The Teacher Who Disappeared — How a Man from Ponmanipudi Changed Lives Across the World
- Sriranga VN
- Dec 23, 2025
- 3 min read
THE TEACHER WHO DISAPPEARED.....
Every evening, when Ponmanipudi’s cows returned home and as Appuswamy finished his tea and wiped his last tumbler, Junaid logged in....
Not into the village.
Into America. Into the Land of Dreams..
On one side of the screen sat anxious teenagers from New York, Texas, California, Mexico, Barcelona....
On the other side sat Junaid — in a simple room in Ponmanipudi, whiteboard behind him, calm eyes in front of him.
Officially, he was a Math tutor.
Unofficially, he was much more. He taught Life...
“Sir… I’m bad at maths,” a freckled Jordan said, close to tears.
Junaid smiled gently.
“You’re not bad at maths. You’re scared of making mistakes. Maths just shows it first.”
Another student, Conchita, asked quietly,
“My parents are fighting always… I can’t concentrate.....I am lost”
Junaid paused the equations.
“Then today, we solve only one problem,” he said.
“Not algebra. You.”
He never rushed.
Never raised his voice.
Never reduced anyone to grades or marks.
He taught numbers, yes.
But more than that —
he taught how not to collapse when life became unsolvable. To win at Exam of Life rather than just at school exams....
The kids called him “Sir” at first.
Later, they called him “J”.
Some even called him
“the only Adult who listens.”
Then one Monday…
Junaid didn’t log in.
No message.
No email.
No reschedule.
At first, the kids assumed a power cut.
By Wednesday, panic set in.
Reddit threads appeared.
Instagram stories flooded.
Parents emailed platforms.
“Where is Junaid?”
“Our kids won’t study without him.”
“He helped my son through depression.”
A young girl, Sophia, posted a video, crying:
“He taught me maths from India…
but he also taught me how to breathe when anxiety attacks came.”
Hashtags spread.
News portals picked it up.
“American students search for missing online tutor from India.”
Ponmanipudi had no idea it was becoming global and famous...
On the seventh day, a shaky video surfaced.
Not from America.
From Ponmanipudi Government Hospital.
Junaid lay on a bed, thinner, weaker — but smiling softly at the camera, radiant as usual..
He spoke slowly.
“I’m sorry I disappeared,” he said.
“I didn’t want to scare anyone.”
The world leaned closer.
“My Ammi fell ill suddenly,” he continued.
“She raised me alone. Taught me my first numbers…
and my first values....and Life.”
He swallowed.
“When Ammi needed me…
I logged out of the world.”
The internet went silent.
He added gently:
“I didn’t teach your children only maths.
I taught them that some equations require presence, not solutions.”
The video ended.
What happened next stunned everyone.
Thousands of messages poured in — not demanding his return.
But thanking him.
Kids recorded videos solving problems for him.
Parents donated quietly to the local hospital.
One American boy wrote:
“You told me once —
When life breaks, don’t disappear. Just pause.
So we’re waiting, Sir.”
Weeks later, Junaid logged in again.
Same room.
Same whiteboard.
Same calm eyes.
“I’m back, welcome Americaas” he said softly.
The screen exploded with smiles.
One student asked,
“Sir… will you ever disappear again?”
Junaid smiled.
“No,” he said.
“I’ve taught you enough maths to know —
even Infinity has room for return.”
That night, Dr. Chari walked past Junaid’s house.
The light was on.
The voice inside was gentle. Numbers flew in the air. Small laughter spread from Ponmanipudi to Texas....
Chari smiled to himself.
Some Teachers teach across classrooms.
Some across continents.
And some —
quietly, from small villages —
teach the world how to stay Human and grounded.
And to Sync with Life and Win....Sir 'J'.......Salaam...
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