Two Heartwarming Pictures Etched On My Mind Forever

The first frame has a girl with sparkling eyes and big dreams.

Every morning when we return from the morning walk and inevitable tea round, we drive round the Dahanukar circle on our way back. It is difficult to escape the girl at a point where she is seen selling flowers and garlands with a fat book on her lap. When there is no customer, she has her eyes fixed on the book. This was a curious case.

I tried to know more about her family background. She is the fourth child and her youngest sister is still studying in the school. Her elder sisters completed junior college. Shweta is the only one to enter college and persue a professional qualification. A dada ( a brotherly person ) motivated her to aspire to be a professional. She selected this area as she found that this would help her to give her a good exposure.

Her resolve made me a little more curious as I was wondering how long is she running this small stall of flowers. To my utter surprise she said she is sells flowers at this site for ten years. She first started when she was in the sixth standard. She said it with no air or complex, her acceptance of the fact was so natural, I couldn't believe that someone can be so simple.

The more I tried to understand, the more intrigued I was.

Her mother and one of her sisters too run flower stalls. Her father is a skilled tile installer. Casually I asked her about the school she belonged to, instantly came the answer Mahilashram high school till tenth and siddhivinayak college in eleventh and twelfth. She talked about her physical education teacher,so I asked her whether she played some game in her schooling years. No, I could not, because I had to come here to sell the flowers, but I remember my PE teacher. We all had a good rapport. There was not an iota of unhappiness as she could not afford time for regularly practice of any game. She was perfectly happy that she could sell flowers ( probably to help her family). As I was enjoying the interaction,a couple of customers approached and asked for garlands. She made them promptly,her hands were working skillfully as she talked to me.

In her I saw the dream of Anna come alive,( Maharshi Karve is fondly addressed as Anna in karve sanstha). Through out his life he struggled hard to educate women and be independent. He believed that only education can change the picture of our society.

Shweta was beaming with confidence and was determined to achieve what she had started an year ago. Her communication with the customers was very effective, they all knew her well and were quite regular at the stall. Anna had faith in the ability of women and when one meets girls like shweta one can understand the value of Anna's life long struggle and vision.

The second frame has a school and the students.

There is a school complex opposite to our building. ( Abhijat education society runs pre-primary, primary and a secondary school in this school complex ) Every day when we return home from our morning walk routine,it is the school time. Many girls and boys can be seen entering the building, first they go to their classe rooms to keep their school bags and come down for the prayers and national anthem. Most of them before setting foot on the stare case, bow down and touch the step with respect and then climb. When I observed it for the first time I was a really amazed at the gesture though it was not unknown to my generation. This seems to be a regular practice in the school.

May be they don't perceive the role of education in our life now, but when they would realise, they would find that it should exactly be the way to express gratitude to such institutions.

Such small practices are very meaningful and one recognizes their value in the later phase of life. They keep us all grounded and save us from self-righteousness, nothing is more blinding than it.