Mommy was waking me up. I slept back, as usual! But I suddenly remembered what yesterday Nikita, my elder sis was discussing at dinner. Her eyes were lusty while she was saying that she'll be giving surprise to her favourite teacher on some event for teachers. I remembered she did something secretly by locking herself in the room all alone for hours and when she would open the lock, the room would be all messed up with bits of colorful papers spread all around the room. Surprisingly, mommy did not scold her for messing up room like she would scold me! I dig didi to tell me what she was doing but she would never tell! All this had continued for a week! Mommy and daddy didn't help me to probe into it more. Krish, didi is doing something important so let her do it peacefully, daddy warned me when I was banging the door of the room while she had again locked her inside. But yesterday she had promised me that she'll show me today morning before going to school what her surprise was. Oh! I am late. She might have left! I can't see her school bag in the room. I ran out to the dining room hoping she would not have left yet but might be having her breakfast. I prayed God, that didi don't leave before showing me the surprise. But I couldn't find her there, I asked mommy about her and she replied, Niki left for school just a minute before. I rushed to the main door without a word to catch her on bus stop. Mommy was calling me from behind but I ran and ran as quickly as a 3yr toddler could, without caring that I was in my night dress, my hairs were messed up, my eyes still looked got otta sleep. I reached the bus stop and was breathless. Didi saw me and before I could catch my breath back to normal and ask her to show me the surprise, her school bus came and she teased me with her thong out and thumb down and went in the bus and waved me and behind me someone a good bye! Tears filled in my eyes and somebody held me in her arms. It was mommy, I could see blur figure of her in my tearful eyes. I wept all the way while we reached home again. People were staring at me while mommy took me back home. Mommy gave me her usual sweet smile and wiped my tears. Didi is bad, I said her. You are bad. Daddy is bad. Everyone is bad I howled back into tears and went in my room and soaked my pillow. Daddy came to me and lift me in his arms and wiped my eyes from his fresh, clean white handkerchief that he would have taken today morning to use throughout the day. Daddy asked me why I was crying? In my cracked and still almost weepy voice I told him that I wanted to see didi's surprise but she went to school even before I could see it and she would be giving that to her teacher today and I won't be able to see it ever! Mommy too came in the room and holding me again in her arms she said that they saw it and they can tell me what it was like. They started explaining me what she had made. I was mesmerized by the thought. She had made something called "gleeting carrd". But I was unable to understand what exactly gleeting carrd means? May be something very special, I thought. I asked daddy why she had made gleeting for her teacher? Daddy told me it was someday called "GULU PORLIMA" something like that! My puzzled look explained them that I was hungry for more explanation but mommy said that she'll explain me only after I bath and get ready. Later, daddy left for office. I got ready quickly and had my milk and not so favourite breakfast of oats without a word. Mommy went back to kitchen as if she had forgotten everything that she had promised to me. I went behind her and dragged her otta kitchen to tell me about it more. Mommy smiled her sweet smile again and told me to sit on chair till she comes and directly went inside her bedroom. I was waiting for her to return back but she didn't. I waited more and finally she called me inside. I jumped down the chair and went running inside. She was in front of the tv that daddy had recently brought but I don't understand why he bought this new tv even though we have old one working, in fact I don't like new tv coz it can't play my favourite Chota bheem on it! Also it's remote is big, attached with wire, have many buttons that I don't understand, nor can I switch this tv on and there is one small remote with two buttons. Mommy was using small remote. I stared at the screen and mommy lifted me to her lap and with her index finger pointed towards the screen which had some images and said these are gleeting carrds. I looked carefully. Hmmm these colourful rectangular things are gleeting. They had also written something which I couldn't read. I noticed what it was like and could try to imagine what didi would have made. Wow! I loved it. I too wanted to make gleeting. I wanted to tell mommy that I too want to make a gleeting carrd. But for whom? I don't go to school and don't have any teacher. I was sad again! :(
Mommy continued with her daily chores and I played with my friends in the garden. It was afternoon, mommy and I had our lunch and then we watched old tv, people were speaking about their teachers and how they wished them, at some channel people were telling the importance of this day. Later, after completing her work mommy slept and I went to my room to see what to play with as I was not sleepy at all. While playing I got tired and went back and slowly slept besides mommy carefully not waking her up.
Evening daddy returned from office, I could hear it from my room when daddy greet mommy. Daddy also enquired about me and didi. I love it when daddy ask about me. I went otta my room and jumped on him hugging him tightly. Didi too came back from school but unexpectedly her face looked sad and she directly went to kitchen to talk to mommy. May be Niki is tired, daddy said when he noticed my puzzled look. I went back to my room and when I returned mommy, daddy and didi were in the hall. I went close to them and I heard didi saying in choked voice that today her teacher did not come as she had left the school and hence she could not wish her teacher today and will never be able to in future too. I went close to them and they looked at me all together. Krish, what are you hiding behind in your hands? Mommy asked. I requested them to close their eyes but didi suddenly walked off irritably to our room ignoring me completely. Mommy again asked me and I told them to close their eyes again! They did as I said and I noticed didi was back standing at the door of the room and looking at me. May be she caught me coz I forgot to clean back the room. Before she could scold me for messing up the room and using her painting and craft work I quickly brought my hands to the front side and asked mommy and daddy to open their eyes. I had made gleeting carrd for them! Mommys mouth fell open otta surprise; daddy took the gleeting in his hand. It had picture of mommy, daddy and didi along with me. Didi came to us and asked me why I had prepared it? And I replied her,"even though I don't go to school and I don't have teacher but you all are my teachers because mommy taught me how to eat, how to speak, daddy taught me how to walk and how to ride my bicycle, you taught me how to play and how to paint. You all have taught me so many things. So I wish you all happy gulu polnima from Krish." They all smiled and gave me a tight hug. Didi went back to our room and came with her gleeting that she couldn't give to her teacher and gave to mommy and daddy and wished them for teaching us so many things.
Other teachers will come and go and might not be in touch with us forever but our best teachers are our Parents who would always be with us forever and what they had taught us no one else can ever. They are our God and they are our first Gurus'! :)
