When I first saw him as one of my students, he, as it at that very instant seemed, was obstinate, obdurate, and above all, an adolescent who had lost his way. I still remember how terribly exasperated I was with his impudence. I admit I did not like him. I would rather say I would have driven out of the class if I could. It also did not escape my notice how the breath of vengeance was whisking past his infuriated, reddened nostrils.
That was my first encounter with him. And two years later, when he left our school to pursue graduation in college, he was, as I felt, the one I loved the most that year. We are still in touch. We talk over the phone. We share our views. He reacts to my social media post, and I reciprocate.
So, of course, by the time he left our school, he was no longer the person who had stumbled upon me for the first time. It implies something might have happened in between these two time-frames, something transpired in between the two different snaps of time. To assuage your query I say yes, it did happen actually.
I won't say what exactly happened. But I will share one particular incident. That year the Higher Secondary Examination had to be taken in 'home' venues: a kind of relaxation for the students in the post-COVID period. But of course, the students got too complacent to have been directed to appear in the examination in their own schools. Certainly, we, the teachers, could not be harsh with our own students during the exam days in terms of invigilation. Unmistakably, I had two or three visits to the room he was allocated. Truly speaking, every time I found him bent upon the answer scripts. When the results came out a few months later, he had secured the pass marks, but not as much as he might have expected. Yet, I was more than happy that day for I knew he did not resort to any unfair means which his friends might have brought to a fruitful(!) use. It was a proud moment for me: he simply did the way I had told him to towards being true to himself at least.
Now, he is appearing in competitive examinations and other mandatory tests and trials to attain the ultimate goal in life. More importantly, he is happy that he has learned the art of being honest at heart. I wish him all the success in life. God bless him!
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