How She Taught, How she Learnt…

Close your eyes and imagine a quiet village in north Karnataka, where life moves slowly and simply. In this village lives a young girl with her grandparents. There are no fast deliveries or instant news updates. Newspapers arrive only in the afternoon, and weekly magazines come a day late. Every day, people eagerly wait for the bus, because it brings letters, newspapers, and their favourite magazines.

Among these magazines is a popular Kannada serial story called Kashi Yatre. It is written by a well-known author and is loved by many readers. The story is about an old woman who dreams of going to Kashi, a holy place. However, she gives up her savings to help a poor orphan girl get married. This touching story becomes very special to the narrator’s grandmother.

The grandmother, Krishtakka, cannot read or write because she never went to school. In her childhood, education for girls was not considered important. She lost her mother early and got married at a young age. Because of these reasons, she remained uneducated. But she has a deep love for stories.

Every week, the granddaughter reads the story Kashi Yatre aloud to her grandmother. The grandmother listens with full attention and interest. She remembers every detail and even discusses the story with her friends. She eagerly waits for the next episode every week.

One day, the narrator has to go to a nearby village to attend a wedding. She stays there for about a week. During this time, the next part of Kashi Yatre arrives. The grandmother opens the magazine, hoping to read it. But she cannot understand a single word.

When the narrator returns home, she finds her grandmother crying. This is surprising, because the grandmother is usually strong and cheerful. At night, the grandmother explains her sadness. She says she felt very helpless because she could not read the story by herself. She also felt ashamed to ask someone else to read it for her.

This moment becomes a turning point in her life. She realises the importance of education. She decides that she will learn how to read and write, no matter her age. At the age of sixty-two, she asks her granddaughter to teach her the Kannada alphabet.

At first, the granddaughter laughs, thinking it is unusual for an old person to start learning. But the grandmother is serious and determined. She says that there is no age limit for learning. If a person has strong willpower, they can achieve anything.

The granddaughter agrees to teach her. Every day, she gives her grandmother lessons. The grandmother works very hard. She practises reading and writing again and again. She listens carefully and completes all her homework. She becomes a dedicated and sincere student.

The grandmother sets a goal for herself. She decides that she will learn to read before the festival of Dassara. She wants to read a book on her own by the time of Saraswati Puja, a day dedicated to learning.

Days pass, and with continuous effort, she improves slowly but steadily. Finally, the day of Dassara arrives. The granddaughter buys a copy of Kashi Yatre for her grandmother. With great excitement, the grandmother opens the book and reads the title by herself. She also reads the name of the publisher.

At that moment, her dream comes true. She is no longer dependent on others. She feels proud, confident, and happy.

Then comes a touching moment. The grandmother touches her granddaughter’s feet. The granddaughter feels surprised and uncomfortable, because elders usually do not do this. But the grandmother explains that she is not touching the feet of her granddaughter, but of her teacher.

As a token of love and gratitude, the grandmother also gifts her a piece of cloth for a dress. This shows her respect and appreciation.

This beautiful story teaches us a powerful lesson. Learning has no age limit. Education gives us independence, confidence, and self-respect. With determination and hard work, we can achieve any goal, no matter how difficult it may seem.