Memories of a Nobilian

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However hard my parents tried… these reactions did not help me react with awe at their complexities. I was just not made for it. Fr Saleth tried hard too. Many suspensions and thousands of fine later, I still bunked classes, except the two… one vernacular, (I had Bengali… and Ms U Gupta was the teacher) and the other was Mr Bernard Pandey's English class. Needless to say, they were my favourites. Any science student would know that are the signs of a bad student and confirming to all known standards I was one.

But someone in DNS knew I wasn't… I mean I could do everything with more vigour and efforts and be the best in that. But neither my parents believed nor did most of the teachers. Only I knew and she knew I was capable of a lot more than every body thought. She knew it; she told me I was capable. Don't guess… she was none other than Ms Usha Gupta. When most of my friends were trying to be doctors and engineers, I was in my creative quest. Against all wishes and after a lot of discouraging remarks I decided to be a journalist. The entire world was against it and the only person who stood by me was Ms U Gupta.

Cut to August 25, 2006...
The library had been set up to organize the inter-school elocution contest. I could see the same vigour, zeal and enthusiasm in both the teachers and students. I remember standing in front of the microphone of the Xavier's hall and seeing the same tension in many faces in front to me…the feelings hadn't changed in years. One by one the names of the judges were announced. Call it prestigious, call it proud or call it a moment to remember, but it was truly a feeling I would never want to forget. I was one of the judges… my name was announced and I was introduced as a journalist… and trust me… I wanted to burst out crying. There was so much to make others know… so much to claim...Ms Gupta wasn't around. At that moment I wanted to tell her that we were successful, I wanted to tell her we survived against all odds and today when all my friends were engineers and doctors, I I could follow my heart and take up that pen and paper… my first love.