Thursday, December 18, 2008

My tryst with education Part - I

As my penultimate term comes to an end I have realized that my not-so-good rendezvous with education is coming to an end. Just one more term and then I will be done with education once and for all. I would be lying if I say I will miss studying or giving examinations because honestly I suck in both. I have always hung between the tag of an average and a good student. I have also had the opportunity to be among the bottom or the tail-enders for a few years. I don’t want to do post mortem on why and what of my grades at each level. I know I have picked up something special at every point  and those are the learning’s of my life.

My tryst with education began with Mrs. Kapoor. Honestly, I don’t remember her or her beautiful bungalow where I spent the first few months of my precious education life. There are a few things which are still there in my mind and I at times wonder if they were real or just figments of my imagination. I remember that one bright afternoon Mrs Kapoor had left a bunch of us in the sun kissed verandah of her house with some toys to play with. I don’t remember the other kids but I do remember Lincoln. At this juncture I need to clarify a few things to the reader that what you see me now is not what I was back then. I was an underweight (there’s nothing to laugh on this ---life does play its own jokes with people) and a very timid person (ya! on this you can laugh away all you want). On the other hand Lincoln (my friend or that’s what I thought till that day) who was an overweight next door neighbor of mine was a bully. Now Lincoln who already had a physical advantage over me decided to tear apart the one doll I was playing with. I remember mourning over the beheaded doll for an hour with Lincoln staring at me with a smirk on his face. That day I learnt that the “darker” species of human race are jerks (no offences meant). Life moved on and of course I changed my opinion but I remember this incident because that was the first time I had an opinion about something. That was the first time I felt helpless in my life. As far as Lincoln is concerned I never talked to him after that and last I heard of him is that he is a medical student now.

We moved to a new city and a new school. The name itself was very cute –Arya Wonderland. Here again I remember things very vaguely. I was still thin and timid. (Have pity guys I have just moved to a new place)The only language I ever understood and spoke till then was Bengali. My first day at the school was with a blue bag or jhola which had my name stitched on it. By the first one hour in school I had realized my parents didn’t love me and they had abandoned me to a new planet where people didn’t speak the same language as I did. I still remember my fear and apprehension as a little kid who didn’t speak the same language as the other kids. By lunch time I had a sick feeling in my stomach and I had taken a silent oath that I would never forgive my parents for making me go through this kind of public humiliation. I don’t know how I managed to survive the whole day. But I remember when I saw my mom after school I had hugged her very tightly as if my entire life depended on it. And I remember that with an angelic smile and some soothing words she had made me feel good again. I didn’t understand the significance of the incident then but now when I look back at it, I believe it had a very important message for me. I have to face my life’s tribulations all alone. But I know at the end of the day I would still have my mom smiling and hugging me tightly. And that makes it easier to face these troubles.

 

To be continued….(I have an exam tomorrow for Christ sakes )

9 comments:

rohit said...

Great one Kaki.. hats off to you..

Mainak said...

hmm ... very nicely written as usual .. lucid, vivid and with depth .. & I fear that to keep the tempo on, my comments may also sound a bit more serious than usual

you know what, now somehow i can relate to this topic very well .. there were times, when i wished this mba had ended alot earlier, and i just wanted to sail through this 18months duration ... but, now -- in your own words, "as my penultimate term comes to an end I have realized that my not-so-good rendezvous with education is coming to an end. Just one more term and then I will be done with education once and for all". .. and i do feel bad .. i think, you would cover this section in more details, once you write about your post graduation ... eagerly waiting for that ..

i am amazed about the details that you have managed to churn out about the past events .. be it the Lincoln episode, or your first day in school .. is it your exceptional memory or the extent of impression and impact they left on your mind, i dunno .. bt, surely, the messages that you inferred are terrific, and to many extent motivational also ... I really cant stop admiring the last few lines -- " I have to face my life’s tribulations all alone. But I know at the end of the day I would still have my mom smiling and hugging me tightly. And that makes it easier to face these troubles." ... truly inspirational .. abbe, when did you become such thoughtful gal ?!! ...

Awaitin the sequel ..

Ritu said...

@ mainak : I await u r comments very eagerly. I remember vry few incidents only re. I wish i could remember more stuffs frm my early childhood. I dont think these stuff i just sumhow feel them :)
oh and abt covering XIMB it has to be an entire post dedicated to it. good and bad..do wait for it
@ rohit: thanks a lot :)

Ritwick Sanyal said...

This is amazing stuff..loved reading it

Unknown said...

this one is far better than earlier posts..... as it looks more real and non-filmy than others.... though it does not have that style as was there in the last post .. but some incidents of life are best explained in raw form....the only thing i did not like was your darker species comment... but must appreciate the honesty with which you expressed what you felt then... keep it up :)

Oindrila Sen said...

While reading ur post…I thought of testing my memory…but it proved to be a very bad idea:( I couldn’t remember my first day in school…though I can remember a lot many days of my childhood.

But ya…the Lincoln episode reminded me a similar incident…one of my friends pushed me n made me fall while playing in the classroom. At that time he was in possession of a huge body.The cuts n scratches didn’t make me upset… wt made me upset was the combined laugh of the rest of the ppl :( But I took the revenge by complaining the techer n made him stand outside the class for whole one period holding his ears. :D
Very nice post indeed… ur post always makes me nostalgic

Ritu said...

@ Ankit: well u cant everything :P but thanks .And abt the comment well i hve mentioned it chhanged with time :)
@ Oin : Thanks dearie..I know.. I have these bouts of nostalgic often when i think of "those " days. Wait till u read d school part. I guess since we both come from similar families you would be able to relate to it more :)

Unknown said...

lovely piece of wrinting.. how can u rem so many things of those arena of life?? amazing, i would say.. mai toh saloni the gazani hun yar.. 15 mins ki memory.. :P
sexxy rendezvous with timid ritu :)
keep blogging..!

Devayangini Verma said...

@ Ritu.. Wonderfully written.. Dis is one thing that has inspired me to start blogging... Really loved d way you write.. And of course has reminded me of many childhood memories .. luv u gal.. keep posting..