THE BOND

My husband is a bank employee. He was posted to Hyderabad, as his job is transferable. I joined a local college as a lecturer. A couple of months later I was asked to meet the members of the Management. The management members stated that attaining 100% result was mandatory. Besides, securing a couple of ranks among the top ten ranks of the state was also essential. I was dumb struck. Here I was at the beginning of my career and their expectations were skyrocketing.
I identified three students who fulfilled the requirements of attaining a state rank. Then began the Herculean task of motivating them. These exercises often demotivated me and took me into long hours of deep depression. Among the three students, I found that one had the caliber to attain the set target. Unfortunately her parents legally divorced in the month of December. Since then her grades started slipping down. The management took me to task at the deteriorating performance. It took me another mammoth effort to bring her back to normalcy. After restoring normalcy, I not only started counseling her but also brain washing her to attain the set goal. I emotionally black mailed her stating that if she did not attain the rank I may have to resign from my post.
During the period of counseling we became close to each other. She started opening up to the insecurities, which were looming large after her parents legally divorced. Over a period of time she shared all her fears, emotions and apprehensions in her private life. In this process a strong bond developed between us. Her love for me made her work harder and longer. Her performance started showing an upward trend, though gradually.
The day of the declaration of the results finally arrived. My heart was in my mouth. I could hear my heart thumping vigorously. I was sitting in the staff room in the first floor waiting for the result. Finally I heard her yell from the ground floor “Mam, you need not resign. We have attained it.” Her tone sounded musical .Her vibrant voice was a feast to my ear. She laid the foundation for the success story of the Institution. Attaining a state rank became almost a habit with us thanks to the initial achievement.
I will be ever grateful to her as, early in my career, she made me realize that the bond I develop with my students is the only and the strongest motivating factor to attain the desired and the best results. Love is indeed a driving force, which takes us to the great heights of achievements and makes the impossible seem simple and possible.