Love guru

Student-teacher infatuation is as true a fact of nature as gravity, writes Rahul Sabharwal.

Almost all of us can recount having crushes on our teachers that would be anything from a subtle liking for our junior school teacher to a full-blown obsession with our college professor — probably the reason we all relate to the lusty-eyed students when they see Sushmita Sen’s pallu flutter in Main Hoon Na.

Jatin, a BPO employee, confesses he was floored by his English teacher in college. “I think it was love at first sight,” he recounts. “Hers were the only lectures I would religiously attend — sitting in the front row. I was heartbroken when those three years ended.” College farewells see girls in a no-holds-barred confessional mode — “I love you, sir”, “You are the hottest, sir” and so on.

Gita, who recently graduated from a DU College, says, “My friends and I would sit in class, blankly staring at our economics professor. A lot of it had to do with the fact that he was a forbidden fruit.” A few love-struck victims even feel that it’s unfair of society to consider these relationships a taboo.

Mukesh, who had a major crush on his chemistry teacher in college, says, “If it’s two consenting adults who take the decision of being together, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, thanks to the restraints of this world, we’ll never know what could’ve been.”

Sounds like a classic Romeo-Juliet scenario with a twist. Dr Jitendra Nagpal feels that teachers provide an ideal image of perfection as well as serve as a romantic symbol. Plus, the hormonal changes while growing up make this a phenomenon that runs parallel to adolescence. “If this turns into obsession, you need guidance,” he warns.

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