Remembering my teachers on “National Teacher Day” (part 3rd)
Remembering my teachers : Recap – (In previous parts, I related my school going experiences and interactions with my teachers. That experiences were of personal interaction. But after that, in city Intermediate college and onward in degree college, I had no any such personal contact visibly. But still, I remember some teachers, because of their own unique impression, they delivered upon me.)
In Intermediate college, as I mentioned, neither any other students of my category nor I had any personal contact with any teacher. It was a customary rather nodding acquaintances with teachers. They happened to enter the class and we in automaton were bound to say, “good morning sir” type pleasantry. Teachers visiting the class and giving the lecture and leaving the class room only. It was a procedural routine. Even on various occasions, we were unable to recall the name of the teacher of a particular subject. A kind of lack of communication their existed, and, it was good at least for the students like us of “do nothing’ category.
Remembering my teachers : Lingering memory of some teachers – Despite of that, I happened to remember the four teachers of that college and still they linger into my memory. Out of these four teachers, two were the ladies teachers and one was male teacher, who frequented to teach us . Though one teacher out of these four teachers, never taught us, but his description is required for some other reasons.
At the first, the ‘Sir’ of the biology subject. In true sense, he was the teacher of the Zoology. Biology in Intermediate was taught in two parts. One part was Zoology and another was Botany. About our Zoology teacher, we had heard some amazing stories afloat in the campus. The gist of these stories was, he was a gangster, ever remained tipsy under the impression of hard liquor. Not only “Principal Sir” even the members of “local Trust Board” of the “cluster of colleges” dared not ask about his this demeanor, as a teacher. I still remember crystal clear, he in all, visited our class room for six days only in the first year.
Remembering my teachers : First look of the Gangster Sir – For the first time, we opportuned to find his first look when half yearly exams were just few days ahead. A decent looking, fair complexioned man with strong built and properly attired in fashionable costumes, entered into our class room. Need not say, he was drunk up to his caliber but with all his faculties in possession. In side his mouth, under one cheek he held a beetle leaf (paan) loaded with fragrant tobacco powder. The main feature of his charming face was, his piercing light pink watery eyes.
His mode of intermixing with children was so charming. We all at once became his fans. all the seven chapters, scheduled to be asked in the coming half yearly exams, he taught us in a day. This all he did with a simple and smooth technique. Simply he drew out the sketch of the part of organs of the body, and narrated what their function were and how they worked for. At that day, he continued to teach us, even the period was over and the bell rung for the finishing of the period. But he kept us giving the lesson.
The teacher for the next subject, we noticed stood out side in the corridor. But he could not dare to disturb him and ask that he was scheduled to teach us the next subject. When just the half time of the next period passed, he finished the lecture. On his parting time, he assured us all, “dear children, need not worry! Your exams notebooks are to be checked by me only. Just have some extra study at your home and you are passed in the exams.”
Remembering my teachers : The Liberal teacher ! – Just tell me! Where could you find, such a generous, liberal teacher, who happened to assure you of passing marks in the subject! It felt to us, people without any sound reason had been inclined to tarnish his image as a gangster. Not only this, when he stepped out of the class room and on finding the the next period subject teacher stood waiting to enter, he at once chided him. He gruffly admonished him, ” Oye Saxena, what the hell you are doing here standing outside the class room, Go back to the staff room and have a rest there. These students are tired now by over teaching.” Saxena teacher, at once vanished from the spot.
After so many years, the news filtered to me that in some murder case, the “gangster Sir” sentenced to life imprisonment. A long time now has elapsed. I hope he too left for heavenly abode. I extend my homage to him in his fond memory.
Remembering my teachers : Charming lady teacher – The another teacher whom I remembered was a lady teacher. Coincidentally, if “gangster Sir” was zoology teacher, she was of “botany” subject. I remember her for her beauty and charming personality. In fact she happened to visit the class, as if, going to shoot some scene in a movie on the floor. Ever she appeared wrapped in costly and refined silky Saree, with heavy make up and in a hair style which was in vogue those days in Cine world. But one thing was noticeable, she ever came as a Hindu woman adorn with her all prescribed “sixteen charms”, prescribed for a married woman. Indubitably, she was an arresting beauty.
We all “do nothing” students, intently kept gazing her during the entire period of botany. What she taught, and about what topic, never filtered to our ears. In fact, as an infatuated teen we only gazed and gazed at her, with all our pervert imaginations. Although, she had had children of our age group back in her home, but we were in transition period of the age between teen and adolescence. Never, our heart permitted us to accept her a teacher. She was like an icon of beauty, stationed in an ivory tower for us.
Remembering my teachers : Love Birds – In the next two teachers, one was the Head of Department of Chemistry subject. Never he had any schedule of teaching in our class. But the reason to recall him is, our another lady teacher of the Chemistry subject. She was a Punjabi Hindu by origin but HoD (Head of the department) was a Non- Punjabi Hindu. This lady teacher too was a beauty and the stories of her Platonic Love with HoD floated whole through the campus as well as in the city. In true sense, that was an old time and the city was thinly populated and smaller in size. Secondly, a conservative society we had, that had an orthodoxy about social norms and ethics. The ethics of society didn’t permit the inter cast marriage, so both, the lady teacher and Sir were still unmarried.
At that time when I was a student there, both were in their forties. Both wished to get wed locked but the father of the lady teacher did not assent to that. In a rebellion mood, she had announced to observe the celibacy whole through the life. In her this decision, her paramour was with her. He too had decided not to marry. To say, their love story was known to one and all and they had an admiration for that too. Both worked in the same faculty, entire the day they stayed with one another there only, as a member of the faculty.
Remembering my teachers : Admirers – As I already mentioned, lady teacher too was a beauty, but never she applied any cosmetics. Despite that, she was blessed with an Ora. The expression of some glum, ever rested permanently on her face. This painful expression too helped exaggerate her divine beauty. The students from every section of age group were admirer of this pair of “Love Bird.” I think, at that tender age, we all students prayed to God to endow us with such a devoted girl friend. After so many years, when the father of the lady passed away at a ripe age, they got wed locked properly. Up to that time both they had been retired from the teaching services. The rest of their life, they passed as an old religious couple, who never forgot to visit the near by temple both the time in a day.
In all, if there is question of some fond memories, I can claim that only regard the “gangster sir” only. Rest is the description of my immature, sick mentality. After this college, I sought the admission in the adjacent post graduate college, about the experiences of that college, the next episode is dedicated. ( End of the part- 4th). Penned by — Vinay Pharasi…..
