THE STORY OF HEMA HAREESH

Giving surprises and getting surprised is predominantly the area of today’s youth. But it doesn't leave the elder generation away, they too have their share. My daughter loves to give me surprises. When my wife travels to Saudi Arabia, my daughter would send something with her and till the time my wife joins me in Jubail, she would keep me guessing. Some surprises emerge all of a sudden without a prior notice; some emerge with a notification and keep you guessing for a period of time. The curiosity ends when the surprise gets exposed. There is yet another type of surprise that happens and catches you unaware. The peculiarity is the curiosity doesn't end days, weeks and months after it’s exposed. One is just left to think, rethink, introspect and question oneself.

One fine morning during the week-end I received a call from Hareesh. He was asking me to join him for a cup of tea that afternoon. I asked him if there was anything special about the tea meeting. He denied.

Later in the afternoon I was at his place, received with a warm welcome. As we settled down in the sofa the children after sometime left for their room. Me and Hareesh were busy with casual talk while Hema was busy preparing the tea and snacks. She joined us few minutes later. It was a general talk and one of the subjects was Toastmasters. It was first time and quality time with Hareesh and his family. I do not remember much, having said something specific or having emphasized a point or two.

Few days later, Hareesh gave me a call asking me “How could you manage to convince her?” I asked “whom?” Of course, “Hema”. I again asked “Regarding what?” He said “About Joining Toastmasters”. I have been trying it since two to three months but was never successful and you did it effortlessly over a cup of tea. I am really surprised.

It was not only a surprise for him, it was a surprise for me too. Sometime in nature and society there are undercurrent, things and matter come together and start brewing, they continue to brew, waiting for a person or an event to culminate the entire thing or the process to a desired end. People say “You came and things happened” but the person in the scene has only one thing to say “To accept that, yes it happened”.

I unknowingly became her mentor; she would complete her project and send it to me for review.  I found her to be a good writer especially when it came to describing a place or an event. There used to be liveliness in it. She steadily marched on doing her competent communication projects. She also took up the assignment of being a target speaker on two occasions. I loved her sincerity. She was a very good listener. She would speak less and listen more. I am not aware if Hareesh has the same view. (Ha, ha, ha,) 

The toughest part for a mentor is to understand what his or her mentee expects from him or her. All mentees do not say it openly or may not be able to express it clearly.

She would do it the way she had written the speech. I did not understand than why she kept on sending me the speeches for reviewing. Recently I received a mail from Hareesh mentioning that she has taken up a job back home in India. and my mentoring clearly reflects in her day to day activity. I do not understand and I do not know in what way did I touch her? The more I try to understand mentoring, there remains still more to be understood abut it. Next time I will be there with the story of Youth Leader Amatul Safi.