Too sweet a Tea!

Taking a glance back to the school days, I remember Mr VB Pathak, my English teaching class teacher at time as well as my favorite teacher by instance. We shared a deep connection of literature. We used to indulge in our mutually synced dives in to the meanings derived out of intricate proses and poetry in the curriculum and also of other compositions where our discussions would lead to. Mid of the class , there would be bi-party discussions of multiple meaning the author might want to be derived out of his / her pen or debate over what is accurate meaning of the writing of some eminent composer. When everybody in the classroom would be clueless about what is written in the textbook, the teacher and his favorite pupil would be busy smiling looking at each other appreciating the beauty of expression or rejoicing the hidden meaning of the text. For nobody else could read the metaphors used in most of writer’s expressions better than us.

The classroom would always be amazed as well as bored of the long discussions the two advanced literary brains would have. But we continued never the less, always enjoying our favorite subjects.

This teacher shared a special bond not only with me but both my parents as well- my mother herself being a literature professor. So one good morning, during vacations my father met Mr Pathak while on morning walk and request him to pay us a visit at home. Sir was more than delighted as it had been many days of summer he had not been able to interact with his favorite pupil. It was delight for me as I heard his heavy voice from my living room. Cross checking the guest room, I just realized that rather than being an assumption, the great teacher was indeed at my home. Our parents left no stone unturned to make him feel cozy and me embarrassed by narrating different stories from my early childhood and narrating many of my mischiefs I would do amidst the session of laughter. Upon request of snacks, my teacher responded “ I would take tea and ma’am – that won’t be prepared by you. I would take a tea prepared by my favorite student.” I was more than happy to leap into the kitchen at first chance but I didn’t have had any experience of kitchen by then- making tea was obviously a first I was trying my had at that day. So I began the process, as I could remember my mother doing it – poured a cup of milk, half a cup of water and tea into the vessel and turned on the knob of stove. As usual as I did in milk, poured in 5 spoons of sugar into the same vessel. The tea looked good and smelled good (the extra quantity of tea poured in lead to a great Aroma as well as to assurance to my desire to impress my favorite teacher with my first tea). Everything looked set well. Most expensive and handsome cup was taken out of storage – best possible snacks and biscuits kept alongside, I proceeded to the guest room. The laughter had not ceased a bit than then when I had left this place.

My teacher looked at me and at the contents of my hands, he seemed impressed – that was so contending a sight for me. Upon my presenting the plate on a table, he took a biscuit and the tea. “ The tea smells and looks too good !” . His appreciations for me were frequent and abundant but every time a new one came, it worked wonders- sending my bosom fluttering high in to skies!! This one had even a better effect as this was one time I was not being praised for my academic prowess or my sports feats or my eloquence in debates or about the various multi skills I displayed during my adolescent schooling stage. He took a bite and a sip. “Is everything alright? How is the tea?” came from my mother who knew me inside out – after all I came outside in the world from inside her! She also knew how na?ve I was in kitchen skills – so she sensed that something must have had gone wrong. “Tea is amazing! Best ever I had!” came from the person who had the cup of tea. My parent and myself were elated – proud over the first cooking assignment being a great success that too having being assigned and affirmed by the best person to have had been at time. “Just I take a little lesser sugar. Mind this for the next time!”

So the meeting was a great wonders. This seemed beginning of a great day. Later when he left, I chanced upon the tastiest tea my teacher ever had from the little left over of vessel. It was a shock- dead sweet .Too much of sugar – not fit for drinking! I would have spat! But my teacher kept taking sips while smiling. He had finished it & also taught me in process to correct the sugar quantity next time. Another lesson learnt.

#Blackberrys Menswear #NeverStopLearning #SchoolDays