SALIL RAWJI

This is another Physics lab story. But now I am a teacher at the CMS college. (Please read the two posts THE COMMON BALANCE, THE BURETTE)

I don't remember the year.  But it happened in the same week when the full length comedy movie "Ramjirao speaking" was released. I saw the film and on the next day I was in the pre-dgree Physics lab. Recall the scene where Mukesh suspects Sai Kumar of pick pocketing him. Mukesh runs after Sai Kumar, catches hold of him, overpowers him and "gets back" his purse. But walking a few paces he (Mukesh) realizes that his own purse was there safe in his pockets and the whole drama was a result of a confusion.

Now back in the Physics lab. I was with a group of students explaining some experiment. I wrote certain expressions in someone's rough book and on completing the explanations I put back my pen in my pocket and returned to my seat. Soon a boy came to me and asked me to return his pen. I told him that the pen in my pocket was mine. The boy disagreed and kept demanding the pen. You may wonder whether a pen is such a big thing. It used to be big for several reasons. Those days people used  the fountain pens which were not very cheap. And the pen in my pocket (read the pen in dispute) was a costly one. Those days parents would not take it lightly if their children said that they have lost a pen or a pencil. Unbelievable?? And to me too it was a sad thing to part with my pen. Those days a college teachers starting salary was less than Rs 1000. (How much less than 1000 I will not tell you).  Yet, seeing tears in the boy's eyes I gave him the pen.

Towards the end of the lab session the boy came to me with feline steps. I was in no mood to smile. I was really sad. The boy came closer and whispered,"Sir, my pen was there on the table. This one is yours". The

boy's name was Salil Rawji.( Later I taught his sister Sabitha Rawji too). With this incident Salil and I became good friends. I remember him joining the Cochin University for his P.G, securing a first rank there and then joining IISc for his PhD (or MTech I don't remember). And heard nothing about him after that.

Salil, if you happen to read this please write back.