My Wife - My Inspiration

Two months prior to my examination, I get the shivers. The fear to prepare for the examination overrides my ability to comprehend what I study. Just last week, We came to know that my wife had scored the highest in her university. The only thing I remember about her preparation was her search for book the day earlier to the exams.

Me and my kids tried our best to restrict her from coming first. She couldn't write her first semester exams because our younger one made an entry to this world during that time. So, she had to write exams of both semesters together.

A brief about her daily schedule during the day of exam, which is tiresome even to explain, may put her achievement in perspective.

• She woke up at 4 a.m and study for an hour until my younger one starts crying. Remember, this is the first time she is studying for the exam.
• Start getting ready after putting him to sleep and wait for my arrival at 6:30 am.
• I'll drop her at bus stand at 7 am after breakfast at Shanti Nivas. The waiter there has become a good friend and gives more sambar and chatni for my orders.
• 2 hour travel to college at the outskirts of the city.
• Write exams until 1 pm
• Leave college at 1:30 and reach home at 3:30 pm. Remember, this was during the month of May with blistering sun sapping any energy left.
• Lunch at 4:00 pm
• Bring the kids back from my mom's place and hope they go to sleep atleast by 11:30 pm after which she will revise for a while.

This schedule had to be followed for 13 exams. I remember she had a stretch of 6 exams on consecutive days.

I used to look for inspiration from people out there... strangers who I've never met... people who don't even know me... Only thing that I knew was their achievements. Here I had a person who was my better half, slogging out day in and day out... for my sake and my kids sake but still keeping her aspirations alive and achieving them with merits. I hope her standards of excellence rubs not only me but also my kids. I presume she would be a better role model than me, for the kids.

She doesn't expect costly presents... Neither is she interested in fancy jewellery. All she wants is a nice home and I hope I could get it for her. That would be my way of saying thanks for inspiring me... for being my wife... for being a role model for the kids... for being my better half.

Thank you, Mona.