Bye Bye Dreams..

Everytime we say goodbye, I die a little
Everytime we say goodbye, I wonder why a little
Why the gods above me who must be in the know
Think so little of me.. they allow you to go

~ Cole Porter.

Watching her push that baggage cart into and beyond the sliding doors, there's a knot in my stomach that tells me I'll never see her again.. tells me this is where we break the cycle. Funny how you always imagine such life-defining moments to be full of drama. But there were no violins, no slow motion editing. There was a quick glance, a silent conversation that ended two minutes before it should have.. and an even quicker hug, that never should have ended. As hard as I try to replay the scene in my head, I don't even remember what colour she was wearing tonight.

But what I'll forever remember is the sound of her laughter... and my dreams.

Teach For India

Do you remember the first time we met? I do. It was a Saturday morning in 2012, and your didi had invited me over to your school to spend the day with all of you. She had asked me to share something about my life that would inspire you to study hard. To be honest, I was a bit nervous. What is one supposed to say to a bunch of 10 year olds, I wasn't sure.

So, I stood in front of you and asked you to ask me questions, about anything you wanted to know. "Bhaiya, how old are you?", "Bhaiya, how much you studied?", "Bhaiya, what is your favourite colour?", "Bhaiya, who is your favourite hero?", Bhaiya, you like Michael Jackson?" - came shooting from all corners, much to your didi's annoyance. But in those 10 minutes and 300 questions, you welcomed me as one of your own. I had not seen such warmth of smiles in my entire life. And that kept me coming back to your classroom for more.

Today, your didi asks me to write a few motivating lines for you. But I can't. Because I have nothing to share with you, that you don't have already. Hold onto those infectious smiles. Even if life tells you to give up, just hold on a bit longer. And always.. always, always, keep asking those questions. Because that's the only way one can learn.

Thank you for being my inspiration. I love you all.