Memoirs

Still There is Time!

"Joshi you are late again, disgraceful! How could you be so  disgusted, just get the hell out of my class.

"I ....I ....I am sorry sir .....

"Do hell with your sorry, child you say sorry but you don’t feel sorry...get lost and remember ....'Still there is time'

This statement became mundane for me, for every morning I was late. I always knew that I'll b late, I knew Mr. Bhargava my Physics teacher will surely rebuke me like he does every day and will certainly throw me out of the class, but one thing I never knew - why did he say - 'Still there is time' ?

It was my high school (2002) from St. Francis College Lucknow. I was in the best of my spirits. I was agile and my age 'fragile'.

I was an average student; at times better than the average when it called for Sports, and extra curriculum, but my participation in everything was beyond 'the best' of my class. Life was fun and synergized by both exuberance and enlightenment.

Being late got into my bad habits and everyday I was severely castigated for the same.

Mr. P. Bhargava was my Physics teacher then, a young man of late thirties, with spirited and sharp features, and his royal moustache scored him 10 on 10 above all. I also heard that he happened to be a soft crush of a few female teachers. It was said and believed that his 'eyes' were so powerful that he could frighten even the count Dracula. He was a man of knowledge and potential. 'Physics' - haah it was a roulette for him which he could play even in his slumber.

For me he was a true mentor. He was a genial genius. At times he was very tough, he bashed some of my fellow mates manually for their misconduct, but I was sure that he liked me :).....that’s because I always scored well in Physics.

Everyday Mr. Bhargava would come to the class and would say something moralistic ... everything he spoke was with finest command and authority and I could easily relate to whatever he said, I drank and often sank into his explanation and I used to start imagining. One thing I never understood why did he always say 'Still there is time'? Is he a crank or what - like those nutty professors who get fused up with the highest priority of time and then start explaining how important it is for us!

Alright I understand but had he felt the same...why would he say 'Still'. This question troubled me throughout the year.

It was my first day in high school. He came to the class and explained the importance of Physics in general life and life in high school and then said at the end "Students it’s high time you must learn what you have to earn, pull up your socks and prepare for the battle. I looked at my socks they were loose  ....it’s the first day and so you must start preparing from today onwards. 'Still there is time'!

That day it sounded great...however there was more to come

A quarter passed away and we wrote our first term exams, after the results were announced ... I was happy... I secured 60 percent, and that was cool for me. I didn’t study at all. I was planning to pack my bag as it was the last period and as soon as I stepped out of the class , I heard "Joshi where are you going ?’

Sir..... I was... Sir I was going to the toilet.

What? With your bag along ...child you need to understand ....you need to take things seriously...I appreciate you because you have scored pretty well in Physics....remember 'Still there is time'.

Oh god not again ....why would he say that again and again. I mean I knew still there is time, day after day. His part was a mystery although it was still normal.

After October I got over with my half-yearly exams. Mr. Bhargava appeared again like an apparition to the class quickly after the results were announced and said "I feel some of you would never learn....work hard and harder remember - 'Still there is time' .......I stood there with a stiff lip, as i knew he would certainly say that.

Some of mates said that he is actually frustrated with his personal life and that’s why he has gone bonkers, some estimated metaphysically that his wife must have died due to lack of time. No wonder he never changed and he kept on saying that 'Still there is time', but now nobody bothered.

Finally the board exams were up. It was a real challenge, for the first time in my life I felt so prepared and ready for a gauntlet thrown by the Education system as well as my parents.

A month was left for the boards, he had just written our pre-boards and we got to hear again "Still there is time" and we retaliated "yes Sir we know ".

The D day came and I went to school. My school was my exam centre. I was delighted that today I'll write my destiny.

Out of the blue Mr. Bhargava appeared and announced, "Your paper will begin within fifteen minutes, the duration is two hours and thirty minutes, make sure you have nothing in your pockets, arms which might debar you from the examination ... and remember 'Still there is time'.

I wondered, but I was positive that time I construed the statement in the right sense I knew he is telling us to finish the paper within the given time limit.

I also got to know that he was the invigilator for the exam that day ... I was wrong.

I wrote the paper well and finished the paper in two hours and fifteen minutes. While I was revising the paper I heard - "Students kindly tie-up your sheets...no extra time will be given for that". It is fifteen minutes to go now... "Still there is time"

Again ... "there is no time, its finished its just fifteen minutes, how can you say that" I was sure now that he was a gone case. But the mystery was still  mysterious.

Hope never dies and it was always alive within me, after a trauma of haunting results - which I saw in my dreams, I finally secured more than just a 'first division' I was one of the rank holders. I worked hard. After a few days I went to school to collect the mark sheets and the moment I entered the staff-room I encountered Mr. Bhargava. To my shock he greeted me with a smile, first time in my life I saw him smiling, he looked better, I touched his feet, he said "God bless you my child, I heard you score well, I always knew, you are a gifted chap, so how is life?"

I was on cloud nine, just imagine your teacher asking you "How is life?" that part was happiness for me.

I didn’t know how to reply all I said was "Sir it was all because of you"!

Ok dear God bless you, take care

"Thank you Sir!"

And as i was about to turn and leave ....

He said "Joshi ... always remember still there is time"

I gasped!

I seriously never understood, why he said that now, what did that mean, is it a code or something which he might want to tell me, or is it just a lampoon of my performance. I was stupefied. However I smiled, it was my courtesy and i said "Ok Sir take care".

I never heard from him anymore.  I went to Francis but never got to meet him anymore, I found Mr. Bhargava engrossed with his class and his subjects, also I overheard some students of his class strangling hard to understand the meaning of "Still there is time?" I smiled in derision and fled.

Today I’m a teacher myself, interacting with students and getting their doubts cleared is one of my jobs , today I fall short of time, I wish if I could have more time out of the 24 hours I get.

and now when I think ...what did it actually mean?.....what Mr.Bhargava wanted to say?.....i wonder , its so easy i smile when i think about him.

I got the answer finally... Mr. Bhargava never meant "Still there is time" ....he meant "Still - there is a time", he meant if anything went wrong you can still correct it, he meant if you are the worst performer that’s the best thing because you still have time to improve or improvise, he meant a lot many things I can’t explain here. I hope the reader understands it.

And remember ... "Still there is time"
 

11-Jul-2011

More by :  Divya Joshi

Top | Memoirs

Views: 3432      Comments: 25



Comment This is really beautiful and motivational story sir... I can relate this story with my self .. great story sir...waiting for more...

Mandip kaur
28-Sep-2020 23:32 PM

Comment Truly motivational article ..

vandana
19-Sep-2013 12:01 PM

Comment Damn gud wish to see more from u

annu
06-Feb-2013 08:11 AM

Comment A Stitch in Time, Saves Nine! :D

Sapna
12-Jul-2012 14:54 PM

Comment Paranormal manifestations seem to b enigmatic! But we need to devote time and put in dedicated efforts to derive their meanings, which is quite simpler and unequivocal!
THIS ARTICLE= (Hilarious+Meaningful) :) I hope Mr. Bhargava reads it someday! :D

Sapna
12-Jul-2012 14:02 PM

Comment its wonderful...... Truly motivational article

Vandita
19-Jun-2012 13:42 PM

Comment thanx a lot deepika

dj
21-May-2012 10:16 AM

Comment jst phenomenal.... we are surrounded by opportunities to use it - in teamwork,in family life,in the workplace-and when we do it well, it works wonders.EFFECTIVE PRAISE CAN PERMANENTLY RAISE SOMEONE'S PERFORMANCE......

Deepika
21-May-2012 08:06 AM

Comment Still There is Time!
Just superb Sir.......

Sneha Poddar
21-Feb-2012 08:54 AM

Comment His was an ideal personality. He rarely cared what anyone thought about his demeanour and that made him stand a notch above the rest. I was simply captivated by his meticulous approach to science. Even today I can clearly recall his first words to my class, " Boys, physics is an exact science". It always was and always will be.

sagar jounkani
13-Feb-2012 12:34 PM

Comment rightly written sir i was also taught by sir bhargava.....he was my class teacher and i feel blessed dat he was my mentor in one of d most crucial years of my life

anshu dixit
13-Feb-2012 12:16 PM

Comment Truly inspiring account sir....Having been a student of Mr. Bhargava myself,I can easily relate to how his words can actually ring in your ears for years.
Though i never heard the "Still there is time" from him,there were many more with similar implications n wisdom that have guided me in the right direction..ur article just made me recollect those wonderful years at SFC....

Arpit Kulshreshtha
13-Feb-2012 05:00 AM

Comment Brother it was the finest one i have ever gone through....the way u expresed about Mr. Bhargav was amazing....goood work bro...

Amit Singh
13-Nov-2011 04:54 AM

Comment it feels good when sum1 who was studying with you does or achieves sumthing spcl....good going.njoyy ur work

gaurav rai
10-Nov-2011 02:54 AM

Comment Sir your article is awesome, motivational, and it would be Evergreen for ever-time,
Sir you should right more articles to motivate us......... "Still There Is Time".

Mukesh Verma
08-Nov-2011 16:18 PM

Comment what a valuable words for any students ...
from his teacher...

kumar gaurav
08-Nov-2011 16:00 PM

Comment sir ur words are impeccable.....it inspires n motivates d reader...
you are magnum opus!!!
keep writing ....keep motivating!!!

kapil bora
08-Nov-2011 07:47 AM

Comment Sir i don't have words...i can relate to each n every word of it...awwwwesommme.....n ya!!sir, Still there is time... you need to write another ....w8n to read ur nxt creation :)... keep motivating us lyk dis :::))))))

udit pridhnani
08-Nov-2011 07:31 AM

Comment I was attracted by the title. I knew it would be something related to a teacher-student relationship. But what would be the connection was the interest which dragged me to the last line.

Divya, thanks for sharing your story. It will surely inspire many teens. I have a small addition to make to your story.

I too had a Physics teacher who changed my life. He always said '7th grade is changing stage of your life'. He repeated that everytime. His simplistic nature and indepth knowledge in subject and life matters had won him many dedicated followers.He chose just 5 among 150 students to follow the path shown by him. He soaked whatever he said and he repeated again '7th grade is changing stage of your life'. Like you I too never figured it out till I graduated from high school few years later.

Secret : When you are in 7th grade, you are in beginning of your teenage years. It the best phase of any persons life. It is this phase which makes a man/woman in future. Its a decisive phase. Thats why he always insisted '7th grade is changing stage of your life'

Cheers!!

Vinod Gupta
07-Nov-2011 21:01 PM

Comment thanx sir very motivating article.. neded it rite nw..

anchal upadhyay
07-Nov-2011 14:50 PM

Comment Strange.. but how we can relate to most of the stories.. same like the above one.. Sir, a masterpiece.. Keep it up !! and Keep Writing..

Varun Kumar
07-Nov-2011 13:08 PM

Comment Very motivational article....ur teacher so as ur students would be proud of u divya...

Piyush
07-Nov-2011 13:00 PM

Comment sir i z truly very motivational story,,, i alawayzzz dis line that
"still there z a time" nd meaning of dis line....

Tanmay Agrawal
07-Nov-2011 12:48 PM

Comment well the story was awesome.. quite real.... bt the best part was the vocabulary ... we hardly see such gud nd appropriate use of words .. students appearin for CAT shud read it for sure.. it is havin all the imp words.. :P

aabha
07-Nov-2011 12:38 PM

Comment after going through dis a flash back of our own school days cums across our eyes,this is d phase which is experienced by each n every student 1 day or d other but d only difference is just dat no 1 pens it down but u did so MR. DIVYA JOSHI so congrats n keep up ur remarkable work :)

gagan gulati
07-Nov-2011 09:11 AM




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