Amma.
I was standing behind the curtains backstage, there were a lot of people hustling in there. My teachers too were running around the place, trying to find some papers, and calling out names, making their students stand in a line. My Math teacher came up to me and I could tell for sure with the smile on her face that she was pleased to see me after I left the college. I wasn't her favourite student or anything, but I wasn't a bad student either. "Come and stand here Soumya, the prize distribution is right after this dance performance", she instructed and I had to join the long queue behind the stage along with my batch mates.
It was an year ago, at my college annual day celebrations, the college hall was filled with freshers and their parents. Few of my juniors congratulated me while I was waiting in the line. God, I miss this place, I kept repeating that to myself. No matter how much I cursed the college during those two years of my stay there, at the end of the day, I miss it. My teachers, my classmates, even my receptionist, I miss them all. I miss all the fun I had. My Economics teacher then announced on the mike that it was time for the prizes to be distributed to the students of the batch 2010-2012. There were huge trophies and shining mementos neatly arranged on a table nearby. One after the other, the trophies found their right place, in the hands of the students who have excelled in academics and scored pretty decent numbers in the State Intermediate Board examinations. And then my name was announced. "Second language, French. College topper, I.S.S. Soumya, M.E.C, Section F." (second topper, actually)
The Economics teacher was quite happy and my principal grinned and said "Well done Soumya, keep winning at more quizzes", handing me a little memento Ah! The feels. How I miss being on that stage. My French teacher was waiting for me at the backstage. The pride in her eyes was clearly evident. If somebody asks me to list down the best moments in my life, this day would probably be one of them. But I forgot to thank the most important person who is the sole reason for all of this. The one person without whom, let alone learning French, I might not be able to read or write my own name. Thank you amma.
I still remember the day I was filling up the application form for my admission at the St. Francis Junior College. It was late in the night and I was too sleepy to finish the form. It was simple enough for anyone to finish in 10 minutes. Well, I was done in three minutes. But this one question about the second language that I had to choose seemed to be a bit difficult for me to answer. Randomly, I told my parents that I want to take up French. My father didn't agree with me. He said, "Sanskrit." I opposed, "No, French.", "Sanskrit!", "I said French!". "All right, enough now.", my mother interrupted. "Arrey Sanskrit is almost like Hindi and it's simple. You can score easily without breaking a sweat. And we don't know if there is any proper faculty for French in that college." "Amma, I don't want to learn Sanskrit. I want to try something new. They said the teachers would teach everything, right from the scratch." After that I don't know how my mother convinced my father, but I started taking French classes for the next two years. Those classes were the best part of my life at the Junior college. Then again, I forgot to thank my mother.
Four years back, if I would have opted for Sanskrit, it wouldn't have been a big deal, may be. But I bet I wouldn't have been the same person I am today and I wouldn't have been there on the stage taking the prize that day. And amma, she was always fine with whatever I did. She let me live my life on my own terms. When I bunked my classes to attend the quiz competitions, and when I missed my Math classes before the Board exams for a high school debate competition, she didn't worry about my academics. All she had to tell me was, "follow your heart, but take your brain with you." More than the textbooks, I have this huge collection of books she bought for me that would help me with competitions. She reminded me time and again that participation is what matters, not winning. Even today when I ask her what she wanted me to become, she simply answers, "a good human being."
Every little thing I've learnt from her has made me what I'm today. She helped me with photography, she helped me with my writing, she helped me with my not-so-good cooking skills, she helped me with the 3rd standard Math.(I scored a 98 then, my all time best.) From appreciating poetry to enjoying Thyagaraja krithis, it's all because of her I've learnt to build a whole new perspective of life. She taught me how to deal with life through rough times. Again I forgot to thank her, for everything she did for me. As usual, she never complained.
I know these two words 'thank you' would not suffice and I'll never be able to repay you amma, still, this is all I can manage.
Thank you amma, I love you.
This is for you amma, and also my aunts and all the beautiful mothers out there. You are the best!
Soumya Inavilli
It was an year ago, at my college annual day celebrations, the college hall was filled with freshers and their parents. Few of my juniors congratulated me while I was waiting in the line. God, I miss this place, I kept repeating that to myself. No matter how much I cursed the college during those two years of my stay there, at the end of the day, I miss it. My teachers, my classmates, even my receptionist, I miss them all. I miss all the fun I had. My Economics teacher then announced on the mike that it was time for the prizes to be distributed to the students of the batch 2010-2012. There were huge trophies and shining mementos neatly arranged on a table nearby. One after the other, the trophies found their right place, in the hands of the students who have excelled in academics and scored pretty decent numbers in the State Intermediate Board examinations. And then my name was announced. "Second language, French. College topper, I.S.S. Soumya, M.E.C, Section F." (second topper, actually)
The Economics teacher was quite happy and my principal grinned and said "Well done Soumya, keep winning at more quizzes", handing me a little memento Ah! The feels. How I miss being on that stage. My French teacher was waiting for me at the backstage. The pride in her eyes was clearly evident. If somebody asks me to list down the best moments in my life, this day would probably be one of them. But I forgot to thank the most important person who is the sole reason for all of this. The one person without whom, let alone learning French, I might not be able to read or write my own name. Thank you amma.
I still remember the day I was filling up the application form for my admission at the St. Francis Junior College. It was late in the night and I was too sleepy to finish the form. It was simple enough for anyone to finish in 10 minutes. Well, I was done in three minutes. But this one question about the second language that I had to choose seemed to be a bit difficult for me to answer. Randomly, I told my parents that I want to take up French. My father didn't agree with me. He said, "Sanskrit." I opposed, "No, French.", "Sanskrit!", "I said French!". "All right, enough now.", my mother interrupted. "Arrey Sanskrit is almost like Hindi and it's simple. You can score easily without breaking a sweat. And we don't know if there is any proper faculty for French in that college." "Amma, I don't want to learn Sanskrit. I want to try something new. They said the teachers would teach everything, right from the scratch." After that I don't know how my mother convinced my father, but I started taking French classes for the next two years. Those classes were the best part of my life at the Junior college. Then again, I forgot to thank my mother.
Four years back, if I would have opted for Sanskrit, it wouldn't have been a big deal, may be. But I bet I wouldn't have been the same person I am today and I wouldn't have been there on the stage taking the prize that day. And amma, she was always fine with whatever I did. She let me live my life on my own terms. When I bunked my classes to attend the quiz competitions, and when I missed my Math classes before the Board exams for a high school debate competition, she didn't worry about my academics. All she had to tell me was, "follow your heart, but take your brain with you." More than the textbooks, I have this huge collection of books she bought for me that would help me with competitions. She reminded me time and again that participation is what matters, not winning. Even today when I ask her what she wanted me to become, she simply answers, "a good human being."
Every little thing I've learnt from her has made me what I'm today. She helped me with photography, she helped me with my writing, she helped me with my not-so-good cooking skills, she helped me with the 3rd standard Math.(I scored a 98 then, my all time best.) From appreciating poetry to enjoying Thyagaraja krithis, it's all because of her I've learnt to build a whole new perspective of life. She taught me how to deal with life through rough times. Again I forgot to thank her, for everything she did for me. As usual, she never complained.
I know these two words 'thank you' would not suffice and I'll never be able to repay you amma, still, this is all I can manage.
Thank you amma, I love you.
This is for you amma, and also my aunts and all the beautiful mothers out there. You are the best!
Soumya Inavilli
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