Returning to My First Guru - A note to my teacher
Time changes everything except the ones who shaped us. Memoirs from my diary: A note to my teacher 29th July 2026. To Miss Nina. A note to you on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, returning to my first guru. In India, we grow up with deep reverence for our gurus. They may be spiritual masters, teachers from a guru parampara, or those who quietly shape our lives through their presence and wisdom. They transform the way we see ourselves and the world. I bow to the spiritual gurus who guide my path today. Yet my first guru, my guide and teacher, was neither a spiritual master nor someone from my traditional lineage. She was a young woman in her early twenties, always dressed in a simple yet elegant saree, neatly pinned, with a high neck blouse. She carried herself with remarkable confidence, vitality and elegance. Her Oxford English fascinated me and everyone around her. I was seven years old, a spoiled child from a large, lower middle class joint family. She was my aunt...