Mrs Amrita Tiwari- My Torchbearer

The glass of nostalgia reaches it’s brim and heavily overflows when i recall my 10th grade class teacher, Mrs Amrita Tiwari. 

She gave me wings.

The 2007-2008 academic calendar marked the valorous historic period of my life. If i write a book on it. I’d name it “101 shades of My Life”. I was not walking then, i was running in fact galloping faster than time. Reaching for everything that my eyes could see. Fearless my soul. Gallant my spirits.

My motto was-

Get Guts. Get Glory.

Among those numerous strands, my moments with Mrs Amrita rank highest. Every conversation that we had is anchored to my consciousness. Even those non-verbal ones when she was pleased/displeased with me, perch upon the very center of my brain. Do you wonder, why so? I’ll tell you. This woman overlooked the outer shell of my rough appearance and touched the right chords. Tuned to the right frequency. Calibrated the scales and played a music to me that was hypnotizing. And lost i was in it’s melody, it sent me on a voyage which helped me identify my potentials that were lying idle. She dug out the real person in me. I have heard, love has a lot of power. With her, i saw, how powerfully transforming, the effects of love can be.

Once,  she said to me, “The greatest gift a student can give to their teachers is by studying well, flaring with flying colors”. After an enormous gap of 8 big years, i stand with my education completed(hopefully 😉 Unless, i decide to go for PhD), I achieved a blissful 10 sgpa in my 6th semester exams, topped the university charts. I don’t know, if i made her proud, atleast it’s one of the best things i have done in my life 🙂

I have tried expressing my emotions for her through the following poem. She was a prism through which happiness can be scattered in different wavelengths. Words can’t really describe it all. Yet, an attempt.

Strewn along the spaces of my mind

Are the words you had with me.

Poised your walk, gentle your speech

Simplicity made a remarkable sheen.

Glistening the ambience

With your compassion

Fondling and snuggling

Knowing each child’s streak.

Rugged as a rock or black as coal

Your tender hands

Smoothened all surfaces

Bringing us clean.

A puddle of daily problems

A massacre of life tragedies

Your wand of love

Gusted the filth away.

I question myself

What is it?

That makes you different.

The indulgence, kindness or the thoughtfulness?

It is your soft touch that brought us smiles.

Your warm soul that melted hearts.

The mildness that moulded our brains.

The passion that set new shores.

Enamored with your charisma

I feel so blessed.

Gifted a teacher like you

Removed my life’s stress.

Swept, I was, by cold winds

Torn by the blades of scorn

Grieved by the shades of life

Your words made me strong.

Like the rays of dawn

Penetrating the darkness of night.

Like the wings of a bird

Promising a flight.

Like the scent of a flower

Stimulating my senses.

Like the waves of a sea

Breaking my fences.

Unbound to blood

Unrestricted play of colors.

A timeless connection

That brought me wonders.