Mobile message

As I read the news of Dr Anil Wilson8217;s association with St Stephen8217;s College, Delhi, coming to an end, I remembered my three-and-a-half minutes brush with his administration as a...

As I read the news of Dr Anil Wilson8217;s association with St Stephen8217;s College, Delhi, coming to an end, I remembered my three-and-a-half minutes brush with his administration as a petrified first-year student, 10 days into college life.

Ignoring a much-publicised warning from the administration that the use of cell phones in college will not be looked upon 8220;kindly8221;, I was firing away on my first mobile. That was until I saw Professor Tankha, now also recognised as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh8217;s son-in-law, walking up to me. He beamed, 8220;Congratulations, you are the first person in college to be given this honour. What8217;s your name and class?8221; Flattered by his smile and stumped by his words have they taken note of my genius already?, I blurted: 8220;Sir, Aakansha Sethi, first year economics honours.8221; 8220;Well,8221; he said, still smiling, 8220;yours is the first name to go on my list for using a mobile. Please see Dr Wilson on Monday.8221;

Dr Wilson met me on Monday with, well, another big smile. 8220;I have a penchant for collecting mobiles. So, next time I hear you using it in college, it will go into my collection,8221; he smiled. Soon after, a notice signed by Dr Wilson came up on the college

notice board. 8220;I would like to thank Aakansha Sethi for being so generous and contributing Rs 100 to the

college,8221; it announced.

My fellow students got their laughs, the college got Rs 100, and I got a lesson 8212; not in mobile etiquette, but in message delivery. A message is certainly more effective if it8217;s conveyed with humour. I8217;d broken a rule, but Professor Tankha/Dr Wilson didn8217;t make me feel humiliated. Yet they managed to get their point across.

Earlier, as a vice head girl in school, I had broken more rules than I had enforced. But I think I can say that since the mobile phone episode I find myself respecting rules 8212; national, organisational, even domestic. Call it the power of a smile and being 8220;kindly8221;.