inquisitive eyes blurred with sorrowful tears.

I looked into her eyes. Her eyes were the sea of innocence sparkling with inquisitiveness. She was perhaps a student of class nine or ten. She was chubby and reminded me of the babies often displayed in most baby powder ads.


That day, I was invited as the chief speaker to her institution to deliver a speech to those high school students. During my address I could see that she listened to my words in rapt attention. I thought her to be a very sincere student. Her eager eyes were undoubtedly a powerful motivation to me. I expected students like her in the college, where I teach.

The next year new admissions were taken for +2 First year class in our college. On first week of August the new classes started. On my first day in that new class I detected that girl sitting in the second bench. A year had passed but her face was still in my mind fresh like a morning flower.

For a moment I thought that she was destined to become my student, perhaps for that reason that day I had felt a strange closeness with her when I met her first.

She came and studied like other students. Two years passed away imperceptibly. She appeared the test examination. The result was declared. And on the day of result publication, I found her crying at the notice board. I enquired about her tears. My question triggered the tears to roll down more profusely. She broke down and uttered, “I have failed in the examination, Sir.” The things stunned me. I could not find any co-relation between my initial impressions about the girl and the newly discovered fact about her dismal performance in the exam.

I saw those inquisitive eyes now blurred with sorrowful tears.

As a teacher, I could have averted such unpleasant situations if I had given a little attention to the girl. But I had never done so because I always checked my feelings towards her. I kept a distance from her lest some weakness in my heart should develop.