Happy Teacher's Day Neelam Foi! How I Wish You Were Here Right Now :)

"Nai maaf neechu nishaan" (basically means, always aim HIGH!) is what you would always say. You have no idea how many times all of us continue to quote you!

You're the first person my mind jumps to, when I think about teachers, so I miss you that much more today.

Everything happened so fast .. You were eating, enjoying, watching cricket and wishing us a good day everyday, and suddenly, you just weren't yourself. Everyone says that you're in a "better place" right now. I hope, actually I know you are. But that doesn't really help! :P I still feel like crying .. I miss you. SO MUCH.

Remember all those times you would take my textbooks and read them out to me? I would always cheat a little in Geography. Whether you noticed and let it go, or you didn't, you would always be so happy reading me stories!

I remember how I loved 'Dashavtar' and I couldn't read it myself as it was in Gujrati and you would read it to me. And Bambi. And Tintin. And Nancy from the newspapers! And the English comic strip every Sunday from the paper..

When you were not all that well but I told you about how I was doing Shakespeare's Macbeth in my workshop and you looked through your cupboard all day and found me your copy.. Thank you!

You went out and whenever you did, you would without fail, ALWAYS get Bhuvs and me chocolates. And the way you would give us money not only on our birthdays, but yours as well! As well as on any holiday, on your father's anniversary.. Thank you!

The way you would wish us 'Good morning, good day, bye!' every morning before we went to school and 'goodnight' before going to sleep.. Thank you!

Thank you for all those times you let Bhuvan and me sneakily watch cartoons when we were supposed to study. For all those times you missed your shows and cricket just so we could watch our silly Shinchan and Pokemon! For all those times you would sit next to us and hand over the remote to us for watching whatever we would like.

For all those times you would tell us mom dad were in the building because you would notice their car enter the building, each time you would cover up for us in front of mumma and pappa, just so they would never scold us.. Thank you!

But especially I thank you for always having never ending faith in me. For motivating and encouraging me. For believing in me. For believing that I would be able to do what I wanted, in life.

Thank you for thinking, and telling everyone that I really was working hard for my tenth boards. You were the only one at the time who said that :D

I wish you wouldn't have fallen ill. I wish I never had to see you that way.. I wish you were there to see me score such a good percentage in tenth! I wish you could've been there physically, when I got admission in my college. I wish you were here right now. I miss you Neelam Foi. 

You never got to eat the cheese burst pizzas. You never saw India do so well in Olympics. You didn't see me win something because of my writing.

But what I do know, is that you're smiling down at us from up there. That you're eating all the yummy food that there is in the world! That you read books and watch cricket. 

Happy Teacher's Day Neelam Foi. Thank you for everything. Thank you for all that you did, and didn't do. I was a stupid idiot back then. I wish I would have gotten to tell you how I feel but I know you know. I love you. I love you so much.

I miss you ..