It was the sprawling, beautifully decorated poolside ground at ‘The Raheja Classique Club’, which was the venue for the GDSMS Alumni Reunion initiated by the Class of 80. About 200 enthusiastic guests were spotted flitting around all over the ground. “Do you remember me? Guess who I am. I was your first student. How can you ever forget me?” were the words that rent the air.

 

I, for one, was meeting my beloved students whom I call ‘my bacchas’ after 37 years. “You made me tie rakhis to all the twenty boys in the class,” complained the soft-spoken, polite Sitara (Natasha Gulrajani) Daryanani. “I am sure you will never recognize me,” said Nisseem Chetan. And, of course, Ramesh Poddar – how could I ever forget him?

 

The reunion and all the memories were the nostalgic theme of the party. The invitation to the party read, “We owe to you, what we are today.” I was overwhelmed on reading these words. I said  to myself, “It is you to whom we owe much more for having taught us the language of love.”

 

I entered the teaching profession without any experience in teaching. I was shaking with nervousness the first day I faced my class. “Will I be able to control them?” was the question going on in my mind. When I first set my eyes on that class of 25, my nervousness was put to rest instantly looking at their eyes full of expectation, love and adoration. They taught me a new language – the language of love. This is how I related to them throughout my working life, and enjoyed my teaching.

 

There are some moments, people and happenings, of that period, which are so unforgettable that I can’t but recount them at this juncture. I can never forget my dear friend, Vanamala Parthasarathy, with her hair dishevelled and chalk powder spread all over her face, flustered, rushing from one class to another. She was so conscientious that she could never imagine to be late for her next class even by a fraction of a second. There she stood, fully dedicated to her work and a great inspiraton for her colleagues.

 

I will always remember Mrs. Laxmi Subbarao, who is no more with us. She was one of the leading lights of the school. She helped the school grow and get a good name in the very first years of it s existence. Her majestic and dignified presence in the corridors and classrooms was unforgettable.

 

I can never forget Vikas Agarwal Dharnidharka who has made a name abroad and won awards as a doctor. He set me on my toes while teaching English in the class. I will never forget the pranks of Sundaresan Padmanaban, who is no more, sitting in one corner of the classroom, with his fun and frolic, amusing the class and keeping them lauging all the time.

 

I could fill volumes with these and other such memories. Summing up, I will say these students gave us an experience of that ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara’ on that beautiful reunion evening by their loving gestures.

 

After the function, Mrs. Meena Pai rightly observed, “Is there a need to go to a temple or attend a ‘satsang’ to have an experience of the love of God and his Divinity?”

 

It was all there to see for those who attended ‘The GDSMS (SSC) ALUMNI REUNION’ on 28th December, 2013, It was, indeed, an unforgettable experience.