Tatha had just hung up the phone. A warm smile lingered on his face.

“Thank you so much,” he had said before ending the call. “I’m so glad you remembered. It was such a pleasure talking to you.”

Sid and Ananya looked at each other.

Who could have made Tatha so happy? Ananya was the first to ask.

“Who was that, Tatha?,” she quizzed.

And why were you thanking them?” added Sid. “Did they send you a gift?”

Tatha laughed.

“Haha, no no. It was Ramesh. He used to live across the street years ago.”

Sid tried to remember. “Ramesh Uncle? Hasn’t he moved to Singapore?

“That’s right,” smiled Tatha. “He called today to wish me on Guru Purnima.”

Both the children looked puzzled.

“He said he’s doing well in life and wanted to thank me. “I never actually gave him tuitions,” Tatha said with a smile. “But one day, his mother came to me looking worried. She told me that Ramesh would study hard, yet whenever he sat in the examination hall, he would panic, his mind would go blank. So I spent a few evenings with him.”I taught him how to prepare, how to break a big goal into smaller ones, how to revise and most importantly, how to walk into an exam without letting fear take over.”

Tatha paused for a moment.

“He told me that those lessons still help him even today… Whenever he has an important presentation to deliver or prepares for a TED Talk, he still follows the same approach.

Tatha paused for a moment. “I must admit… hearing that made my day.”

Sid looked puzzled. “Guru Purnima? Isn’t that… Teacher’s Day?”

Ananya burst into laughter.

“Oh Sid! Teacher’s Day is on the 5th of September!”

Sid scratched his head. “Oh…Then what’s today?”

Tatha smiled.

“That’s a wonderful question. “Have you heard of Maharishi Ved Vyasa?”

Yes, the one who wrote the epic Mahabharata!” Ananya answered immediately.

Tatha chuckled. “Yes. Though Ved Vyasa did much more than write the Mahabharata. He organised the Vedas, narrated the Puranas and preserved knowledge that might otherwise have been lost forever.”

“Like an author?” asked Sid.

“Hmm, a little more than that,” said Tatha. “Imagine your school library if some mischievous kid pulls off every book off every shelf.”

Sid frowned and said, “That would be such a mess.”

“Exactly,” exclaimed Tatha. “Now imagine someone patiently sorting every book, arranging them so everyone can find what they’re looking for and making sure that knowledge is passed on. That’s what Ved Vyasa did.”

“He is the guru who helped countless generations understand wisdom behind our Puranas and Vedas making it simpler to understand. And that’s why, on the full moon day of Ashadha, we celebrate Guru Purnima in his honour.”

Ananya nodded thoughtfully.

“And”, Tatha added, “In India, a guru is anyone who removes a little darkness from your mind. It could be your maths teacher. Your music teacher. Your cricket coach. Your parents. Your grandparents. Even a friend who helps you become a better version of yourself.”

Ananya smiled and said, “So… anyone who teaches us something valuable?”

“Exactly,” exclaimed Tatha. “And do you know who some of my gurus are?”

The children looked around the room.

“Tathi?” guessed Ananya.

Tatha shook his head and put his hands around the two and said, “You two.”

“Us?” they asked together.

“You teach me new GenZ words. You explain how these new phones work and how to send emojis. You show me how to make video calls. And every time I forget…” Tatha laughed, “…you patiently teach me all over again.”

“And you still do not know how to send attachments!” exclaimed Ananya.

Tatha smiled warmly.

The children smiled.

“You see,” Tatha continued, “the beautiful thing about being a guru is that age doesn’t matter. Sometimes the youngest people can teach us things.”

Sid suddenly jumped to his feet and said, “Ohhh! If I’m your guru…”
He stretched out his hand dramatically. “…then where’s my Guru Dakshina?”

Ananya couldn’t resist joining in.

“Mine too!”

Tatha pretended to think very seriously.

“Hmmm… Okay let’s go out for an icecream once you both finish your homework!” announced Tatha.

The room burst into laughter.

Perhaps that’s what Guru Purnima has always been about.

Not just remembering Guru Vyasa. But taking a moment to thank everyone who has helped us become a little wiser than we were yesterday.