"Kulbhushan-My Warm Good Wishes "-Ruskin Bond

As a Principal and now as a Director ,I have always been crowded by students .Its not very unusual to find them in my chamber .Sometimes they come with a complaint ,sometimes they come with a request (holidays on a rainy day !!),sometimes they come with sweets and toffees and sometimes they just come to give a compliment (Sir the speech today in the Asssembly was wow !!).So when Vaishnavi Aggarwal and Shubra Arora came to my office –it was nothing new for me .But it was the first time for them to enter my chamber (happens when there are more than 5000 kids in the school ).Vaishnavi cluctched on to a book in her hands and Shubra was accompanying her .

Vaishnavi

“Hello ,come in .Is it the first time you are coming to my office”,I asked them .

“Yes Sir”.they replied in chorus .

“What brings you here”,I asked .

“Sir ,I wanted to present you this book”,said Vaishnavi .

Ah !!another kid showing her gratitude for whatever little I did for her .There are some people like that .They are generous by nature and they want to do their bit incase they feel you have done something for them .They are the ones who go on to win hearts of people –they reflect magnanimity which is rare in a world full of selfish people .And sometimes children can be very selfish and cruel .

“No –I don’t accept presents from people and kids who don’t  earn”,I said .

“But Sir you do so much for us”,she said ,with a disappointed look on her face .

“No –I am not going to accept the book” I said .I did not even care to look at the name and author of the book .There is no limit if you start accepting gifts .As a Principal I have always avoided doing that –save accepting a toffee or a Cadbury bar on a childs birthday .

 “But sit down –lets talk .” I said 

Shubra

So Vaishnavi and Shubra sat down and talked .Vaishnavi hailed from Saharanpur which is the adjoining district to Dehra Dun .God knows how many times I must have gone to it with my father and on my own .It is famous for its furniture business as also for the ITC (Indian Tobbaco Company).It also used to have a famous movie hall called “DARPAN”-with a “ D”written backwards  . Saharanpur is also famous for its “Kalmi” mangoes .It also had a wonderful vegetarian dhaba called “Barkat”,and I must say it is the only chain of dhabhas I have seen in my life –there was one in Dehradun and one in Bijnor as well !!Run by the same peopl .Vaishnavi had had food there as well .Her parents are  hotel advisors and thus she hopped from city to city and stayed in good hotels .Shubra was from Jodhpur and very talkative .She said she wasn’t very fond of Mahatma Gandhi or Narender Modi .Probably too young to have a informed opinion .She also did not approve of beggars –“they are able bodied –they must work” she protested !!

Both girls are extremely intelligent .Both are interested in money . “Its nice to be rich .I like malls and shopping”,said one of them .They both loved coming to school –a sign that the school was child friendly.All good schools will have children wanting to come to it .

The conversation meandered from film stars to politicians and school .Both of them liked Amitabh Bacchan (their favourite Indian),and Shubras’ favourite actress was Madhuri Dixit –though Vaishnavis favourite was Kareena and after a thought –“Priyanka Chopra also!!”.

After sometime ,Vaishnavi looked at me and said again

“Sir please accept this book .I have got it signed specially for you from him.”

That caught my ears . “Whom  have you got it signed from?”,I asked

With a twinkle in her eyes she said

“Sir ,Ruskin Bond”.!!

Ahaa ! Good old Ruskin was still doing what he loves most –being among children .Everyone in Dehradun and Mussoorie ,knows Ruskin personally .Infact ,my father also knew him  -and I am  talking of 60 years ago .Ruskin is a legendary figure of those parts .One would always see him walking up and down the Mall or sitting and having a cup of tea at Jamuna Dhaba ,just off Camels back Road .Infact he is a neighbor of my first cousin Billoo and many times we have sat and had tea on the parapet wall just outside his small cottage .Sangeeta and Pratique had also gone to meet him 2 summers back .He was struggling a bit with his health .I asked Vaishnavi  how he now was . “Did not look too well Sir .He was sitting and did not get up .We had gone to invite him for a programme ,but he refused .He said he was not well .And Sir before we left ,he asked someone to bring a big box of books and told me to choose any number of books from it .I chose three .I asked him to write something for “my Principal”,and he wrote this for you .” .I took the book and had a look at it .It was a book in which short stories written by Ruskin Bond had been compiled .And on the first page he had written very neatly "Kulbhushan,My warm and good wishes ".The book not only brought back memeories of Ruskin Bond ,but also of my life as a school and college student and also about Mussoorie ,the beautiful hill station just 21 miles away from Dehradun.Vaishnavi  looked at me .
 “Sir please accept it”.!!.

I promptly surrendered .I accepted the book with all humility .

Not because Ruskin Bond had signed it personally .

But because Vaishnavi  had thought about me in far off Mussoorie .As also the fact that it packed too many memories in it .!!It was more than just a book for me .