“Girls shouldn’t touch our feet!”



It was Teacher’s Day. Many girls huddled around their favourite professor to touch his feet and take his blessings. I was one of them. 


“Girls shouldn’t touch our feet!”


We all looked at him upright. 


“ I don’t believe in girls touching feet. I believe in gender justice.” 


In the smaller pockets of India, such mind carried ideas that nurtured entire generation to recognise their birth and gender to realise the lives that were laid and the movements that were started to bring more and more girl child closer to literacy and accessible education. 


Overcoming a personal loss, that ripped him apart to no lesser degree, he submitted himself to literature and the purpose it served in interpreting life. The grief in his heart, made the words come to life. The lines of his poetry and numerous publications gave art the direction where it was merely a means to be served. 


The magnetic personality carried the aura of English Department wherever he went. I caught glimpses of him more at the crowds and surroundings that stood him apart. Whether it was him loitering around Shaheed Chowk to check up on the stationary or entering Firayalal to catch up with the shopping during off hours. It was amusing to see him doing monotonous domestic chores when pitted against the blaze of his fiery lectures. 


True to his college days scamper, the last quick glimpse I caught of him was near Chandni Chowk waiting for empty autos in the sun while I was with my father on our way to catch up with the wedding shopping. 


This April 26th, today, was supposed to be my big day. But hearing your demise, I couldn't even have come close to getting married. I am glad, it got postponed a few days ago owing to the pandemic and lockdown. The new memories, in no way, could have equalled the charm of bygone memories. 


“ How to write an answer?”, “ Mindmaps, structures, the skeleton of an answer, the basic “- had more assigned lectures than the portion alone. More than the technique, I poured my heart into the answer sheets. I never did justice to your lectures completely, but today I poured my heart into the paper yet again. 


RIP, Sir! 

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