The wise men at the Cuddalore municipality have dug up the excellent roads the highway department laid just a year ago to lay down the underground sewage pipes. Now there is no road at all. The motor vehicles puff up a big cloud of pure dust everytime they use the non-existent road. A couple of weeks back, one evening I was walking along the road and one of those asthma-inducing, lung ailment friendly clound of dust was slowly dis-integrating, one of my high-school teachers, Mr. Anbazhagan appeared on the other side. Though he recognized me, he couldn't recollect my name.

As I approached him, I automatically folded my hands across my chest as any elementary school student would do when he sees his teacher. Mr. Anbazhagan, was very strict and taught Botany for us. He later left the school and is now a lecturer in a college.

After exchanging greetings, we chatted a little about the school days. He kept pulling my hand down, but every time he did so, my hands automatically went back to the default folded position. He said that one of the best things that can happen to a teacher is seeing an old student who still has some respect for the teacher. As he mentioned that I asked him if he was in touch with Mr. Palani, my Math teacher. He replied in the affirmative saying that they both worked at the same college now. Hearing that, I asked him to convey my apologies to Mr. Palani for I was a menace in his class. Mr. Anbazhagan said that it was OK and that it was common for students at that age to be mischievous. But I reiterated that I owed him an apology for all the trouble that I caused during his classes. If not for Mr. Palani's help and guidance, I wouldn't have scored the 80% (not great in Indian standards) that I did in my +2 exams.

I was thinking of apologizing to him ever since I joined BE in Annamalai, but never got to meet him. Atleast now, even though it is not a personally conveyed apology, I atleast did so through Mr. Anbazhagan, another teacher.

Mr. Palani - please accept my sincere apologies.

Now that my mind weighs lesser by one apology, I feel a bit better. Still owe 1000's more.