My Grandpa

In my last post, I mentioned about my paternal grandpa. His desire was to see all his grandchildren study well and get good marks (1st Rank). As a dutiful granddaughter, I was able to fulfill this wish of his. He used to alternate his stay with us and our uncle. We used to correspond regularly through letters.His letters would always contain the words "study well, get good marks"...I would write to him after every test result comes out and intimate the marks and would get a congratulatory letter back from him.

My school had the practice of intimating the first three rank holders through post a couple of days before the annual results came out. Needless to say, grandpa would be more tense/excited than me and we both would eagerly await the postman by looking out through the balcony. He would even schedule his evening and morning walk near my school so that if he sees any of my teachers, he would be able to get quality information. I would be rewarded with roasted groundnuts and sukha bhel puri frequently so that I study well and get him the first rank. And yes, the yearly subscription to a children's magazine would be his gift to me.

Here's one incident that I would like to share. I was expecting my 10th std results. Naturally he was more tense than me.. and on top of that he was not in town and scheduled to come home exactly around the time the results were to be announced in my school. The taxi came home and on seeing that he has arrived I ran to the taxi to receive him and help out with the luggage. He got out of the taxi and the first words he uttered was (obviously) " Have the results been announced? Why so late in announcing?"

I was both surprised and shocked..Oh god he is so obsessed with my results.. He did not wait till he got down, collected the luggage and come home..In a way it added to my tension cause I sensed that he has high expectations from me.. He dropped off the luggage at home and came with me to my school inspite of being tired after a long train journey. Thank god, I got good marks and topped my school..Even today when I think of this taxi incident, I laugh a lot and at the same time realise how much he cares for me..

Till a couple of years back, we used to write letters to each other, but the advent of e-mail and near-to-local charge STD rates has stopped the correspondence. Now he asks me to send photos so that he can be shown the same on the computer!!! He says email me to say you are fine, your parents will convey the message to me ! Tech savvy grandpa indeed!