Jaydeep Dass
Brindavan, 2004

There is something unique about everyone, but Sir’s uniqueness was unique in itself. His accounts, investment and tax lessons were legendary. Much went in those classes which churned out geniuses from among his students. There are, from among my seniors, batchmates and juniors, who can swear by his name when it comes to anything finance. I too was privileged to have been in all of those classes, being a commerce graduate from Brindavan. I remember very vividly, how he entered the classroom. It was as if he was trying to hoodwink his own shadow while taking that sharp left to enter the class. He had that look in his eyes – “I am neither early nor late!”. He drove home that sense of punctuality among his students.

I can still see from the corner of my eyes the image of him strolling up and down the length of the class, as if he was discreetly peeping behind the curtain of his brilliant mind to dole out a complex problem with an air of deliberate casualness. I can still hear the sharp ring that the tone of his voice carried whenever he was dictating in the classroom or giving a speech. There was a silent “This should be easy enough for you to understand” to the way he looked at you in the classroom. I think it stemmed from the fact that he was very clear and sure of himself. He knew exactly what he was doing. Swami says “Be clear and the rest shall follow”. Ruchir sir embodied clarity. Crisp and clear, he was always to-the-point, be it while teaching in class or interacting otherwise.

Sitting in his classes, I found myself studying him as much as the subjects he taught. One couldn’t help but. You knew if he was happy with you in the class and you definitely knew if he was not. Even so, he continued to capture my imagination. The instances of me being scolded by him are some of my fondest recollections of studying in Brindavan. He evoked both fear and respect at once.

There was always a distance between us; a distance that was measured by respect and adoration. I, like many others, was in awe of him, but that awe is often a barrier to proximity. Therefore, despite studying under him and having known him as a teacher for so long, he was and continues to be an enigma to me. His life is that of dedication to Swami and adherence to all of His principles, but above all Ruchir sir lived, by example, Swami’s most important teaching – Self-confidence. “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high” – one can imagine Ruchir sir’s frame personifying this grand idea. If I were to study under him again, it would be just one lesson I would look to master – Confidence in who I am.

As I write this, I find myself imagining standing on the culvert connecting to the cricket ground in Brindavan. As I stand there, I can see Ruchir sir at a distance, tracing the curve of the boundary as he walks towards the Institute with his typically gait. It seems as if he is lost in his own thoughts – deep yet carefree. As he moves further away, it seems though that the boundary of his being is becoming lesser and lesser distinct. It is as if he is giving himself away to the breeze, bit by bit. Presently a gust of wind distracts me and I notice how simple and beautiful Brindavan is and yet how it embodies some of the grandest ideals ever conceived, exemplified by the lives of all our teachers. When I turn around, Ruchir sir is not to be seen any more. His footprints still trail the tracks and his being is probably one with the very air that Brindavan breathes.

With Pranams.

Jaydeep Dass