Encounter With An Old Teacher

One day, while I was shopping in the Pondicherry market, an elderly lady placed her hand on my shoulder and said, "Hi, Chinmoy!"

O my God, I was so embarrassed. I didn't recognise her at all.

She was so surprised that I didn't recognise her. She said, "I am Coo-Coo's mother."

Coo-Coo is the nickname for Vinay Verma, the Deputy Ambassador of India to the United Nations. We were brought up together and for a year his mother had taught me English.

She said she was able to recognise me because Vinay Verma had sent her a picture taken of the two of us at our recent meeting in Queens. So she recognised me, but I could not recognise her.

Then she begged me to come to her house. I wanted to go, but as usual, five or ten people were at our house waiting for me. Always so many people come to our house when I am there. I have so many things to tell them and they have so many things to tell me-endless stories!

-2 March 1986