The day I knew, I really did change a life path.

There were good days. There were bad days. And then there were normal days. It din't feel life changing to be honest. I had a great feeling. I loved my job. I smiled more often. But that was it. Until today.

I visited one of my students at his home. This being a first, I was cautious. I selected the best kid in the class so I could take my chances and learn. Omkar was one of those kids who made your life simple. He always topped the class. Spoke without hesitation. Helped others. Loved bhaiyya to bits. I never knew any other side of him. 

Today afternoon, I went to his place. All the greetings later, his father opened up. Tears in his eyes, he said, "I dont know what you did to my kid. " 

Omkar,  my turn around kid.

Subsequent conversations revealed Omkar wasn't always like that. He was sent out of his earlier school because he was "rowdy and very violent". His teacher gave up on him. He once bit his mother because she "forced" him to go to school. His father slapped and hit him in front of his entire class because he refused to study in the school. At Aliya, he banged the principal's desk because she agreed to give him admission into the school. He picked up fights 15 days in a month with the kids in the community.

That was almost a month back. Today, he tops every exam in the class. He is the leader for his group. He teaches his mother English words that he learnt in the school. He never comes to school with a broken button because he wants to look "neat and tidy like Bhaiyya."

Omkar is such a turn around, it is difficult for me to believe there was a different side to him. I am exuberant today. I have my proof. A proof, that is my own. My proof, that every kid can turn around. 

Thank you Omkar. It is kids like you who change our lives. 

The girl who walked me, that day and everyday after then.

Raju just started turning around. Earlier though, he used to be ten handsful. This story dates back then.

The kid has the will power that can easily break yours. "Give me a star and then Ill decide if I want to sit in your class.", he ordered me around. All of 6, he almost broke the classroom door into half when I refused to let him out. Lay flat on the floor and cried non stop for 2 days, morning 9 to evening 3. (Yes, Im serious)
You can be a firm teacher, but only till so long. I was beginning to crumble on the second day. All teachers will tell you, if a kid cries, you cry even louder inside.
  Lot of other things were going on too.
It was one of those days when my lessons weren't exactly bomb diggity. Kids are stronger than sniffer dogs. They sense your lack of confidence in seconds. Then they get cranky. The lessons suffer even more. It is a viscous cycle.


Post lunch that day, I was getting jittery. Walking back to the class, I could not think of something to teach them. My plans seemed so out of context then. All of my mindspace refused to work. And then it happened.

Mehraj, walks up to me from the behind, holds my palm with both her hands, looks into my eyes and says, "No sad sir. Raju brother like that only. But you, my best sir".

Mehraj, while I know you might not be able to read this today, and you might not read this ever, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the love, strength and courage to push me through my lowest lows.

Mehraj, since that day, always holds my hand and walks me till my bike. :-)

Love. So pure, it surprises you.

Some of my days go excellently well. The other times, I am disappointed with myself. May be I am not pushing myself more. May be, the kids could have learnt much more if I could have planned better.

 May be, Omkar wouldn't have said, "Bhaiyya, ignore Raju and Karthik. You teach only us." May be, more kids in the class could have been engrossed.

But one thing remains steady irrespective of my achievements. Their Love.
They have a way of making my day, with their own tiny means. Be it Mehraj's kiss on the hand, Jafar's tantrums that I am not taking special classes for him just yet, Omkar pleading me to take tuitions for her sister in 7th grade, Maruthi finally able to read and say little, Naveen breaking each word into its phonics and trying to read a story book I got to class.

The other day in class, Omkar was elected the Graduate of the Week. He was the most studious and took responsibility of a lot of things. This is a picture of him with a scroll and the Graduate Crown (I know it looks too feminine, but they cudnt care less. It just fascinates them to no extent!!)

Graduate of the Week! Omkar!