He was inconsolable after his IIT results in 2005; 21 years later, Bombay Shaving Company founder meets the teacher who told him 'do your best and forget the rest'

Twenty-one years is a long time. People change jobs, move cities, build careers and take on entirely different lives. But some memories need just one familiar voice to come rushing back. For Bombay Shaving Company founder Shantanu Deshpande, that moment came when he met his former mathematics teacher, JJ Sir, after more than two decades. A greeting at the door was enough to take him straight back to his student days in Kota, particularly a difficult moment in 2005 when he was struggling to deal with his IIT results.

Sharing the reunion on LinkedIn, Shantanu recalled how a teacher's few reassuring words had stayed with him long after he left the classroom. His post has since prompted others to remember the educators who stood by them during some of their most challenging years.

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One phone call in 2005, a memory that lasted two decades

Long before he became an entrepreneur, Shantanu was a student in Kota preparing for the IIT examinations. When his results came out in 2005, he turned to someone he trusted: his mathematics teacher. He described himself as inconsolable when he made that call. JJ Sir, who was teaching mathematics at Bansal Classes at the time, spoke to him and helped him calm down.

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It was one of those moments when a student needed reassurance more than another lecture or academic lesson. And although 21 years have passed since then, Shantanu clearly remembers that conversation.

A familiar 'Arey Shantanu aao' brings back memories

When Shantanu visited his former teacher's office recently, he was welcomed with a familiar greeting: "Arey Shantanu aao." The years had changed their professional journeys. The young mathematics teacher he remembered had since become a senior head of department at an institute. But the voice that greeted him was still the same.

For Shantanu, the meeting was almost like stepping back into his younger self. He wrote that he felt 18 again.

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It is a small detail in the story, but perhaps the most relatable one. Anyone who has returned to an old school, met a former teacher or heard a familiar voice after years can understand how quickly memories can come flooding back.

The life lesson that mattered more than an exam result

During the reunion, JJ Sir shared the same advice that had helped Shantanu during his difficult days: "Aapko aaj ye cheez badi lag rahi hogi. Lekin jeevan mei do your best and forget the rest. Sab accha hoga."

What might have sounded like a few comforting words to an anxious student in 2005 had taken on a different meaning with time. Two decades later, Shantanu was able to look back at that moment with the perspective of someone who had experienced the ups and downs of life beyond examinations.

His reunion also brought back an important reminder: sometimes, the best thing a teacher can give a student is the confidence to believe that one difficult day is not the end of the road.

'Some people believe in you before you believe in yourself': LinkedIn users share memories

The post struck a chord with other users, many of whom joined the conversation with stories of their own teachers.

One user recalled meeting a schoolteacher who had once predicted that he would do well in life. He said the teacher had believed in him when others did not.

Another remembered a late-night conversation with a teacher during a particularly low phase of JEE preparation. The interaction had remained memorable years later.

One response also touched on the importance of acknowledging people who helped build the foundation for one's achievements. Meeting them again, the user suggested, can make even major professional milestones seem less significant.

The comments brought out a familiar feeling: while students may eventually forget lessons from particular chapters or textbooks, they often remember exactly how a teacher made them feel.

And that is perhaps the most meaningful part of Shantanu's reunion. It was not about revisiting an old classroom or discussing examination results. It was about meeting someone who had offered reassurance at a time when he needed it, and realising that, even after 21 years, those words still mattered.