दूध का गलास!

कम शब्दों में लिख दूं कैसे?

अपने मन की बात 

पहली सर्विस, पहली गाड़ी 

और हाथो में दूध का गलास।

The year was 2017-18. I was a fresh-faced, perhaps a little naive, Grade 4 teacher, stepping into my very first job. The school, a beacon of learning, was 15 kilometers from my home (30km a round-trip), and my students? They resided in the heart of areas even more remote, nestled away from the bustling city.

I was completely unaware of the unfoldings of destiny on my trusty new Activa 4G 🛵, (which I got by pooling all inhand  collection of both my parents and my little saving, with a T&C to return with 0% interest to them)  and I were about to embark on an adventure I could have never anticipated.

​Life as a new teacher was a whirlwind. 

School days stretched long, often spilling into an extra two or three hours of "hidden agenda" duties – meetings, trainings, and tasks that quietly chipped away at personal time. Sundays and off-days became home-visit days, a self-imposed mission to connect with each of my 50 students. The sheer scale of it was daunting, and truth be told, most visits left me utterly drained, both physically and emotionally. The thought of another dusty road, another unknown doorstep, often filled me with a weary sigh.

​But then, one evening, amidst the fading light of a setting sun, something shifted. My Activa pulled up to a modest home, and as always, the children's faces lit up at the sight of their teacher, and perhaps even more so at the gleaming new scooter! It was a familiar joy, a small spark in my tiring routine.

​What happened next, however, was entirely unexpected. As I stepped inside, the usual offering of chai or quick snacks, common in that part of the state, was replaced by a gesture that melted my weariness. I was offered a tall, frosty glass of creamy milk and some glistening motichoor laddoos. 

In that moment, the tiredness, the frustration, the long hours – they all dissolved. The cool, rich milk was more than just a drink; it was an elixir that seeped into my soul, reviving my spirit and bringing a clarity back to my purpose. I don't remember the exact conversation, nor the faces of the parents, but the feeling of profound gratitude and unexpected hospitality remains etched in my memory.

Those 50 home visits, navigating the remote lanes of Lucknow on my new Activa, were a journey of self-discovery. Each student, each family, contributed a thread to the tapestry of my early teaching days. The 4B batch of 2017-18 wasn't just a group of students; they were my first teachers in a different kind of classroom. They taught me about resilience, about simple joys, and most importantly, about the incredible power of human connection and unexpected kindness.

Even now, years later, I carry the lessons learned from them. They helped shape the person I am today. I miss them dearly, every single one of those bright, eager faces. The taste of that milk and those laddoos is a sweet reminder that sometimes, the most profound lessons and the deepest connections are found in the most unexpected places.