You know how, some individuals keep dropping into your
life with no real purpose at all?
This is long back, when I was in my junior college. One fine cruel day, I was picked along with my friend, and insulted in front of the class by my Physics teacher even though I wasn't guilty. We were thrown out of the class. What was worse, my friend (a young blood then) fought back with the teacher and asked her to apologize to me!
I don't remember what happened then. But I surely remember this. Irene never forgot me. Even though, years later her daughter told me, "Mom has a very meek memory", I was confident enough to tell her.."Don't worry she will remember me."
And that's when it started. Then during the board exam, of course, I didn't know the circuit. I am not very proud of it, but yes, my circuit was fixed by Irene. And she said, "Ah! Always keep smiling!". Those words were enough to tell me how much she loathed me.
Yet, when we kept meeting at crossroads once in a year, we were polite to each other. She was sarcastic about me becoming a biology student.. "Thank god! Physics is saved", is what she really wanted to say, I guessed. And then we met a couple of times here and there. And each time I had the same smile on my face that she hated. Each time she had the same disgust on her face when she saw me.
This is long back, when I was in my junior college. One fine cruel day, I was picked along with my friend, and insulted in front of the class by my Physics teacher even though I wasn't guilty. We were thrown out of the class. What was worse, my friend (a young blood then) fought back with the teacher and asked her to apologize to me!
I don't remember what happened then. But I surely remember this. Irene never forgot me. Even though, years later her daughter told me, "Mom has a very meek memory", I was confident enough to tell her.."Don't worry she will remember me."
And that's when it started. Then during the board exam, of course, I didn't know the circuit. I am not very proud of it, but yes, my circuit was fixed by Irene. And she said, "Ah! Always keep smiling!". Those words were enough to tell me how much she loathed me.
Yet, when we kept meeting at crossroads once in a year, we were polite to each other. She was sarcastic about me becoming a biology student.. "Thank god! Physics is saved", is what she really wanted to say, I guessed. And then we met a couple of times here and there. And each time I had the same smile on my face that she hated. Each time she had the same disgust on her face when she saw me.
I met her again today. Even when she was fiddling with the handle to open the glass door, with her mere reflection I recognized her. I was in my painting class along with a whole bunch of students, and yet she spotted me with a surprised smile.
There's this thing about growing up, you start liking anything and everything that makes you nostalgic.
She had come there to get some information for her daughter, whom I already knew, but just as a student. As Irene walked slowly across the class with her glasses on, looking at each painting, I wondered if she was calculating marks for it?
I waited with her daughter to say a quick 'Hi'. Truthfully, I was actually happy to meet her. We finally spoke. And I came to know her daughter didn't like physics either. She wanted to get into commercial arts, though her first love was for wildlife.
She took my number, and I made my way back home.
I guess what had changed in all these years was... she didn't judge my smile for a smirk.
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