Whispering Shadow

This question is not the same as "What do I want to accomplish in the two years of the fellowship?" While its answer may partially overlap with the reasons for which I am joining Teach for India  (learning to be a teacher, working at the grassroot level in an entrepreneurial way, networking with like minded people, building leadership qualities), it is still incomplete. What I wish to take away from the classroom cannot be summed up in big words like these. It is not about surviving the two years ordeal and proving to myself that I made it. I can be mediocre and disinterested and live through far worse. I will still have these points on my resume. It is making each of the 700 days count, celebrating small victories and learning from every setback - making myself more tenacious. It is about making friends with 30 children and helping them discover their potential further - learning to become approachable, fair and less judgmental. It is about removing the roadblocks in t...

एक ज़िन्दगी है जीने के लिए  फिर डर डर के बिताये क्यूँ ? कई रास्तें हैं चलने के लिए  गलत राह पे समय गवाएं क्यूँ? आज दिल की आवाज़  सुनों,  कल शोर और भी होगा। आज नए ख्वाब बुनों, कल ज़िम्मेदारी का भोज भी होगा। अन्धकार है बहुत दुनिया में हर एक लौ अमूल्य है  खुद को उज्जवल किये बिना  तेरे अस्तित्व का क्या मूल्य है?. हम सबको एक दिन राक बनकर  मिट्टी में मिल जाना है। फिर आग में जलने से क्यूँ डरना  जब मरने से पहले मोक्ष पाना है? PS: This is the first Hindi post on my blog. I don't remember whether I even wrote in Hindi after school. Having shared a Hindi poem with my friend led to a conversation in Hindi verses, which became the inspiration for the rest of this poem. In retrospect, I think when it comes to writing poetry, Hindi is a much better language than English - inherently poetic. 

I was in grade four. I had to read the 'thought for the day' in the school assembly, my first experience in public speaking. It w as two simple sentences - “A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open.” The host introduced me when my turn came. Needless to say, I was nervous. The teacher who had  nominated me for the task literally pushed me on the dais. I went up to the stage and without adjusting the microphone, read the quote, fumbled with a two- three words (25% of all I had in my kitty) said a thank you and rushed off the dais. Aft er I walked off the stage, the next speaker spoke. Once he finished, my housemaster came up to me and said - "You read well. Did you notice how he spoke (pointing to the next speaker)? You must take a few cues from him to become even better." That was a big moment - my housemaster had personally acknowledged my presence. The onus was on me to live up to his expectations. From then on, I spoke frequently d...