Nandita Miss And worship
A group of students met during the silver jubilee reunion of their school leaving
. There was laughter, there was pun, their was sarcasm, there was awe, there was avoiding, there was pampering. They all felt they belonged to each other.
And, the students favourite Nandita Miss entered the room. The ever glowing smile was still there. The sparkle in the eyes was still there. Her deep kindness enveloped the atmosphere. From the successful to the not yet successful, from the natives to those who had migrated, the students and their amused family members, all felt the centre of attraction in the hall shift to Nandita Miss.
She wore a brand new, yellow and blue banaras sari, that she had clearly purchased for the occasion. She was escorted to the large sofa and before she could settle down, her children had surrounded her.
Some wanted to jog her memory to see if she still remembered them. Some wanted to introduce her to their family. Some wanted to click a photograph with her. Some waited patiently for their turn. Some touched her feet for blessings, while some hugged her as they felt one in that gesture.
Slowly, one by one, they settled down around her. Nostalgia played soulful melody in everyones eyes as classroom scenes from the past flashed in their minds.
The head boy, fondly called Nadu by the friends, cleared his throat and asked in his loud booming voice, Do you recollect the session we had on power with Miss when we were in Class X?
Some nodded, some said yeah!!! while Nandita Miss smiled fondly at Nadu. Their eyes met and both of them felt the bond between them that was created that day.
It was a free period. Nandita Miss had thrown this question to the class X students, Besides God, what else should you worship?
Abir the athlete said, POWER. Miss had answered, If you worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid. You will frantically need more power over others to hide you from your own fear.
Sanjeev, the most intelligent boy of the class, who had monopoly over Rank 1st said, Intellect. Miss replied, If you worship your intellect, if you worship being seen as smart and clever by others, you will end up feeling stupid, for you can never know enough. No one can ever know enough. When people praise your intellect, you will be scared of being found out.
Seema, the most beautiful girl in the class said, Beauty. Miss suggested, Beauty is always temporary. Its vanity. Its not truly useful yet gives a false sense of strength. It keeps you away from focussing on the right things in life.
Many more students voiced their thoughts. Miss gave her opinions on every suggestion. In the end she summed up by saying, The subtle thing about these forms of worship is not that theyre evil or sinful, its that we are unaware that they mislead us. Living life worshipping them, expecting them to stand by us is like wishing to catch shadows. You will know your shadow is there but you will never be able to catch it. Catch the object and the shadow is in your control. Always.
The sentences of Nandita Miss could be heard resonating in Nadus head even today. Time had neither dimmed its relevance nor intensity.
Nandita Miss continued, This world of power and intellect and beauty hums crazily in a pool of fear and anger and greed and frustration and craving and worship of self. Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have promoted extraordinary attention, coteries and consumption. However, the really important kind of freedom that is most precious, is unheard of in the world of wanting and achieving. The really important kind of freedom involves attention to duty, awareness and discipline; being able to care about other people, to share for them over and over again in unnoticeable ways, every day. That is real freedom. That is what you should worship. That is what being educated is all about. That is what understanding how to think is all about.
The alternative is being non-aware, participating in the rat race, and having this constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some glorious part of you that makes you feel incomplete. We know it is stupid yet we carry on the the foolish senseless mission of wanting to see with eyes closed.
Nadus life had changed that day. He had decided he will NEVER participate in the rat race. He had decided to live a meaningful life. He knew that day, he will live to genuinely care and share. He smiled at miss and there were tears in his eyes. Miss smiled at him. She too had tears in her eyes.
As she got up to leave, she looked all around and told her children, I dont know if I will ever see you again. I dont know how many more days I have in this life time. Hence, I want to make a appeal to all of you.
She took a deep breath, gathered her pallu, glanced at all in the room, ensured she had everyones attention and said in an unadorned and direct tone,
For India, true Freedom has to come in three stages. The first is political emancipation from the Britishers, the second is economic freedom and the third is social equality that goes beyond caste, gender and lineage India has only achieved the first. Many of you look successful, you look rich and look like you occupy positions of power. As a result, some of you look smug. However, remember the words of this teacher. You have the right to be satisfied ONLY when you helped India in becoming truly free. While our forefathers gave us the first freedom, you must give India the second and the third freedom.
Nandita Miss left the hall, leaving all dumb-struck. She left the hall to stay in everyones memories forever. She became the North Star for her children, yet again. She played her part as a teacher exceptionally well.
Isnt it rightly said in the book Keep Moving, while parents give us birth, it is our teachers who give us worth. Many children who did not even know they were lost, found their way that evening. I am one of them.
Thank you Nandita Miss
With loads of love, prayers and best wishes,
Narendra Goidani
As I LiveI Learn
by: Narendra Goidani
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