period, she came with her students and make ma'am confused.
"I'm very happy dear to see you after long period. How are you beta?" she looked her as thirsty man sees water. It was their attechment.
"Ma'am I'm fine but Why are you living alone? Where is your family?"
"They went to......leave it. Tell me why did you let your students bring gift for me? Don't you remember that I don't take anything from students because....."
"Teacher's work is to give not to take. Right?" Mitali completed her sentence. She makes her laugh as she used to do in school.
"We know ma'am. your every advice we had listened from Mitali ma'am and we succeed both in our career and in life also so we willingly wanted to give gift to Mitali ma'am but she always said that you are her inspiration and her everything is borrowed from you so we came to you please don't deny please accept it ma'am."
"Thank you so much dear but..."
Mitali was in mood of cutting every sentence of ma'am. She requested her to accept. Ma'am was stubborn to her rules but Mitali was her part in sence of nature.
"Do you remember ma'am which I had promised you that I would give such a gift that you can't deny to accept?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“I came with such gift and the gift is my students. You used to say that you liked to make such students who can fight in both conditions in career and in life. I tried to give such knowledge to my students and I present you and I told everything them what you had told me. I present you bright future of not only India but also of whole world because They are the same as you wanted to make.”
Ma'am became speechless
“You haven't left any word to say dear....You always won my heart and I always like to make bright generation and You did it and dedicated me. Nothing is more precious than this gift for a teacher. Teacher's work is not only to make the student get good marks but also to enable the student to get good marks in struggle of life. What could be more precious to teacher than that you did it well.
I denied your gift saying that emotion are precious, not gift because I didn't want to teach you that emotions or relation can be objectified because nowadays, gift are presented as duty to give but emotions are absent. I believe students learn from teacher's every activity in classroom and also out of classroom”
“I have learnt everything from you ma'am. Only true teacher can make true teacher, not by preaching but by acting. My gift is indirectly prepared by yourself.” said her real student.
“Yes Ma'am You are right. We are inspired by your word and work. We also will do it selflessly. Thank you so much for meeting and encouraging us. but we have to leave now. we are sorry and Please accept it.”
“you can go beta. Don't be sorry and I thank you for your beautiful gift.”
They left but Mital was still there. She understood her loneliness as she used to understand her problem.
“Ma'am What happened? Why are you feeling loneliness?”
“No dear, I'm fine. You can go without worry.”
“Why? If a teacher can ask her student warmly by putting her hand on his head when he looked upset then why doesn't student consult teacher above their studies?”
“ I'm very lucky that I have such student like you. My sons and daughters in-law live in London. They also brought me but I couldn't set there. I couldn't leave my nation and work so I came back. They come in vacation and in holidays. Don't think they left me in fact, they love me but I can't set there. Nowadays I miss them too much...” She almost cried.
“Ma'am, You are coming tomorrow my home for staying at least week. Pack your laggaue.”
Dear, I can't come. I accepted your gift now you have to accept my...”
“I'm following your sentence. I'm giving you happiness because I'm also teacher and I'm offering you because I'm also student.”
“I can't defeat you because you have double power - teacher's and student's.” They laughed after long time.
* * *
Really Though, all teachers and students are not like them, That means not they don't exist. Our nation have got great men because they had got such a teacher that works selflessly for her/his students with devotion.
