Respected Santwana ma’am,
How have you been? I hope you are doing well. Over the past few days, I’ve been unable to attend online classes due to poor internet connectivity. I apologise for that.
I usually don’t pay too much attention towards writing something like an article or a letter on the occasion of this Teacher’s Day, but I ahve been given the assignment of writing an open letter to a teacher who has taught me a valuable lesson. And for that, I chose you, because no one else fits this title best when it comes to motivating me. Although the rest of my teachers have played a major part in my life as well, you are special.
2017 was the year when I started writing poems and stories (all in Hindi then), assisted by my friend Rohit Bhattacharya, who was my closest friend at that time. Back then, I used to hesitate in showing my writings to teachers (as I felt very awkward). I could not judge whether my poems were good or not. My friends would read them and encourage me to write more. I wrote my first poem, then second, third, fourth, fifth . . . and then there was no stopping. I became unstoppable.
I still remember the day when I showed you my first poem in English. You were like “Wow!,” and that reaction changed my life. It was for the first time that I got appreciated for my poem. And it was you who had given that to me. I will never forget that. When I wrote my second poem, I showed it to you again, and you were so touched by that poetry that you promised me to gift me a diary. But the next day, I didn’t come to collect it (as I felt shy). I think it was my fourth or fifth poem when I finally gathered the guts to approach you again and accept the blessings you had to give me in the form of that diary (I have preserved that diary and pen down my thoughts and poetries in it even today) after receiving so many positive words from you.
Nature, women empowerment, love, goodness . . . and so on — I wrote down poems on each of such topics. Whenever I used to show you a new poem I’d written, you’d either make the entire class clap for me or give me chocolates. When I used to look in the eyes of students who were clapping for me, I found a vague expression, but when I’d look in yours, I could feel pure emotions for my talent, a genuine and honest appreciation. Each time you would encourage me, I would find myself flying along with clouds of happiness. I would feel energised. While some teachers used to scold me for not learning a given topic or doing something wrong, you used to always be there in my defense.
You may be wondering why I am giving all the credit to you only and why not to others as well: that is because I had also shown my poems to other teachers and even my friends, out of whom only Supriya ma’am (who was then the class teacher of VII-A, now no more part of our school) showed interest in reading them, and read and motivated me, encouraging me to keep going writing. She recognised my talent and blessed me to never stop writing. The rest of them overlooked my poems, thinking they were common. But you were there to identify my poetry. You taught me so many things, apart from the educational stuff, which I actually wished to learn. Your way of teaching was very different from others and also meaningful. You treated every student equally and paid heed to each one of us, making sure we are not disadvantaged from the learning.
It’s easy to overwhelm the world by your talent, but it takes courage to find it within yourself!
I was merely a coal. It was you who carved a diamond out of me. It was you who helped me find all that I could do. You are the reason for what I am today. Your goodness is infinite, just like the stars in the cosmos. Your humbleness and kindness is immeasurable. I can’t find appropriate words to justify your goodness. But one thing I know for sure — my success will know no boundaries until I have your blessing on me. Whatever you have done for me, I can’t thank you enough. I am indebted to you forever in fact.
I have so much more to say, but I am running out of words. I just hope you keep supporting me and raining your love and light upon me like you always have.
Lots of love and respect,
Pravin Gupta