THE BEGINNING

Don't remember the date but two years back, in last week of February 2011.

I am sitting in my study. Suddenly the doorbell rings. I shouted at my brother- "brother look who is there at the door. "

"That anshul has come. He wants to talk to you."

"Who anshul ?"

"Arre, parlor waali dolly aunty's son. Our neighbor."

"Ohh, but why ? what is it with him. ?"

"How would I know, stop eating my head, go and check yourself."

"Tell him to come later, I am studying."

"Ohh hello miss, I am not your slave, go and tell him yourself."

He was standing at the door.

"Yes anshul, how can I help you?"

"Actually I am here to ask you if u can teach me 12th standard accounting, my boards are near and I really want help in accounts."

"Ummm, yeah okay, but let me tell you one thing in advance. I have never taught anyone before. This will be my first time. So I will try." (Being a good neighbor, my morals teach me to help if you can.)

"Thank you. This would be a great help".

"So in what topics u r facing problem. ?"

"Well there is not much, I have already completed rest of the syllabus, but only partnership is left."

"But partnership is really easy, admission, retirement, dissolution of partners."

"Yes u are right, it is easy but I was hospitalized in mid-session so I missed the classes in school."

"Ohh .. what happened to you?"

"Water retention in stomach… also know as bloating. So due to this I was hospitalized."

"Ohh.. no problem . you can come from tomorrow."

I never had the policy to say 'NO'. I know that my teaching skills are poor. But still…

Next day he is at my home with his text books. I started with admission of partners. Within two days admission was over. Then we moved to retirement, then death of partnership. I was explaining him how the capital accounts of partner's are made when a partner is dead, some adjustments relating to capital and executor's account. While I was explaining he took out his cell phone from his pocket and started pressing some buttons. I thought he is doing something important so I didn't interrupt him.

Fifteen minutes have passed; he is still pressing some buttons on his phone. Then I peeped into his phone to check what was he into, and to my surprise I found him playing bounce ball game on his phone.

I didn't reacted the way I should, but I just politely asked him to study and keep your phone back, but inside me, I was thinking to myself, what a psycho he is!!. He is at somebody's home at 11.30 in the night, I skipped my dinner just to teach him becoz his boards are near, and he is playing game! Wow, a total nut case.

Within a week, partnership was over, my job was over, I waved him goodbye and wished him all the best for exams, he said thank you with a smile.

We were back in our respective lives. Neither of us remembered each other. At least I didn't.