The Momma Clan

“Mumma, please don’t fail anyone,” my son pleaded.

I looked into his eyes coldly.

“Yaar, be lenient, please. Don’t fail anyone,” my husband added.

I turned to him with a raised brow.

“You English teachers deduct marks for a missing ‘a’ or ‘an,’ for an ‘e’ instead of an ‘a’ in ‘man’ or ‘woman’. Don’t be so strict!” he explained.

“Anything else?” I asked patiently.

And then came the gender argument.

“I don’t know why girls always strive for perfection. We boys are content with average marks and efforts,” my husband said, almost accusingly.

“I second Papa!” My son added fuel to the argument.

In our nuclear family, I often feel like the minority—one female against two males. But on the bright side, it allows me to observe the male mindset up close.

According to them, women influence men’s thinking. In today’s world, they argue, women are beginning to dominate, mirroring the patriarchal system they once fought against. Equality is still waiting.

With a sly smile, I bid them goodbye at the university gate. I knew exactly what they were trying to say.

—

Backdrop

A few days ago, Facebook reminded me of a memory from 2016—a picture of me basking in the sun at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). That place radiates positivity. Feeling nostalgic, I posted it on my WhatsApp status:

“Uni… where my heart dwells.“

And as if the universe had been listening, I soon received an official letter.

GNDU had called me for evaluation duty.

Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that one day, I would be the one evaluating students’ hard work.

“Fear crept in. What if I made a mistake? What if I were debarred?” I ignored the letter. But then, a call from the university made ignoring it impossible.

And just like that, the same university that shaped me now entrusted me with shaping others.

This place has given me so much—friendships, knowledge, and a broadened perspective. Yes, fears and anxieties exist, but GNDU has also given me the strength to face them.

For me, my university is a rainbow—adding color to what was once a dull and monochrome life.

As Wordsworth beautifully puts it:

“For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.”

“And like always, my husband and son came to my rescue, lifting my spirits.”

Here I was, standing at the entrance once again—ready to embrace an unexpected twist in my journey.

Thanks to the Almighty.

-Prof. Amandeep Kaur