Born with a love for children, her becoming a teacher by profession was rather preordained. A second mother to her students, Vipin Sharma, passionate about teaching and interacting with young minds and principal of Vidya Bharati Chinmaya Vidyalaya (VBCV) has taught for 26 years.

Though very much the hip Gen X kid, Ankit Gaurav Bhardwaj, Vipin's younger son, belongs to the cream of academia. Crazy about WWW wrestling bouts, cartoons, computer games, cricket and Harry Potter, this twelfth grader of VBCV is an IIT aspirant.

Though a Mama’s boy, Ankit resents some of Vipin’s reservations while Vipindoes not budge from her principles. So all is fine till they fall out on some of their routine issues like driving, food and Ankit’s obsession with television and computer. Some excerpts from a peak duel at the breakfast table on a Sunday morning...

Live and let live...

Vipin hurls the first allegation. “Your GenNext is materialistic and self-centric. You lack compassion for others.” Ankit fields the accusations in his own inimitable style, “We are just practical, mom. We live for today. You, of course, can't call us irresponsible. We are concrete people and know for certain what we want and where we are headed.”

Popular among his classmates, Ankit goes on. He smartly turns the tables and counter-attacks, “Today’s parents are so busy with themselves and their jobs that they hardly have time for their children.”

Vipin has to give in to this. “Yes, at times I feel with nuclear families, children hardly have the privileges we had, like grandmothers telling fables.” But Vipin wouldn’t take the allegation of working parents lying down. “Working parents help to make their children more responsible and independent.”

It’s my life...

Ankit doesn’t know whether he agrees with this. After school he has to warm his lunch all by himself and have it alone. But he has accepted it as a way of life.

However, Vipin is smug. “Whether one likes it or not, I have certain principles in life and I just do not mean to budge from them. I am sure even if I am not around, my children can cope with pressure and handle situations.” An impressed Ankit couldn’t agree more. “I must confess both my parents have always given me quality time. But mom, when will you allow me to ride a bike?”

Am a big boy now...

Vipin does not intend to permit Ankit to do so till he comes of age. “It was the same with your elder brother, Rishi. But when will you stop being stubborn and short-tempered? Besides, you are extremely impulsive. You need to tone yourself down. You are becoming a couch potato and are obsessed with the computer!”

Ankit believes everybody loses his cool sometime or the other. “I know when to cut it short and my academics have not been affected”. But his mother is not done yet. “Why do you chat on the phone for hours together? Don't you realise it has other important uses?”

No hard feelings...

As Ankit’s father appears on the scene, Vipin takes the initiative to make it up to Ankit. She knows from what Ankit’s friend’s and teachers have told her, that her son is a special kid, different from others, with a firm head on his shoulders.

She reminds him, “I have high expectations from you and there would be no concessions at all, as far as performance is concerned.” Ankit can’t help but grin and ends the battle by saying, “You have set certain norms, mom, and I know they can't be flouted. I won't even try to, I promise.”

Sweta Dutta