Chapter 12, The new science teacher from Lucknow....!

                                     

When vinay was in 5^th standard, a new teacher from Lucknow got appointed as their science teacher. Her name was sindhu. On her first class itself she took a bold decision of giving home work to the students. They were asked to draw the picture of the human digestive system in their class notebook when they come on the next day.

Vinay and few other boys didn’t bother to do the home work as usual. They knew about the punishment system very well. They would be pushed out of the class for an entire period and they could sneak out in between so that they could have some fun wandering through the campus.

The next day, the students never bothered to ask each other whether they have done the homework or not. They thought, their new teacher would forget about the task she had asked them to do. The science teacher came to the class and to everyone's surprise; she remembered about the task and asked the boys to come one by one with their note books with the diagram of the human digestive sysytem in it. Vinay could see that she smiled at certain drawings and said”very good”. At few drawings she had a detailed gazing and then recommended to draw again.

Next was nibin. He handed over the notebook to her. She could not find any picture in it. She asked nibin in an elevated tone,” where is the drawing?’

 “I forgot to draw it?” he replied innocently.

Then the entire class was shocked to see what had happened next. She gave a tight slap on nibin’s right cheek. Instantly, nibin started crying. She then asked nibin to stand at the corner of the classroom. Seeing this vinay and few other boys started getting tensed and nervous.

They could see a kind of reprimand on her face.

Next was sreepath. She saw his drawing and then took the book above her head and showed it to everyone and said, “This great guy applied oil on his class notebook and then traced the picture exactly from the textbook to his notebook. This is not at all acceptable”.

She then threw his notebook to the floor. Then she asked him to come closer. And she slapped him. Sreepath just stood there looking down. She asked him to look up and then slapped him again. in a fraction of seconds, tears dropped down from his eyes. He was asked to stand along with nibin after that.

Next was vinay’s turn. She saw nothing in his book as well. Without asking anything she slapped vinay’s right cheek. He didn’t move at all and was looking down. Then she slapped him again. Still he didn’t look up. She slapped again and again. Then she asked him to look up. Vinay started crying silently and tears was flowing down through his both cheeks.

She just vented out her complete anger on vinay.

Shewas completely exhausted after that and then stood up and said,” I am giving you all one more day’s time and please make sure the drawing is done when you come tomorrow. Or else, saw them right?” she pointed her finger towards the tired boys.

In the evening, vinay and his classmate rajesh walked towards the main gate to go home. Vinay saw his uncle standing near to his bike with nisha. They were waiting for him.

As soon as he saw vinay ranjith uncle asked, “What happened to your cheek? It looks swollen”. He was intrigued by seeing his swollen face.

Before vinay could say anything, rajesh told him,” uncle, our new science teacher slapped on his cheek 5 times for not doing his home work”.

” Who is she that dared to slap my kid? He asked with a fuming face.

“Come with me and I will make sure that today is her last teaching day”. He proclaimed.

He pushed the bike and parked it inside the school campus and asked nisha to stay back near the bike itself and not go anywhere till they come back. Uncle dragged vinay and walked inside the school compound.

In between he asked vinay,” where is she? Show me once you see her”. He walked through the compound in berserk.

Rajesh was following them wobbly and he called vinay from behind, “da”. Vinay turned back. Rajesh then pointed his finger towards the library. Vinay saw his science teacher standing outside the main door of the library. Vinay immediately gestured at rajesh to go away.

“Uncle I guess she left already”.  Vinay told.

“Come, let’s meet the principal now”. Ranjith uncle said impatiently.

For the first time vinay saw his uncle getting so angry and his eyes sparked with vengeance.

The principal was slouching on the sofa that was kept outside his chamber only for the guests. The attendant was standing near to him holding a long book. Uncle entered the hall and shouted at the the attendant, “who is the principal? I want to meet him right now”.

Then the principal replied, who was still slouching on the sofa,” I am the principal. What’s the matter?”

” I am telling you clearly if you guys are teaching my kid like this, I will not let you all get out of here”. He blurted out at the principal.

” Tell me the matter first”. Principal said hastily.

Uncle dragged vinay towards him and pointed his hand towards his cheek and said,” is this the way your teachers do the teaching here? I am warning you again, I will not let you all get out of here”. He blurted out again.

Principal then turned towards Vinay.

” who slapped you?” he asked gently.

”sindhu teacher”.

”which sindhu teacher?”

”the new science teacher”. vinay replied.

Principal then looked at uncle and said, “Please calm down. Let me speak to her first and then will figure out. At the moment please take your leave and I shall come back to you by tomorrow”.

Uncle didn’t say anything and then they left the room.

At night while having dinner uncle informed everything to annammechi and the discussion went on for a long time.

The next day, nisha, vinay and their mother was having their breakfast and then the landphone started ringing which was kept in the drawing room. Vinay’s mother went and attended the phone. After a few minutes she came back and said to vinay,” it was your principal. He wants me to meet him along with you at his office today before the assembly”.

That day everyone left the house together in the car. On the way uncle said, “Annammechi, I am not coming inside. If I come I will kick that baldy”.

She replied, “That’s ok. I will manage”.

Vinay and his mother entered principal’s chamber. They both wished the principal a “good morning”.

Principal started the conversation by saying,” madam, we are extremely sorry for what had happened to your son yesterday. I spoke to Miss. Sindhu and had warned her not to repeat it. In fact, she was born and brought up in Lucknow and according to her this type of punishment is common there”.

Vinay’s mother intervened and said,” sir, this is kerala and I don’t want anyone to punish my son so rudely. After all this is not a jail right? Hope you have seen his cheek yesterday. It was swollen so badly. Look at his cheek now; still the finger marks are visible. Sir, can I ask you one thing? Would you tolerate if this had happened to your son? Give me an answer for that?

She expressed her concern and complaint abruptly.

“I understand madam. Let’s not drag anymore and once again I am telling you sorry on behalf of her”.He replied in a compromising tone.

He then continued, “Madam, just one more thing. Who was that person who spoke to me yesterday? Was that your husband?

“That was my brother”.

” do you have any idea how rudely he spoke to me. He just behaved like a local rowdy. He should have shown little more standard while talking”. He tried to get the ball in his court at that moment.

” even I am so sorry for that. He was just being serious about what had happened. On behalf of him I am saying sorry.Shall I take a leave then?” she wrapped up the conversation perfectly.

Once vinay reached the classroom he came to know that nibin’s father had also met the principal regarding the same issue after vinay’s mother had left.

That day science class was after the lunch break. Vinay and nibin were restless and was really praying to god for her absence in the class. But she came to the class on time. That day also vinay and nibin came without doing the home work. Probably they might have forgotten it in a genuine way amidst the chaos that had been happening. Rest of the class had done it. As soon as she entered the class, she gave a smile to everyone and asked politely,” who all complained against me to the principal?”

No one said anything. She then said,” don’t worry, I will not slap anyone. Just tell me”. Then someone from the back shouted,” its nibin and vinay”.

”Nibin and vinay, can you please stand up for a minute?” she said normally.

They stood up slowly.

“Was the slap really hurting?” she enquired.

They didn’t reply as their mouths were zipped with embarrassment and uncertainty.

She then made an announcement. ” you know what, I stopped slapping and I stopped giving home works also”. No one understood anything.

The next day the whole school came to know that yesterday was sindhu teacher’s last day in the school and would not come back again.