My Candle: Two

Yeah. u guessed it.. not just films are made in sequels..!! yup..so for those of u who are reading this post first..i suggest you go read the previous post if you want to make sense of what's written here.. and for the others who have read the previous post and stil reading this..i love ur guts!!!

A really long time i know, but had quite a few things to take care of, loads happening in my life.I know it dosent make sense saying that i dint get the time to write 10 words but trust me when i say that i meant it.

A simple oath before i proceed on with this one: All my other posts had the usage of corrupted english language with 'u' replacing 'you' and so forth. I realised it dosen't really emphasis anything for the post nor does it help my english, henceforth i, Deepthi Rajagopal, hereby solemly decline the usage of the 'chat english' and to strictly adhere to the pure english norms.

With that, moving onto my most favourite teacher of all times: Vishalam Teacher.For most of you from St Thomas school or Holy Angels school in Trivandrum, this will be a familiar name.It's been years since she retired but i am sure her name is still fondly remembered by one and all.

She was my Physics tuition teacher for tenth grade. It so happened that she was my Dad's relative and when we got together for a family get-together, the talk of teaching came up and my folks felt that i really needed the push to get that subject into my head(I really hated that subject!!!).Well so back again to tuition rooms. I was the only student, so maam gave the flexibility to come for it whenever i wanted to.Her house was at a walking distance from our apartment complex and unknowingly i started enjoying the brisk walks in the evenings on alternate days in a week. And more than ever i started enjoying going for the classes.Let alone the fact that she used to feed my hungry mouth with mouth watering bakery items and fruits, she made me open my eyes to the world around me.We talked about a lot of general things in the world and invaribly she managed to associate all of those with physics i needed to pass my exams. Right outside her house was a school for the blind. Evenings, when we sat by the large door sized windows, she always made it a point to make sure that the blinds were pulled when it was time for the students to head home.Seeing the anxious parents waiting for their children and seeing the kids walk out escorted with stick in hand and expressing their joy on realising that they have made it right into the arms of their mothers was a sight worth watching. In that silent moment of realisation, me and maam watched with fluttering hearts the kids actions. Her unsaid words when she looked at my face after that was 'Realise how lucky you are..Make the most of it.' She always encouraged me to achieve something in life cause we were the lukcy few blessed ones who had no shortcomings and could afford to do something for the world to make it a better place.Sadly, even though i wanted to heed her words, i fell into the regular line of people who study to earn a living and busy themselves in trying to make their lives better. I have ended up as an ordinary software engineer with nothing in my name other than a salary account and loads of work..work such that some other rich person gets richer!Well time is still young and i will definetly make my contribution to this world maam..the way you wanted your students to.


As i write this post, my eyes fill with tears and my heart goes out for this brave teacher who has spread such a circle of light in my life none other can ever tread or even try to lessen, when i see her suffer from the physical beast which has engulfed her. The maam i used to see standing by her doorstep to welcome me with a brightly lit smile is now trying to give that smile even when the cancer is slowly spreading through her body and the pain trying to overcome the smile.I have never felt so bad in my life the way i felt when i went to meet her two months ago and see her all weak and tired. I have never in my life prayed so profusely to god about anything else the way i prayed that he rids her of the pain she is suffering from and to give back my lively enchanting maam.. Inspite of all her illness she kept claiming she wanted to take tuition and have the kids around her despite the fact that she could barely manage to sit up and talk. For the first time in my life i envied the kids who are lucky to be having tuitions from her now and i wished i could still be in my tenth grade.. but at the same time i pitied the kids for what they were missing.. the real teacher..the real guide..the real light.. i felt lucky to be among the privilaged few who had the good fortune of being her student when she was her vibrant self..

'I salute you o lovely candle for all the light and warmth you spread in my life.. i shall preserve these till the day i bid farewell to this world.. you laid the path for me to tread my life.. you showed me what it is to be human.. you made me realise all the good fortune that god had blessed me with.. you made me realise how lucky i was to be born the way i am.. Thank you maam...You are always there in my heart and my prayers...