Chapter 1
Two students came to fetch Raj late one afternoon, when the winter snows had already thrown a white blanket over the grounds and surrounding hills. They had found someone lying in the snow, close to the gate but hidden by the drifts. Raj followed them quickly, worried that one of his students might have become ill, but when he looked at the figure lying there, he knew it was a stranger ... a foreigner, by his pale skin. He was clutching a backpack and looked blue from the cold, and Raj and the two students half-carried him inside and deposited him on the sofa closest to Raj's fireplace to thaw him out. Thanking and dismissing the students, Raj found a blanket and wrapped the man in it, then made some strong coffee, which he gave to the man in a mug.
The man, who at first had been almost unconscious, seemed to huddle instinctively toward the fire, and spent some minutes just shivering violently, holding the mug, giving Raj time to study him. He had pitch black hair, cut very short and standing up in unruly spikes around his head. Hazel eyes were too preoccupied to notice his surroundings. His face was striking, with sharply defined cheekbones and a prominent nose. His skin was extremely pale, in sharp contrast with his dark hair. Looking at him, Raj could not decide where in the world he might have come from. He did not look English; his features were more Slavic than anything. But the dark hair and eyes could have placed him in the Middle East or India, if it weren't for the light skin. Giving up, Raj decided to wait until the man could speak for himself.
After a few minutes, the shivering subsided, and the man started to look around him. Seeing Raj seated in his chair opposite him, the man carefully put down the mug, placed his hands together and greeted him. "Namaste."
Surprised, Raj returned the greeting. "Namaste. I am Raj Aryan. How are you feeling now?"
The man gave a shrug. "Better, thank you. Call me Adam."
"English?" Raj asked, still not sure, even though Adam's accent did sound English.
"England, and other places," Adam replied in fluent Hindi. "I have spent many years living in India, and all over the world." He took a sip of coffee. "Thank you for bringing me inside."
"No problem," Raj replied cheerfully. "What happened? Why were you out in the snow like that?"
"Would you believe I got lost?" Adam asked with a grin. "I was hiking, it's such beautiful country, and I just got lost in the hills last night. And this afternoon's snowstorm was too much for me. I was trying to reach the town, but I seem to have missed it ... by the way, where am I?"
Raj shook his head. Trust foreigners to go hiking in the hills in winter. "You're at Gurukul. We're a few miles from town; one of the boys can drive you there if you want."
"Gurukul? You're kidding!" Adam exclaimed. "I was coming to Gurukul..." He started going through the pockets of the trench coat he was wearing, and came up with a crumpled piece of paper, which he unfolded carefully. "I got this letter from Mr. Narayan Shankar, to come here to apply for a teaching position."
"Teaching?" Raj was nonplussed. Since Raj had taken over as principal, Narayan Shankar did not concern himself with the administration of Gurukul any more. He seemed to take his retirement seriously and although he knew all the students and dispensed advice when asked, he spent most of his time these days writing and meditating. To find that he had invited this man to come teach here was surprising. "Teaching what?"
"Languages," Adam explained. "Mr. Shankar and I met once at a conference where I served as interpreter for a number of people. We got to talking and I must have told him where I was staying, because two months ago this letter arrived. As I thought a change of scene would do me good, I decided to come."
"I see," Raj said. "So, Mr ..."
"Oh, sorry, Pierson," Adam replied. "Adam Pierson, at your service."
"Right. Mr. Pierson." Raj resumed. "What languages can you teach my students?"
Adam laughed. "What languages do you want me to teach them? I speak English, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, French, German, Dutch, Polish, Hungarian ... well, about the only ones I don't speak are African languages... except Egyptian."
It was Raj's turn to say, "You're kidding!"
"No, unfortunately not," Adam laughed. "I just have an ability with languages. I suspect if I spend enough time in Africa I'll speak those too."
"Amazing," Raj said. "Well, I think we could do with a language teacher here, but we can discuss that in the morning. Meanwhile, you'll be my guest tonight. It's just about time for dinner, will you join us?"
Dinner at Gurukul had changed as much as everything else. What used to be a stiff, formal affair with barely a word spoken if Mr. Shankar was present, was now a joyous sharing of the day's experiences, made all the more wonderful by the presence of Raj Aryan, who had a moment to share and smile to spare for each and every one of his students.
He led Adam into the dinner hall and ousted another teacher from his usual seat to make space for the visitor. As the food was dished up, Raj surveyed the smiling faces of the students, well pleased with their progress and even more pleased with their obvious happiness. His goal to fill Gurukul with love was succeeding, and succeeding spectacularly well.
When everyone was seated and eating, Raj stood up. "We have a visitor here with us tonight, Mr. Adam Pierson. He came in from the cold this afternoon, and if you are interested, he may be staying with us."
A ripple of surprise went through the gathered group as Raj continued. "Mr. Pierson is offering to teach you any language you might want to learn. If enough of you are interested in taking an extra language course, I will offer him the position. What do you think?"
In the murmur of voices that followed this statement, Raj bent down to face the astounded Pierson. "It's not really a democracy, my friend. But I like to know what my students think about changes at Gurukul." Adam nodded, understanding.
Within a minute or so, the voices died down and one boy stood up. "Sir, we think it is a very good idea. Please ask Mr. Pierson to stay."
"Thank you, Vikram," Raj replied. "Gentlemen, enjoy your meal." He sat down again, and resumed his meal.
"Thank you, Mr. Aryan," Adam said. "I appreciate this."
"You're welcome, Mr. Pierson," Raj said, feeling suddenly too formal. "Please call me Raj."
"I will, Raj, if you call me Adam," Adam replied with a smile, holding out his hand.
Raj shook it. "Welcome to Gurukul, Adam."
Later that evening Raj went to visit Narayan Shankar in his house on the grounds of Gurukul. The old man was sitting in front of the fire, eyes closed, with a smile on his face that made him look every bit as sweet as Megha had always told Raj he was. Raj almost felt sorry to disturb him, but Shankar felt his presence and opened his eyes.
"Raj, come in, come, sit down."
Raj found a seat. "A man joined the teaching staff today, Babuji. A foreigner named Adam Pierson. He says you invited him."
Shankar smiled. "Ah, he's finally come. Yes, Raj, I asked him to come. I thought he could make a good contribution to our student's lives."
"I agree," Raj said. "But a foreigner? There's never been a foreign teacher here at Gurukul." As he said it, he realized how that sounded, and was smiling sheepishly even before Shankar started laughing.
"Now you sound like me, my son."
Raj felt a moment of bittersweet happiness, to hear Shankar call him 'son'. It was everything he had wished for, when he came here. It was Megha's gift to him, and to her father.
"You don't sound like that anymore, Babuji," he said softly, getting up.
Shankar rose too, and Raj bent down to touch his feet. Shankar gave him his blessing and pulled him upright. "I know. How grateful I am for the changes you brought. Goodnight, Raj."
"Goodnight Father," Raj said, and left.
Outside, the moonlight made the snow covered landscape a fairytale wonderland. Raj drank in the star-drenched night, savouring the crisp clear air, marvelling at the quiet surroundings. Then Megha, dancing lightly across the snow, grabbed his hand and pulled him into a wild run that ended with both of them falling laughing into the snow.
"Oh Megha," Raj said when he had gotten his breath back. "It is all coming true. Didn't you say it would? Didn't I believe it?"
"It is happening, Raj," she agreed. "Every day brings more happiness into the world. Sometimes small things bring large changes. Sometimes large things bring small changes. Change the world for the better, Raj. Change your world, and that will make the world better for everyone."
"I do believe that," Raj said, pulling her up. "I believe it with all my heart."
And they danced on over the white wonderland.
The winter snow creates an empty page
Where the hand of love can write its tale
Hearts join together on the open stage
Brought closer through life's silent gale
Happiness and sorrow, hearts beat as one
Even in the darkness the stars are shining
Seven wonders the ancients did build
Pyramids, temples, gardens of old
Didn't they know the heart of the world
Was not to be found in treasure of gold
Happiness and sorrow, hearts beat as one
Even in the darkness the stars are shining
Life rushes by at incredible speed
All we can do is hold on tight
And spread our love to those in need
Then love will shine out clear and bright
Happiness and sorrow, hearts beat as one
Even in the darkness the stars are shining
From the window of his room, Adam Pierson watched in perplexity as the principal of Gurukul ran alone, laughing and dancing through the snow like a child.
Two students came to fetch Raj late one afternoon, when the winter snows had already thrown a white blanket over the grounds and surrounding hills. They had found someone lying in the snow, close to the gate but hidden by the drifts. Raj followed them quickly, worried that one of his students might have become ill, but when he looked at the figure lying there, he knew it was a stranger ... a foreigner, by his pale skin. He was clutching a backpack and looked blue from the cold, and Raj and the two students half-carried him inside and deposited him on the sofa closest to Raj's fireplace to thaw him out. Thanking and dismissing the students, Raj found a blanket and wrapped the man in it, then made some strong coffee, which he gave to the man in a mug.
The man, who at first had been almost unconscious, seemed to huddle instinctively toward the fire, and spent some minutes just shivering violently, holding the mug, giving Raj time to study him. He had pitch black hair, cut very short and standing up in unruly spikes around his head. Hazel eyes were too preoccupied to notice his surroundings. His face was striking, with sharply defined cheekbones and a prominent nose. His skin was extremely pale, in sharp contrast with his dark hair. Looking at him, Raj could not decide where in the world he might have come from. He did not look English; his features were more Slavic than anything. But the dark hair and eyes could have placed him in the Middle East or India, if it weren't for the light skin. Giving up, Raj decided to wait until the man could speak for himself.
After a few minutes, the shivering subsided, and the man started to look around him. Seeing Raj seated in his chair opposite him, the man carefully put down the mug, placed his hands together and greeted him. "Namaste."
Surprised, Raj returned the greeting. "Namaste. I am Raj Aryan. How are you feeling now?"
The man gave a shrug. "Better, thank you. Call me Adam."
"English?" Raj asked, still not sure, even though Adam's accent did sound English.
"England, and other places," Adam replied in fluent Hindi. "I have spent many years living in India, and all over the world." He took a sip of coffee. "Thank you for bringing me inside."
"No problem," Raj replied cheerfully. "What happened? Why were you out in the snow like that?"
"Would you believe I got lost?" Adam asked with a grin. "I was hiking, it's such beautiful country, and I just got lost in the hills last night. And this afternoon's snowstorm was too much for me. I was trying to reach the town, but I seem to have missed it ... by the way, where am I?"
Raj shook his head. Trust foreigners to go hiking in the hills in winter. "You're at Gurukul. We're a few miles from town; one of the boys can drive you there if you want."
"Gurukul? You're kidding!" Adam exclaimed. "I was coming to Gurukul..." He started going through the pockets of the trench coat he was wearing, and came up with a crumpled piece of paper, which he unfolded carefully. "I got this letter from Mr. Narayan Shankar, to come here to apply for a teaching position."
"Teaching?" Raj was nonplussed. Since Raj had taken over as principal, Narayan Shankar did not concern himself with the administration of Gurukul any more. He seemed to take his retirement seriously and although he knew all the students and dispensed advice when asked, he spent most of his time these days writing and meditating. To find that he had invited this man to come teach here was surprising. "Teaching what?"
"Languages," Adam explained. "Mr. Shankar and I met once at a conference where I served as interpreter for a number of people. We got to talking and I must have told him where I was staying, because two months ago this letter arrived. As I thought a change of scene would do me good, I decided to come."
"I see," Raj said. "So, Mr ..."
"Oh, sorry, Pierson," Adam replied. "Adam Pierson, at your service."
"Right. Mr. Pierson." Raj resumed. "What languages can you teach my students?"
Adam laughed. "What languages do you want me to teach them? I speak English, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, French, German, Dutch, Polish, Hungarian ... well, about the only ones I don't speak are African languages... except Egyptian."
It was Raj's turn to say, "You're kidding!"
"No, unfortunately not," Adam laughed. "I just have an ability with languages. I suspect if I spend enough time in Africa I'll speak those too."
"Amazing," Raj said. "Well, I think we could do with a language teacher here, but we can discuss that in the morning. Meanwhile, you'll be my guest tonight. It's just about time for dinner, will you join us?"
Dinner at Gurukul had changed as much as everything else. What used to be a stiff, formal affair with barely a word spoken if Mr. Shankar was present, was now a joyous sharing of the day's experiences, made all the more wonderful by the presence of Raj Aryan, who had a moment to share and smile to spare for each and every one of his students.
He led Adam into the dinner hall and ousted another teacher from his usual seat to make space for the visitor. As the food was dished up, Raj surveyed the smiling faces of the students, well pleased with their progress and even more pleased with their obvious happiness. His goal to fill Gurukul with love was succeeding, and succeeding spectacularly well.
When everyone was seated and eating, Raj stood up. "We have a visitor here with us tonight, Mr. Adam Pierson. He came in from the cold this afternoon, and if you are interested, he may be staying with us."
A ripple of surprise went through the gathered group as Raj continued. "Mr. Pierson is offering to teach you any language you might want to learn. If enough of you are interested in taking an extra language course, I will offer him the position. What do you think?"
In the murmur of voices that followed this statement, Raj bent down to face the astounded Pierson. "It's not really a democracy, my friend. But I like to know what my students think about changes at Gurukul." Adam nodded, understanding.
Within a minute or so, the voices died down and one boy stood up. "Sir, we think it is a very good idea. Please ask Mr. Pierson to stay."
"Thank you, Vikram," Raj replied. "Gentlemen, enjoy your meal." He sat down again, and resumed his meal.
"Thank you, Mr. Aryan," Adam said. "I appreciate this."
"You're welcome, Mr. Pierson," Raj said, feeling suddenly too formal. "Please call me Raj."
"I will, Raj, if you call me Adam," Adam replied with a smile, holding out his hand.
Raj shook it. "Welcome to Gurukul, Adam."
Later that evening Raj went to visit Narayan Shankar in his house on the grounds of Gurukul. The old man was sitting in front of the fire, eyes closed, with a smile on his face that made him look every bit as sweet as Megha had always told Raj he was. Raj almost felt sorry to disturb him, but Shankar felt his presence and opened his eyes.
"Raj, come in, come, sit down."
Raj found a seat. "A man joined the teaching staff today, Babuji. A foreigner named Adam Pierson. He says you invited him."
Shankar smiled. "Ah, he's finally come. Yes, Raj, I asked him to come. I thought he could make a good contribution to our student's lives."
"I agree," Raj said. "But a foreigner? There's never been a foreign teacher here at Gurukul." As he said it, he realized how that sounded, and was smiling sheepishly even before Shankar started laughing.
"Now you sound like me, my son."
Raj felt a moment of bittersweet happiness, to hear Shankar call him 'son'. It was everything he had wished for, when he came here. It was Megha's gift to him, and to her father.
"You don't sound like that anymore, Babuji," he said softly, getting up.
Shankar rose too, and Raj bent down to touch his feet. Shankar gave him his blessing and pulled him upright. "I know. How grateful I am for the changes you brought. Goodnight, Raj."
"Goodnight Father," Raj said, and left.
Outside, the moonlight made the snow covered landscape a fairytale wonderland. Raj drank in the star-drenched night, savouring the crisp clear air, marvelling at the quiet surroundings. Then Megha, dancing lightly across the snow, grabbed his hand and pulled him into a wild run that ended with both of them falling laughing into the snow.
"Oh Megha," Raj said when he had gotten his breath back. "It is all coming true. Didn't you say it would? Didn't I believe it?"
"It is happening, Raj," she agreed. "Every day brings more happiness into the world. Sometimes small things bring large changes. Sometimes large things bring small changes. Change the world for the better, Raj. Change your world, and that will make the world better for everyone."
"I do believe that," Raj said, pulling her up. "I believe it with all my heart."
And they danced on over the white wonderland.
The winter snow creates an empty page
Where the hand of love can write its tale
Hearts join together on the open stage
Brought closer through life's silent gale
Happiness and sorrow, hearts beat as one
Even in the darkness the stars are shining
Seven wonders the ancients did build
Pyramids, temples, gardens of old
Didn't they know the heart of the world
Was not to be found in treasure of gold
Happiness and sorrow, hearts beat as one
Even in the darkness the stars are shining
Life rushes by at incredible speed
All we can do is hold on tight
And spread our love to those in need
Then love will shine out clear and bright
Happiness and sorrow, hearts beat as one
Even in the darkness the stars are shining
From the window of his room, Adam Pierson watched in perplexity as the principal of Gurukul ran alone, laughing and dancing through the snow like a child.