First day of class in a new school had the pudgy kid scared in good measures. His father dropped him on his way to work and promised to return to pick him up in the afternoon. Not wanting to stand out, he found himself short handed by the “Fancy” clothes he was wearing as he entered a sea of uniforms. His uniform could take a week, he was told.
He made his way into the classroom only to be inspected by strangers. And while he was being visually interrogated, he made a mental note of two distinct things. First, the benches were made out of colorful plastic with metallic holds unlike the wooden ones he had been used too. Second, He realized that he had fallen for class teacher.
I am lying. He really did not fall in love with her the very moment he saw her. But, instead found him-self extremely perplexed, with how young she looked. She was tall for an Indian female, she wasn’t fair nor was she dark. And she was thin. The kind of thinness that could be considered pretty…
She assigned him an empty spot on a yellow bench next to a moist cement wall. Not only was the school newly built but Bangalore had been blessed by the rain gods as well.
And from that day on He did everything she asked them to do. He studied harder for Biology. Worked longer on assignments! Participated in every additional activity she recommended. He played a bartender, accidentally drinking a spot of vodka, as he, role played with an actual bottle provided by the headmistress, who considered the bottle empty. He adorned dorky looking bicycling shorts to be a part of an aerobic troupe. He then role played a singing and a loud MBA graduate for a school play. And if this wasn’t enough, he was on the roster for every kind of elocution and quiz competition there was in that city. Worst of all he was so blindsided by her spectacle shielded eyes that he actually used to show her the car sketches that lay scribbled in his workbook.
Although his rotundity was always a source of mirth, she never made fun of his car dreams.
For all his efforts, he received praises from her along with plentiful scolding. Expectedly, he liked them both and continued his struggle to stand out for her. And as long he kept his grades high, he did not bother with the morality of this relationship.
Today, he stands convinced that she knew of his attraction through all of their interaction.
However he also recognizes it was she who showed him the way. To experience different challenges, to fiercely compete, to succeed and then to fail, to be bold and to dream…I would not be going too far in saying that he is now, because of what she was, then.
But most of all, she showed him how wonderful it is be infatuated and expect nothing in return.
🙂 what a wonderful read!
I am not going to dissect this, its really sweet, and very i-know-the-feeling kinds…
You a quasi-bangalorean! :), Im sure the lady in question was one too and no wonder a material befitting infatuation 😀
I am sure she did. Or maybe she did not…But is there anything more sigh inducing than unrequited adolescent infatuations..?
Wonderful,Dushyant. You have put it nicely, using exact words and describing your teen age feelings. Though, your infatuation was evident to all around you in those days, we then decided to ignore and you have proved that we were right then. Love. – Baba and Aaee.
Upasna: Thank you! I am glad you liked it. Though would have liked your dissection too.
DK: Ah! A Bangalore proponent! Even though I stayed in your city for only three years, I must admit I had some of best schooling experiences ever!
Augustborn: Yup. A sigh is a sigh is a sigh.
Aaee aani Baba: heheh… I am just wondering how many things you chose to ignore hoping your son turns out fine!!
Mine was Arie Nadler. Calculus prof. Salsa and ball room dancer. Sailor. Water baby. With twinkling blue eyes, a bald head, and arms to die for.
And a senior citizen!
Fell for him as soon as he compared the process of derivatives-integration to salsa.
“A step forward, a step back”, smiling-swiveling in front of the black board.
Hey! Hearts do skip beats!
And then…bicycling shorts?
You mean, tights????????????
Shreya: To each one his own, eh? And yes, I do mean tights. Pardon my sense of cloth calling 😉
Ur bio teacher at NPS??U had multiple crushes arnd that time or wat?? Coz, I think I know of one more arnd that time ;-)…
Was in Bamgalore last week…have u been there lately?? u won’t recognise that place nemore…I think I complained abt everything there except maybe the weather..
Spoke to uncle n aunty too…cldn’t get to meet them this time arnd..
Know wat – dad’s moving to nasik next month..
neways…more later..take care
Love,
PN
Ah Pallavi. Your discrete-ness amazes me 😉 You are right about my multiple heart donaions but she was one of very first.
I am happy for your Dad. Nasik is brilliant place 😉
And the most spl one, I am sure!
🙂
Hope to be able to visit him while he’s there..after all its a place u highly recommend!
Take care D..
Love,
PN