Story Of A Ripped Page

More or less, since last few moments my eyes were gawking at the daily; and trying to analyse the relationship between the shackles. The first shackle is opposite to the second, and third to second. Perhaps if the shackles had similar positions, there wouldn't have been an existence of a relation.

Sugarless tea had filled bitterness in my mouth. Again, I opened the page in the daily and looked at the same photo. Yes - that was the face. And again I read the published lines below the photo. He has not forgotten me, I was almost sure that he would forget if not others. That too after such a long period of time. How could he forget?

These questions started to bother me again and again. Probably he wanted a revenge, hence he indirectly had damned me in this manner? Really he truly thought about me like what has been published? I really do not know. As I started to think further, my eagerness to know the truth increased, and I was allured to meet him.

I had not gone out of the house since last eleven days due to the joint pains. Still, there was swelling that made me think probably the swelling may not reduce. The growing age also weakened my inner strength, but reading the daily headline today my inner self was distressed.

It was recently, my 38 years of service to education field had given me a respectful name in the society, I was felicitated with 'ideal teacher' award - a prestigious award in this society. I was hailed by most of my ex students, I was praised mountain high. No one could mention about something that I had committed secretly during my tenure as a teacher. I am sure no one except my consciousness knew about it. Then I had authority and power to commit, today he had the power and we both had shown our 'truthiness' but exactly in the opposite manner like the shackles.

I kept on thinking..

*****

It was my first job as a school teacher in this city. I wanted to spend my life for a meaningful cause, that others could consider as benchmark - as an unselfish teacher - that was my motto. My monthly salary was Rs.300. I was paying Rs.75 monthly rent, and arrangement for my food was also arranged in a nearby house, for which I was spending Rs.100. I had to save and spend at least Rs.150, to help my family of old parents and two younger sisters. I still had a shortage of Rs.25-50, hence I started giving tuitions, and the days passed by, weeks turned into months, months turned into years.

Almost three years passed and the cost of living soared, my daddy a daily wage worker was bedridden, and now the complete responsibility of my two younger sisters was on me, hence I had to take Rs.25-30 every month from here and there so that one of my sisters could get married. My dreams one after another started to commit suicide as the demand of my family increased.

I was nearing 35 but was still struggling to fulfill the growing demands of my family, my salary was not growing beyond. There came a sad news from my younger sister who ran away with someone, hearing this my daddy died and I gave up the hopes of fulfilling my dreams, but followed my life, where it took me to.

The same year I met this boy.

I was somehow not liking this boy.

When the children were making noise in the class, I was getting angry on this boy for the reasons not known to me either.

I wanted to think and understand why I hated this boy so much? Was it for his appearance? Look? Color of his skin? No, I could not get an answer to myself. I did not even think if what I was th

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inking was right or wrong.

He used to take tuition from me, but now he has stopped taking from me, but I heard he is taking tuition from someone else. This means there is someone else who teaches him better than me, in other words; I am his class teacher and he does not understand but he understands someone else. That made me get angrier with him, wanting to teach him a lesson, but I wanted an opportunity.

Once I got an opportunity through an incident, where I was a little late to school. By then the children in the class were making lots of noise. The headmistress called me to complain about this through her staring eyes, I directly went to the class and saw him playing and laughing with other students. I caught hold of him and gave a tight slap on his cheek. Within seconds the class turned out to be pin drop silent. But I still remember his saying "Sir, not just me, but everyone was playing and making noise".

My thoughts got refreshed while I was travelling...

*****

Taking my swollen leg, I somehow reached the office of the daily to take the address of my student. The editor had not arrived, hence I was made to wait for sometime.

"In today's interview of the new police inspector, he had referred to his ideal teacher, and that teacher is me" - I introduced myself to the editor. The editor looked at me for a while and then gave me his address.

I took a bus and was on my way to his house.

I wanted to know why he mentioned my name as his 'ideal teacher', why he considers me as the cause of his success? Why he thinks I taught him to be disciplined since his childhood? Why he dedicates his golden medal that he earned in the police department to me? What I have to do with his award?

In the 15 minutes travel, a series of questions followed in my mind;

Will he recognize me now? Or will be refusing to recognize me? How will I open up myself to him?

No.. I shall not wait for a moment, I shall confess to him the truth by saying "My son, like you consider me, I am not a saint, but a wicked teacher, a wicked human being, I have ditched you, I have betrayed you, as you were a good student, I wanted you to fail, hence I did tear two pages out of your final exam papers, and as a result, you could not earn the passing marks and you failed" and I will be at his feet to seek his pardon. Only then probably I can consider myself as 'ideal teacher'.

Keeping all these thoughts in my mind, I finally reached his house, and I rang the door bell. A hefty policeman opened the door, he looked at my face hidden behind the ripe beards, yes, it was him, like the photo I saw in today's daily.

"Sir.. Is that you? Wow, what a pleasant surprise to me today, I was longing to meet you... " He kept talking, as his eyes fell on the folded magazine in my hands, he continued "Sir, you have changed my life. I still recollect my childhood mistake, you always used to punish me for my mistakes so that I do not repeat them, I recollect on one of my exams, I had copied the answers and you caught me, you never asked me a single question then but later you quietly ripped the pages. To me that was an eye-opener, the same day I thought to myself to follow your footsteps, and be disciplined in life. And today if I have become successful in my career, it is mainly because of you sir, please bless me sir!"

He did not allow me to speak, hearing his words, my eyes dropped few tears. I deliberately dropped the magazine from my hand towards his feet and I slowly bent towards his feet.