I was being bothered by my teeth for quite a few months. Those who know me know exactly what kind of a haphazard dental structure I own! Slowly and steadily I have made one of the unique dental structures in the world which has even prompted some of my friends to compare it with that of Count Dracula! So, it was the turn of my teeth to take revenge for the great state I have thrown them in!
About two months ago I started experiencing pain on my 5th and 6th teeth on the upper right side whenever I ate something sweet. I neglected it for a while but it became unbearable in the latter half of September when I started experiencing pain with every bite I ate. Now it was no time to procrastinate but to visit a dentist. That is what I did first up on the morning of 23rd as I went to Dr. Shailaja Deshpande’s dental clinic in Lakshminagar.
When in class 9th, I had read a poem on dentists. It was a hilarious poem on how the poet fears the dentist and his tools. The state of my mind was exactly like that! I was seated on a yellow throne and lo she started doing all kinds of drilling with my teeth. I was sure to lose all my teeth that day. It seemed that they will come all falling down with the kind of activity going inside my mouth. I felt like my mouth has turned into a mill! But at last she stopped and rebuked me for not taking proper care of my teeth. She was a nice lady and explained me that my unusual habit of eating only with one side of my mouth and that also with express speeds has caused the trouble. She told me that, I have particularly spoiled my 5th and 6th teeth and a root canal operation had to be done. She anaesthetized my gums and drilled holes in them. Now I was suppose to eat only with my left side. This I had never done in my life and was actually a difficult act. She had advised me to eat rice which wouldn’t require much eating!
My brother suggested me to go back home and that’s what I did. The weekend being a Dusshera weekend was to be a foodie weekend and I didn’t want to miss it! Seeing good food made me forget that I had problem eating with my left teeth. I had a nice pet-puja and then came back to Nagpur on 2nd for my root canal. Dr. Ghonmode is a competent doctor but I was petrified. The petrifaction was because of all the dental stories I heard from my friends. Anyways I’m afraid of operations but the good doctor calmed me down and told me to relax. Within 20 minutes, I was done with root canal! I even don’t know what he did with my teeth. He kept poking with a pin into my teeth and then filled in some artificial paste into it. I was told that I have to keep eating with my left side and come back on Monday to give my dental cast.
Monday morning, Dr. Shruti Nakade drilled and drilled for eternity (It is what it seemed to me!) before declaring that now my dental cast could be taken. A pink coloured, Colgate tasting paste was used to take the dental cast (I own it now!). I was called back on Friday the 9th for fitting the dental caps. Childishly, I was excited to own two steel teeth like Jaws (Moonraker)! But I was disappointed to find that the caps made were not perfect and I had to wait till Monday. I got impatient on Monday as I had not received the promised call from the doctor. At last I called and was told that the teeth will turn up sometime later. I was called at about 1430 hours and I immediately dashed to the clinic. This time there was no trouble with the caps and now I’m the proud owner of them!
But I’ve to take utmost precautions not to lose any more teeth or I’ll end up being Jaws totally!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Marathi: Is It Threatened
Threat to Marathi has become one of the biggest poll issues in the forthcoming Legislative elections. And with Raj Thakre at the helm of this affair, the matter is not likely to die down soon. The matter is not a new one and actually was started by his uncle, Balasaheb Thakre way back in 1966. Since, then the matter had not died but was not an important matter of concern until it all flared up with the starting of a new political outfit, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, in 2007 by Raj.
But is it really threatened? I have been always troubled by this matter and am just trying to put what I think about this.
One truth which nobody accepts is that Marathis are reticent to share their culture. You would find all sorts of Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Rajasthani, South Indian delicacies in most restaurants in the country as well as abroad. You are sure to find a Punjabi Dhaba, a Udupi Restaurant and a Bengali Sweet Mart in every big city throughout the country. But it’s rare to find Kolhapuri chicken, Shrikhand or Puran Poli outside Maharashtra. You won’t find a restaurant specializing in Marathi food if you go to some other big city outside the state. The only food that has become popular is panipuri but even it’s not called by the same name everywhere! Have we ever thought that we can get a Kashmiri shawl, a Kanjeevaram, a Tangail or a Benarasi in Maharashtra but it’s difficult to get a “Paithani” outside? Most people actually don’t know about it! We witness festivals like Bengali Durga Puja, Onam, Pongal, Chhath, Baisakhi ans what else right here in our Marathi cities. I know Durga Pujas in Nagpur which are being organized for about 70 years and have seen Ramlila in Pune. But the greatest Marathi festival, Ganesh Puja is non-existent outside Maharashtra. It’s still in the nascent stages in the national capital. It’s not that we don’t have enough Marathis outside but the true fact is they are not interested in spreading their culture. This kind of insular behaviour makes one susceptible of others. We must not forget that we have evolved from same Aryans who migrated here thousands of years ago. This way we have created a wall of suspicion and insularity around us. Thus whenever some crap brings the issue of cultural pollution, we straight way see what is being shown to us. We don’t know the North Indian culture and neither do they know ours! It’s time to change things. (The problem is global. We think the Europeans and Americans are uncultured and they think vice-versa).
The sheer negligence to Marathi in the cities is another factor which has led to the situation that the present day politicians are cashing on. Local people in cities are negligent about Marathi Cinema, art, music. People are actually ignorant about the extent of Maharashtra. People in west don’t know the existence of Gondia while people in Vidarbha don’t know where Karad is! Bid, Jalna, Parbhani, Osmanabad are not the names which crop up automatically when you count the districts in Maharashtra. It’s easy to fool people who are not aware of their surroundings. The politicians are totally Mumbai centric and they seldom think about what’s going elsewhere and when the need arises they simply bring out issues which are only valid in and around Mumbai. Media too has to be blamed as it hasn’t evolved itself beyond Mumbai and gives extensive coverage to this nonsense.
The immigration is not at all there in villages of Marathwada. People there haven’t seen much of a North-Indian yet and haven’t heard much Hindi outside Vividh Bharti. (I am not mentioning Television as electricity is scarce there!) It’s the cities like Mumbai, Nashik, Pune and Nagpur where you find people speaking in Hindi. Lack of opportunities and the standard of living has so much degraded in their states that they are forced to look for greener pastures. But the question is why always it’s Maharashtra and especially Mumbai. Why don’t people move to other states? The basic reason is the over development of Mumbai during British times. Also, the locals refrained from working in many areas. For example labourers are generally Chattisgarhis, Biharis and Oriyas. The supervisors are generally Keralians, Punjabis and Bengalis. Business for some reasons bloom in the hands of Gujaratis, Marwaris, Parsis and Sindhis. These are the areas the locals didn’t venture much. To add to that Mumbai has been always cosmopolitan and the language has been always more inclined towards Hindi (So, while Marwaris in Barabazar, Kolkata speak Bengali, their brethren in Mumbai don’t do that. But again you will find them doing the same in Pune i.e. they speak Marathi). This has helped people to settle here without unsettling their roots. One another reason is Bollywood. The biggest Hindi film industry is not in any Hindi speaking state but the tinsel town is here in Maharshtra. The forefathers of Hindi Cinema found it more conducive to be nurtured here instead of anywhere because of the amount of liberty they got here. Don’t forget even though, the cinema was started by Dadasaheb Phalke, a Marathi, it was nurtured by the Punjabis and the Bengalis in its initial stages. The charm of tinsel town has brought many youth to the city. Some have been successful and some have not. Nevertheless they have settled here. Same is the case with the people who came with the wish of making money.
It is true that the Railways examinations have been a bastion for UP and Bihar fellows but it has more to do with their sincere efforts and not with any favouritism. Isn’t it true that this job is never the first choice among Marathi youth? With the amount and standard of education available in the state, clerical jobs are not a favourite. Moreover Railways being a national property and each railway zone spreading into two or more states, the demand for giving jobs to locals is laughable. Even if the exam is held in Kalyan for Central Railways, the recruits will in future have to serve in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka if and when transferred. Railways have been a major factor for mass movement of people around the country. Biharis, Oriyas and Bengalis working for erstwhile South Eastern Railway (SER) have reached Maharashtra due to their work. And there’s something in the Maharashtrian soil which doesn’t allow you to go back once you move here. So, across the state you will find people from all the neighbouring states who once having arrived here have never went back! And they have never been a nuisance. Instead mixing of cultures has helped in making Maharashtra what it is! As Shahid Kapur’s character correctly says in Kaminey that the migrants are like “Sugar” which when added to the milk increases its sweetness.
Actually it is nothing more than a political gimmick. The tirade has started because the migrants have started nurturing political aspirations which has become unbearable for few. A political party has fielded some 30 or more migrants as their candidates in the forthcoming elections and this is unacceptable to a few. You would observe that the tirade is never against other non-marathi migrants as they are not politically active. The same happened when Sonia Gandhi was to become the PM!
Instead of fighting out we should maintain the linguistic unity and upheld the motto of “Unity of Diversity” for which our country is respected throughout the globe.
Also there should be steps taken to propagate Marathi in the state and in the country. Fairs propagating Maharashtrian culture (literature, cuisine, handicraft, art, music) should be organized in the state as well as in other states should be staged. The people should be made aware of their heritage. The media has a very big role to play in this. Its time they move beyond Mumbai and Pune and delve inside the state. Ganpati festival has to be celebrated pan India like Durga Puja. Learning Marathi should be made compulsory in all schools and all boards. It’s nothing new as it is in place in many states. In state level jobs more preference should be given to the locals (anyone who is a legal resident of the state irrespective of his mother tongue). The cold shoulder that is extended to non-marathis and the reticence shown in sharing the culture should be stopped by all and sundry. Until and unless the natives of Maharashtra don’t welcome people with a warm heart, the migrants will feel alienated and this trouble will continue. (It is not impossible as my parents make karanji, anarsa and chakli in every festival and our neighbours like the Bengali sweets. We share everything and they are my actual family. Without their support my parents wouldn’t have been able to live happily for 30 years in Maharashtra. To add to it, we are not going back!)
In the era of globalization, nothing can be claimed to be somebody’s own property. Can Sachin and Lata be labeled to be only Maharashtrians or Amitabh, Tatas and Ambanis should be labeled with migrant’s status only. These people have not only made Maharashtra proud but are national synonyms for rpide, success and development.
So, let’s break free the bonds and join hands to boot out the politicians who want to create linguistic differences. These are not only the enemy to the common man but also to the state and the country. Let’s join hands to make “Aapla Maharashtra”, the most prosperous and happy state in the country.
Jai Hind !!! Jai Maharashtra !!!
But is it really threatened? I have been always troubled by this matter and am just trying to put what I think about this.
One truth which nobody accepts is that Marathis are reticent to share their culture. You would find all sorts of Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Rajasthani, South Indian delicacies in most restaurants in the country as well as abroad. You are sure to find a Punjabi Dhaba, a Udupi Restaurant and a Bengali Sweet Mart in every big city throughout the country. But it’s rare to find Kolhapuri chicken, Shrikhand or Puran Poli outside Maharashtra. You won’t find a restaurant specializing in Marathi food if you go to some other big city outside the state. The only food that has become popular is panipuri but even it’s not called by the same name everywhere! Have we ever thought that we can get a Kashmiri shawl, a Kanjeevaram, a Tangail or a Benarasi in Maharashtra but it’s difficult to get a “Paithani” outside? Most people actually don’t know about it! We witness festivals like Bengali Durga Puja, Onam, Pongal, Chhath, Baisakhi ans what else right here in our Marathi cities. I know Durga Pujas in Nagpur which are being organized for about 70 years and have seen Ramlila in Pune. But the greatest Marathi festival, Ganesh Puja is non-existent outside Maharashtra. It’s still in the nascent stages in the national capital. It’s not that we don’t have enough Marathis outside but the true fact is they are not interested in spreading their culture. This kind of insular behaviour makes one susceptible of others. We must not forget that we have evolved from same Aryans who migrated here thousands of years ago. This way we have created a wall of suspicion and insularity around us. Thus whenever some crap brings the issue of cultural pollution, we straight way see what is being shown to us. We don’t know the North Indian culture and neither do they know ours! It’s time to change things. (The problem is global. We think the Europeans and Americans are uncultured and they think vice-versa).
The sheer negligence to Marathi in the cities is another factor which has led to the situation that the present day politicians are cashing on. Local people in cities are negligent about Marathi Cinema, art, music. People are actually ignorant about the extent of Maharashtra. People in west don’t know the existence of Gondia while people in Vidarbha don’t know where Karad is! Bid, Jalna, Parbhani, Osmanabad are not the names which crop up automatically when you count the districts in Maharashtra. It’s easy to fool people who are not aware of their surroundings. The politicians are totally Mumbai centric and they seldom think about what’s going elsewhere and when the need arises they simply bring out issues which are only valid in and around Mumbai. Media too has to be blamed as it hasn’t evolved itself beyond Mumbai and gives extensive coverage to this nonsense.
The immigration is not at all there in villages of Marathwada. People there haven’t seen much of a North-Indian yet and haven’t heard much Hindi outside Vividh Bharti. (I am not mentioning Television as electricity is scarce there!) It’s the cities like Mumbai, Nashik, Pune and Nagpur where you find people speaking in Hindi. Lack of opportunities and the standard of living has so much degraded in their states that they are forced to look for greener pastures. But the question is why always it’s Maharashtra and especially Mumbai. Why don’t people move to other states? The basic reason is the over development of Mumbai during British times. Also, the locals refrained from working in many areas. For example labourers are generally Chattisgarhis, Biharis and Oriyas. The supervisors are generally Keralians, Punjabis and Bengalis. Business for some reasons bloom in the hands of Gujaratis, Marwaris, Parsis and Sindhis. These are the areas the locals didn’t venture much. To add to that Mumbai has been always cosmopolitan and the language has been always more inclined towards Hindi (So, while Marwaris in Barabazar, Kolkata speak Bengali, their brethren in Mumbai don’t do that. But again you will find them doing the same in Pune i.e. they speak Marathi). This has helped people to settle here without unsettling their roots. One another reason is Bollywood. The biggest Hindi film industry is not in any Hindi speaking state but the tinsel town is here in Maharshtra. The forefathers of Hindi Cinema found it more conducive to be nurtured here instead of anywhere because of the amount of liberty they got here. Don’t forget even though, the cinema was started by Dadasaheb Phalke, a Marathi, it was nurtured by the Punjabis and the Bengalis in its initial stages. The charm of tinsel town has brought many youth to the city. Some have been successful and some have not. Nevertheless they have settled here. Same is the case with the people who came with the wish of making money.
It is true that the Railways examinations have been a bastion for UP and Bihar fellows but it has more to do with their sincere efforts and not with any favouritism. Isn’t it true that this job is never the first choice among Marathi youth? With the amount and standard of education available in the state, clerical jobs are not a favourite. Moreover Railways being a national property and each railway zone spreading into two or more states, the demand for giving jobs to locals is laughable. Even if the exam is held in Kalyan for Central Railways, the recruits will in future have to serve in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka if and when transferred. Railways have been a major factor for mass movement of people around the country. Biharis, Oriyas and Bengalis working for erstwhile South Eastern Railway (SER) have reached Maharashtra due to their work. And there’s something in the Maharashtrian soil which doesn’t allow you to go back once you move here. So, across the state you will find people from all the neighbouring states who once having arrived here have never went back! And they have never been a nuisance. Instead mixing of cultures has helped in making Maharashtra what it is! As Shahid Kapur’s character correctly says in Kaminey that the migrants are like “Sugar” which when added to the milk increases its sweetness.
Actually it is nothing more than a political gimmick. The tirade has started because the migrants have started nurturing political aspirations which has become unbearable for few. A political party has fielded some 30 or more migrants as their candidates in the forthcoming elections and this is unacceptable to a few. You would observe that the tirade is never against other non-marathi migrants as they are not politically active. The same happened when Sonia Gandhi was to become the PM!
Instead of fighting out we should maintain the linguistic unity and upheld the motto of “Unity of Diversity” for which our country is respected throughout the globe.
Also there should be steps taken to propagate Marathi in the state and in the country. Fairs propagating Maharashtrian culture (literature, cuisine, handicraft, art, music) should be organized in the state as well as in other states should be staged. The people should be made aware of their heritage. The media has a very big role to play in this. Its time they move beyond Mumbai and Pune and delve inside the state. Ganpati festival has to be celebrated pan India like Durga Puja. Learning Marathi should be made compulsory in all schools and all boards. It’s nothing new as it is in place in many states. In state level jobs more preference should be given to the locals (anyone who is a legal resident of the state irrespective of his mother tongue). The cold shoulder that is extended to non-marathis and the reticence shown in sharing the culture should be stopped by all and sundry. Until and unless the natives of Maharashtra don’t welcome people with a warm heart, the migrants will feel alienated and this trouble will continue. (It is not impossible as my parents make karanji, anarsa and chakli in every festival and our neighbours like the Bengali sweets. We share everything and they are my actual family. Without their support my parents wouldn’t have been able to live happily for 30 years in Maharashtra. To add to it, we are not going back!)
In the era of globalization, nothing can be claimed to be somebody’s own property. Can Sachin and Lata be labeled to be only Maharashtrians or Amitabh, Tatas and Ambanis should be labeled with migrant’s status only. These people have not only made Maharashtra proud but are national synonyms for rpide, success and development.
So, let’s break free the bonds and join hands to boot out the politicians who want to create linguistic differences. These are not only the enemy to the common man but also to the state and the country. Let’s join hands to make “Aapla Maharashtra”, the most prosperous and happy state in the country.
Jai Hind !!! Jai Maharashtra !!!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Simply Naughty
When I was in my BSc-II, I decided to take tuitions to fill up my free time as well as to earn some moolah. I hadn’t taught anyone outside my brother and was susceptible about my teaching abilities! Hence, when I registered with a Home Tuitions provider, British Academy, I decided to teach only upto class 10th. The first tuition that I got was that of an oriya boy, whose name I have forgotten. He was in 9th and needed someone to teach him Science, Maths and English. The academy had instructed to ask for nothing less than 1000 but the father was not going above 450. I thought over and started the tuition without informing the academy. The boy was attentive and his mother was a good cook and I enjoyed being called a SIR!
Few weeks later the academy, oblivious of my existing tuition, arranged for another one. The student was a class 10th CBSE boy named Prateek Rathi aka Naughty. I was to teach him English and was to start that at 6 o’clock in the morning of 2nd October.
Naughty was totally upto his name. He is the only brother of three older sisters and obviously too pampered! He had the bad habit of turning down teachers. He never got up from the bed once because he didn’t like the teacher at all and the poor guy had to return back! I was not aware of this whimsical behaviour and I went totally charged up in the morning of 2nd and tried to give my best. It’s funny that the first day the student judges the teacher and later it’s his turn to be judged all through the year! Maybe Naughty just enjoyed his first days! Later I came to know about his habit but he had liked me straight away!
Even though I was never sent back, there were times when tuitions had to be stopped before the stipulated hour because of his pending bath or breakfast. But most generally it had to be stopped because of Dollar, his dog. Naughty had to take him for his morning walk and more than often he would stop the session early. Slowly and steadily, I gained his confidence. I was more an elder brother and a friend than a teacher and maybe he liked that! He had this entire different lingo and attitude and was very angry with his teachers as they reprimanded him often for his poor results. He was not a bad student but he was very lazy. He had a different set of ideas from others and would write answers in his own style. His way though correct was not entirely without mistakes. I had studied the same way in my school life and was totally encouraged by my teachers. Seldom would my answers match word to word with the answers in the notebook. I found the same in Naughty as well. Whatever he wrote was from his understanding and not mugging. But as he was lazy, he understood very little! My job was to rectify his mistakes and make him little more industrious. First was easy but not the second. Because of his unpredictable mood swings, he could have just dismissed my services and which was the last thing we wanted!
To tell the truth, teaching was secondary to the money I earned that time. 1000 bucks seemed quite large at that time and I liked the scent of the money (Kya karein jaat se baniya hoon na!) I earned. I bought two watches with the fees on Diwali, one for me and one for my brother. These were our first watches and we love them very much! I bought my radio also at that time. But gradually I fell into love with teaching and when Naughty’s mother asked me to teach Babal, Naughty’s cousin, I accepted it though with some reluctance. The reluctance was more because Babal was in 12th and I was not confident of my abilities! The best days of teaching were when I used to teach both of them 6 hours a day split in two shifts. My friends were angry that I was not giving them time and were also worried about my studies. The first I couldn’t manage because these two were my responsibilities and I couldn’t shy away from them. The second I managed by studying at the time they used to solve the papers I used to set for them. For about two months, we continued with this. Naughty was weak in every subject and when his mother asked me to look into the matter, I taught him Social Sciences, Science as well. I had to resort to emotional blackmailing and had to throw challenges to get him working. Well he surprised us all by getting a very good percentage of 75.6 in the boards. His top score was 84 in Social Sciences! When he informed me, I was just struck with disbelief! As soon as I put the phone down, I was elated and jumped in joy. His success had given me a big boost. Well, I too scored very heavily in my exams.
I have mentioned in an earlier blog that I taught Naughty again when he was in 12th. This time he didn’t respond well and didn’t fare well. I am to be blamed as well for not stoking the same fire I had been able to do two years back.
Apart from the three I have mentioned here, I have taught four other students. All of them were boys of 10th and 12th and were good friends of mine. Apart from one all of them shared their beliefs, aspirations, likes and dislikes with me. But Naughty is the only one with whom I developed an attachment! When I used to go home, he would worry about my safety as my parents lived in a jungle! Sometimes he used to come to my room for studies and I used to get scolded! The reasons were generally the dirtiness of my room and my bohemian habits. So, whenever he used to come, I cleaned my room beforehand to get away from his scolding! I was a miser in those days and that also came under scrutiny more than often. In a way he was my temperature controller and I enjoyed his chaffing. He has his own tinsel world and I am happy to be a part of it. I like him as I like my own younger brother and pray to God for his success and welfare.
Few weeks later the academy, oblivious of my existing tuition, arranged for another one. The student was a class 10th CBSE boy named Prateek Rathi aka Naughty. I was to teach him English and was to start that at 6 o’clock in the morning of 2nd October.
Naughty was totally upto his name. He is the only brother of three older sisters and obviously too pampered! He had the bad habit of turning down teachers. He never got up from the bed once because he didn’t like the teacher at all and the poor guy had to return back! I was not aware of this whimsical behaviour and I went totally charged up in the morning of 2nd and tried to give my best. It’s funny that the first day the student judges the teacher and later it’s his turn to be judged all through the year! Maybe Naughty just enjoyed his first days! Later I came to know about his habit but he had liked me straight away!
Even though I was never sent back, there were times when tuitions had to be stopped before the stipulated hour because of his pending bath or breakfast. But most generally it had to be stopped because of Dollar, his dog. Naughty had to take him for his morning walk and more than often he would stop the session early. Slowly and steadily, I gained his confidence. I was more an elder brother and a friend than a teacher and maybe he liked that! He had this entire different lingo and attitude and was very angry with his teachers as they reprimanded him often for his poor results. He was not a bad student but he was very lazy. He had a different set of ideas from others and would write answers in his own style. His way though correct was not entirely without mistakes. I had studied the same way in my school life and was totally encouraged by my teachers. Seldom would my answers match word to word with the answers in the notebook. I found the same in Naughty as well. Whatever he wrote was from his understanding and not mugging. But as he was lazy, he understood very little! My job was to rectify his mistakes and make him little more industrious. First was easy but not the second. Because of his unpredictable mood swings, he could have just dismissed my services and which was the last thing we wanted!
To tell the truth, teaching was secondary to the money I earned that time. 1000 bucks seemed quite large at that time and I liked the scent of the money (Kya karein jaat se baniya hoon na!) I earned. I bought two watches with the fees on Diwali, one for me and one for my brother. These were our first watches and we love them very much! I bought my radio also at that time. But gradually I fell into love with teaching and when Naughty’s mother asked me to teach Babal, Naughty’s cousin, I accepted it though with some reluctance. The reluctance was more because Babal was in 12th and I was not confident of my abilities! The best days of teaching were when I used to teach both of them 6 hours a day split in two shifts. My friends were angry that I was not giving them time and were also worried about my studies. The first I couldn’t manage because these two were my responsibilities and I couldn’t shy away from them. The second I managed by studying at the time they used to solve the papers I used to set for them. For about two months, we continued with this. Naughty was weak in every subject and when his mother asked me to look into the matter, I taught him Social Sciences, Science as well. I had to resort to emotional blackmailing and had to throw challenges to get him working. Well he surprised us all by getting a very good percentage of 75.6 in the boards. His top score was 84 in Social Sciences! When he informed me, I was just struck with disbelief! As soon as I put the phone down, I was elated and jumped in joy. His success had given me a big boost. Well, I too scored very heavily in my exams.
I have mentioned in an earlier blog that I taught Naughty again when he was in 12th. This time he didn’t respond well and didn’t fare well. I am to be blamed as well for not stoking the same fire I had been able to do two years back.
Apart from the three I have mentioned here, I have taught four other students. All of them were boys of 10th and 12th and were good friends of mine. Apart from one all of them shared their beliefs, aspirations, likes and dislikes with me. But Naughty is the only one with whom I developed an attachment! When I used to go home, he would worry about my safety as my parents lived in a jungle! Sometimes he used to come to my room for studies and I used to get scolded! The reasons were generally the dirtiness of my room and my bohemian habits. So, whenever he used to come, I cleaned my room beforehand to get away from his scolding! I was a miser in those days and that also came under scrutiny more than often. In a way he was my temperature controller and I enjoyed his chaffing. He has his own tinsel world and I am happy to be a part of it. I like him as I like my own younger brother and pray to God for his success and welfare.
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