Teaching The Right Lesson

Her husband, Ajit Agarkar, may be a world renowned cricketer, but his wife, Fatima, is no less. A path-breaking educator, she is changing the way teachers teach and children learn.

- Rahul Paul

Out of nowhere, Fatima refers to the match that took place a day before, where India beat New Zealand to clinch the ODI series, and says, “Yesterday’s game, I was hooked glued on to it. The good part about it was that my husband wasn’t bowling. I have been there, so I know how difficult it is for the bowler’s family.” She claims that cricket isstill a huge passion and she genuinely loves watching it, unlike other wives.

For those who come in late, Fatima is the wife of Ajit Agarkar, one of the finest pace bowlers of the Indian cricket team and now an ace golf player. She’s also a big fan of Michael Schumacher, but hasn’t played a single sport herself. Was she always a sports enthusiast? “No, growing up, I was a geek and a nerd. And, my mum was in Shabana Aazmi’s batch in the same school, so she spent more time outside the classroom in school while I spent more inside. My mom was alarmed to see her daughter so academically driven. I hated sports day in school because I knew I couldn’t compete.”

Fatima not only did her graduation from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai, but also acquired a new personality. She speaks fondly about her time and friends there. Besides, her first stint as an educator began there when she did her Early Childhood Association (ECA) programme and taught in a pre-school.