My English - Love Story

One day, class 5 or 6, can't exactly remember, my Maths teacher asked me to write 50 times Why I was absent a day before and Why I had not done my home work. I had reason so I wrote:
"I will went to Delhi"
"I will went to Delhi"
.
.

Two tight slaps and some scolding followed. 'Can't write in English? Should have asked..!'

I wanted to tell her - 'Ma'am.. 'will' goes best with 'I', and I had really been to Delhi'. On the other hand, 'Keeping quiet' was better option. It was, saved me two more.
That was the day my 1st embarrassment came with English.

English classes I used to be quiet. Used to tear off pages from notebook whenever I got less marks in tests.

Class 7 and 8 were good. Savita Ma'am. Used to study because I feared her a lot. Never once she slapped though. Everyone used to say she was partial with a few, I never felt.
1st time at length when I spoke in English was in her class, was summarizing a story, and did that quite well. Lately I developed a feeling that even I was one of her favorites, she surely was mine.

Class 9 and 10 was another influential teacher, Daas Ma'am. Feared her too, but lately that fear diluted when I got to know that apart from keeping 3 different registers for English nothing else mattered.

I used to get books with some kind of patronage associated, used by elder brother, elder sister and then myself. Every word had its meaning well written, so when no one spoke of some reference of some unknown word, I used to raise hand, chin high. It felt good.
2nd embarrassment was in line.

The day after summer vacation, Ma'am asked Class something - Everyone had to speak one new word learnt, with meaning. I was in middle of class, and countdown began.
I used to get shivers whenever such thing happened, teacher going from student to student asking something. Also you have to sit still, focused; Make a move and Who knows you are the next in queue.
I took a smarter way out, Oxford Dictionary came to help. Opened a random page, picked a random word.
'Abet'.
My turn came.. and the moment I spoke, class fell silent.
- What exactly is that Lalit?
- Ma'am its..
Its actually..
Its like
- Like.. What you actually need?
Support.
- Yes ma'am. Some kind of encouragement.

Turn passed. But I was embarrassed. Lalit.. one word? Could not speak a word, on own. This is it? Dictionary? Shivers? One word?

I was never her favorite. No praise, ever. Winning quizzes, radio show, debates, extempore.. nothing mattered.
I loved her and her daughter's articulation, mannerisms.

Senior school, English hardly mattered. Used to be another P.E. period. You aim chalks, you giggle.. and you relax. You don't get books and you get slaps, you see others laughing, you respond and you get slaps again.

Engineering, English got a new name - Essentials of Communication. EOC.
Thought of studying English in college kept me smiling throughout. Teacher was equally funny. (correction : fun-loving) If nothing, my smile used to be a reason for argument. Could never keep a straight face there. Thought of keeping one made me smile harder.
Add to it, Arun - always having a spare ear plug for me,
Kunal and Punu - always there cracking jokes.
Ma'am won't notice them, but won't leave any chance to aim me. One day there was a discussion going on in class Whether students should bring cell phones in class or not. Usual, my smiling face caught her attention and I was asked to present my views. I started, her phone rang and she took 3-4 minutes. My views got directed.
'Ma'am not only students, even teachers should not bring cell phones, or atleast they can talk later.' She fumed, took me over and Had I not spoke sorry I'd have been sentenced!
I didn't see her for rest of semester.

My CAT prep in final year came at Delhi, CL - Kailash Colony. Sole aim - English.
Apart from parajumbles, para completion, RCs.. Judith Smith taught several other things. Love for English started.
I learnt to smile at Che Guevera T-shirts, cool guys wear. Started appreciating Vinita Nangia articles in Times Life (had other reasons too!). Started reading Krugman. Got to know, the difference among satire, sarcasm & sardonic. RD & Frontline became favorites. Got to know Who was Orwell.
Familiarity with World and Self increased.