I think, it was around PUC 1st year final examination time frame when my mother started to plan and enquire about my 2nd PUC tuition/coaching classes as PUC2 is very crucial and the deciding factor for better future. Few of her colleague’s children had got good results and praised about a coaching institution in Malmaddi area. The institute didn’t had any specific name, but was referred with the name of sir who undertook the institution as “Suresh Kulkarni” aka in short “Sukku”.
The PUC2 was very competitive examination during that time (and still it is). You generally dream of either becoming a bright engineer or brilliant doctor going forward and all that stands between you and your dream is to get excellent marks in PUC2. It needs right guidance, hard work, avoiding distractions and clear mind. After my SSLC, while choosing either Biology or Statistics as my fourth subject apart from Physics, Chemistry and Maths, I choose Statistics and it was purely based on thickness of the book! Funny choices (I had no idea what it signifies, but based on number of pages in books decided to go with Statistics). Hence becoming doctor was out of question for me and had to only concentrate on engineering, in particular Mathematics. (Physics, Chemistry, Maths marks were considered for Engineering while Physics, Chemistry, Biology marks were considered for Medical).
One afternoon, my father took me to Sukku tuition for getting admission. I took the form and filled up application and without giving any choice for me, my father paid the advance money and finalized this sukku class. I was quite a bit surprised, he didn’t even ask me, if i want to study here, or didn’t even consider any other coaching classes. He registered me for 2 months vacation class which starts in the morning 7AM till 1PM so that I woke up early to attend classes daily and I hated waking up early.
The PUC1 exams ended and the vacation classes begun. I use to take my old blue colored LadyBird cycle (yes, it was ladies cycle (old) as couldn’t afford a new boys cycle that time) and attended sukku classes. The first day, first class was of Physics by Aeri sir and I still remember, we were taught about static electric charges. I use to sit in the second bench by squeezing with other students as room was small and students were plenty. It was morning “only boys” class. The other batch with boys+girls was in another building which I assume was spacious to sit with enough space between each other.
Next class was of Chemistry, by Baddi sir. He was quite old and use to wear heavy powder, scent/perfume. I don’t remember what he taught in the first class. After these two classes, there use to be breakfast break for 30mins before Mathematics class. During break, i heard fellow students talking about Aeri sir, Baddi sir etc and I had no idea who teaches what here while other knew, planned and joined this class. Post breakfast, I came and sat for my all time favorite subject, Mathematics. A sir came inside, he was short, fully dressed in white color with a mouth which chewed tobacco a lot and he was none other than sukku sir. I first saw, met, attended him in this class.
While other two lecturers taught very well of their respective subject but sukku sir was different. Apart from teaching brilliantly about all those differentiation, integration complex equations of mathematics, he use to know the heart beats of youth. He had good hold on what students think, behave during this age. He use to crack jokes in the class while imparting good habits/practices essential for PUC2. Apart from taking maths class, he also teaches on how to study, how to manage time, how to live student life during this crucial PUC2. I was quite impressed by him from his very first appearance.
I use to take 12/- from mother every day to eat tatte idli in nearby hotel during breakfast (which I love it till today) and eagerly use to rush back to class hoping not to miss even a single minute of sukku class post break. He was available only for limited amount of time for students and the interactions with him were limited to what was taught in class. For doubts and clarifications, there was another sir named, Ningappa sitting in library and he use to resolve maths doubts while sukku use to only teach in class. I took every word which came out of sukku sir’s mouth in the class seriously and did exactly what he use to say. He use to tell that, this is teenage and you will be facing with lot of distractions around you, TV being major one along with smoking, drinking, impressing girls, tobacco etc. Stay far-far way from all these for better results.
During that period of time, sukku had become like a God for me. As said, every word, every order of him was followed in blood by me. There use to be distractions when fellow last bench students use to insult and talk lightly of Sukku and I use to over hear them. Sukku himself eats lots of tobacco but preaches us to not eat, he always watches TV, he is like that, he is like this, all in negative way. I use to get angry and curse them you won’t score well :P Even with all these negative thoughts around, I never reduced my devotion towards Sukku.
After finishing vacation classes, he gave a last speech in the last class to never let enthusiasm loose off and keep the constant phase of study throughout the year till examination. After that, I never saw sukku sir for a while. Regular college started, revision, study, etc went off as per sukku.
During mid-term of PUC2, I was attending some class in Hindi Prachar Sabha where several reputed professors from different colleges/coaching class come and teach as a guest lecturer about CET exam to poor, financially backward people. There was one age old Physics professor named Patil (heavy chain smoker) who also took few classes. Similarly sukku sir was also invited to take few class over there. I saw him almost after 6months in Hindi Prachar Sabha taking maths class. The memorable moment for me was, when sukku sir saw Patil sir in the corridor and without caring who is watching or not, sukku sir out of respect, lay flat on floor to namaskar Patil sir. Such a famous, reputed sukku sir lying down on dirty floor without caring about his white dress was marvelous. Age old patil sir’s student was sukku sir back in days and this is how one must respect their guru. All students gathered around in awe and circled watching these two legendaries meet.
After extensive hard work and 80% of spending time in studies and remaining 20% in day-to-day essentials, the result was over-whelming and never expected one (~97% in PCM). All this credit goes to none other than white dressed, short man named “sukku”.
Post result, I went to meet Sukku sir home along with my father for distributing sweets (Dharwad Pheda). That was the first time, I met him outside class, personally. I handed him over the sweets and told about my results. He was happy and congratulated. My father told, its all because of your classes and God’s grace but sukku argued, “its because of your son’s hard work (not God’s grace or my class). Several people attended my class but only few can score 95%+”. So he humbly withdrew his stake and a hot argument happened between my father and sukku about God’s grace playing a part in my scoring or not. I was feeling embarrassed and awkward listening to discussion without knowing whose side to take (father’s or sukku’s). So that was the last time I met sukku sir. He wished me all the best for future and I continued further in my life with Engineering, Job etc while he stopped running the famous sukku class after few years.
Yesterday, I attended my friend’s wedding. Surprisingly, one of my friend pointed out at stage and said sukku sir. There he was, my God during PUC2, with white shirt (although not white pant as he use to wear during classes), I saw him, after around 12 years. My heart was full of joy, just like the first time I saw him in the class. Myself and friend (who also attended sukku) waited to meet him. When we met him, I was getting a feeling to dive in and do namaskar just the way, sukku did by seeing Patil sir in Hindi Prachar Sabha but I controlled my feelings. Obviously, he couldn’t recognize us but he was humble enough to say, I recognize face but every year I see 600 students and its difficult to remember names. We re-introduced ourselves, he asked where are we working now, he said little bit about his children doing well in studies and he is going to re-start coaching from next year after gap of 5 years. It was proud meeting him in surprise and I had to take a pic. His wife helped in clicking this below pic.
The lesson I learnt and want to give away to students is, their dharma is to respect their guru to 100% for betterment of their education, life etc. Those students who doesn’t respect their guru’s cannot succeed in life. If I remember, how I was back in 2005 and what I have become in 2017, the credit goes to the devotion I payed to guru’s (not just sukku but whoever taught me during my education and sukku is one special hero among several others).
