Remembering Ms. Puri

When I was in grade 6, I was blessed to get Ms. Puri as my english teacher. The very first day Puri ma'am was horrified that my h and n and b and d and p and and q all had same tiny length of the standing line !!! Oh my ! How upset she was. I remember her threatening me with a 'lappad' if I did not make those standing lines longer and uniform. She was relentless in her pursuit to improve my English handwriting. Surprisingly, I didn't resent this meddling, in fact I started working towards improving my letters. She used to sit in the ground floor staff room beside the headmistress' room. Everytime I would visit the staffroom to drop some notebooks or pick up some, she would make it a point to ask me 'Piyu, how is the handwriting practice going?' She took individual interest in my mental health and well-being at a time when these words were not fancy social media terms.

In 1997, just about to pass out of school, one of my poems ' My dear old Lady Irwin' got published in the school magazine. That afternoon during break, I was on duty to send the middle schoolers back into their classrooms. As I was running around middle school, rounding up the kids, Ms. Puri came walking towards me with the copy of the school magazine open to the page with my poem. 

'Piyu, how are you my child ?' She had bent a little with age. I was taller than her now. ' I am doing fine ma'am' I replied with a smile. (I was still in awe of her.) 'So , how is the handwriting practice going?' She asked with a smile. ' Fine ma'am. Thanks to you'. 'You wrote a beautiful poem Piyu. I am so proud of you!' She said with her eyes moist. I touched her feet to say thanks. My eyes teared up too. 

That's the last time I met and spoke to Ms. Puri. Life got busy after school and I regret that I never took time out to meet ma'am. I have had a neat and beautiful handwriting ever since Ms Puri made me practice. Everytime I am praised for my lettering, I send out a thank you to the universe for bringing Ms. Puri into my life.