What makes Vijay Kain So Special .!!(Part 1)

We were sitting in the drawing room of Mr Hari Dang,the legendary Principal of many schools in India .He was also a Padamshri having got it in the field of sport because he was among the pioneers who tried to climb  Mt Everest .”I thought I reached the summit .I planted the tricolor there .I looked allround .I felt on top of the world “,he reminiscence  in his imitable  style as he sipped his whiskey .”Later I was told that I was a few meters short !!.But I left behind on the mountains a Indian flag and my toes .I lost them due to frost bite”.We(3 of us) were listening to him on a cold evening at St Pauls Darjeeling as we ate into the wonderful kebabs and sipped whiskey in front of a magnificent  chimney fire .Formally dressed bartenders with gloves and good manners served us .It was obvious that “Harry” as he was popularly called was accomplished man ,a stylish man ,a great talker and had been exposed to the best the world had to offer .

Then he looked at me without blinking and asked

“What did you say your name is”?

“Kulbhushan Sir”, I said .He was a celebrity for all of us and we were in awe of him .

“No ,what did you say your surname is”?

“Kain , Sir.I know it’s a unusual name but that’s it”

He looked quizzically at me .Had I overshot the mark ?What was he going to now say in response ,I wondered .He was the kind of man who never let a conversation thread die without a proper burial !!

“Are you related to Vijay Kain .No?”, he asked and answered .

“Yes Sir ,I am his younger brother.”.

He got up with a effort (he was a big man and had  sofas in which one just sank in ),and and embraced me .

“Where is Vijay?He was keen on taking the IAS Exam .He must have qualified .He was such a brilliant man .Such a brilliant Physics teacher  .And such a gentleman”.

And from  then onwards ,the conversation veered around Vijay .After completing his Msc ,my brother Vijay,had taught for a few months at the Air Force Central  School  ,Daula Kuan ,New Delhi .His Principal at that time was Padamshri Hari Dang,in whose drawing room we were now seated  .And as Hari Dang narrated ,when Vijay  was about to leave ,the whole school requested their Principal to hold him back .

“People tell me I have the gift of the gab .I was quite confident that I would be able to convince Vijay .But he is such a determined man and so clear in his thinking that once he had made up his mind ,very few could change it .”He pause for a while and said

“And since you are his brother ,I am sure you must be a good  teacher as well .Genes have a role to play .But don’t mind it ,but I don’t think you can  ever be  better  than him.There is a difference  between good and great .He belonged to the latter category .We lost a great human being in the field of education”.Coming from someone like Hari Dang ,it was a big compliment .And whenever I have received awards ,the words of Mr Hari Dang ring in my ears – “I don’t think you can  ever be  better  than him.”

What  is it that makes  Vijay Kain so special ?

To be Continued .