Become a PUBLISHED AUTHOR at just 1999/- INR!! Limited Period Offer
Become a PUBLISHED AUTHOR at just 1999/- INR!! Limited Period Offer

Blackboard

Blackboard

8 mins
1.3K


As the red ribbon, cut in half, fell down on the ground, hundreds of people clapped their hands together. There was something about those claps; those wild, uneven claps supported with shouts, cheers, and whistles of the people. Even though they were indiscipline, they felt mine. I wanted to feel this. That was the reason I decided to call all of my old school friends for this inauguration along with other respected personalities. As I walked ahead to enter the school premises that I had just inaugurated, someone called out for me, “Nihar! Nihar!” The excitement suddenly reminded me of the chief guest for today. He was standing a little behind in the crowd. I went near him, held him by his hand and made way for him to come ahead with me.


We entered the auditorium where we were supposed to have the rest of the celebrations. I went up on the dais and gestured to the chief guest to take a seat. After the host started his speech, about five minutes later he asked me to come up to the podium and tell everyone something about the background and foundation of this school. “This school, Dnyaanoday,” I felt a knot in my stomach while saying the name of my school. I continued, “It wouldn’t be possible without,” and so I continued for another ten minutes until I came till the end, “I would specially and personally like to thank the chief guests for today’s event - Mrs. Kulkarni, Mr. and Mrs. Patil and,” suddenly I realized that one chair was empty. I was so busy with the programme that I didn’t notice that Ms. Gauri hadn’t shown up. How could I forget her!


The event came to an end. I would have said that it was a successful event if all of my chief guests had shown up; only all hadn’t. I was happy though. I mean I had successfully inaugurated my own Dnyaanoday, the school of my dreams. After making sure the chief guests had got a cab and a little chat with my school friends, I went up in the building.


I went into one of the classrooms. I opened the door and just kept looking inside for a moment. I went in and sat on one of the benches. I felt so different, so special. I had never sat in a real classroom before. I looked around, it felt so nice to just sit in one. I felt happy, contended. I did what Ms. Gauri had asked me to…


Do you know which are one of the best childhood memories? The ones that we create in school. Of course, even I have those memories. I still remember my school vividly. It was a small room in a chawl, having the capacity of ten students and one teacher. I remember how close we used to sit as there were space issues. We used to come with one book and… no; actually it used to be just a book from our side. Mr. Patil used to give us pencils to write. We used to come running right after we had dinner at our workplace. Yes, it was a night school. If you are feeling sorry for me right now, don’t. You have not experienced what a night school is and that's why you can say this. God!


That’s the time when I laughed the most, had most of the fun and enjoyed the most. Yes, everybody enjoys their school, right? But my school was a bit different.

First of all this night school wasn’t for adults, it was for small children like me. It was for those who had to work in the morning and didn’t get to go to school. 'Dnyaanoday,’ yes that’s actually the name of my night school. I used to love that night part of my day. I mean the whole day when I used to work at mines, the only thing that got me through was the thought of this school. This is the school where I first met Ms. Gauri, our language teacher.


Ms. Gauri was like the teacher you would want to be your class teacher, every year. A person who would teach you in such ways that it won’t even feel like you are studying. The best part about her was she always used to relate the study topic with a movie. We students hadn’t watched any of those movies, so she used to tell us plots as well. She taught us so many things in life. It is actually because of her that I understood what I was doing in the daytime is actually child labor and that it’s not correct.


I remember this one day quite clearly because that’s the day I really got to know Ms. Gauri. Our class was over and she told all of us to go home. That day she had taught us a poem, which I really liked. So in the thoughts of that poem itself, I went half the way to my home. Then I realized that I had forgotten my book in school. I rushed back to pick it up. When I reached there, I saw through the window that Ms. Gauri was talking with Mr. and Mrs. Patil. I couldn’t see their faces, but I could see that Ms. Gauri was crying. I was really shocked. I mean five minutes before she had taught us an excellent poem with her all-time cheerful smile, and now she was crying so bitterly! I had to know what all this was. I waited outside until her their talk was over and then went in.


She was actually picking up my book when I entered. I saw that she read my name and smiled; that made me feel a bit relieved. I called her, “Miss.”

Before looking back she wiped her eyes. Then looked at me and smiled. “Nihar, you must be here to take your book right?”

“Umm, yes.” Even after seeing the book in her hand, I couldn't remember what I was there for.

“So come in and take it, my son.”

I had to talk to her about all that had just happened. “Miss, could you come outside for a moment please?”


She looked confused. Then she came outside and closed the door a bit.

“Sir and madam are sleeping inside. I have to pack up everything. So you have to be quick Nihar. What is it?”

“Miss,” I didn’t know how to ask this without coming off as over-curious. But I didn’t know how to ask it in any other way. “What happened, miss? Is there a problem?”

“What?”

“I saw you right now when you were talking with them. I saw you crying. What is it miss?”

“What? You must be mistaken. Nothing’s wrong, really.” She tried to hide it with a smile.


“I just saw you there miss. You will have to tell me now. Otherwise, I won't talk to you. Katti!”I tried to sound as innocent as I could. And guess what? It worked. She gave burst into tears as she gave me a tight hug.

“Okay, okay buchhi. You don’t have to cry for that miss.” It’s stupid, I know. But at that point in time, it made her laugh.

“Okay,” she said wiping her tears away, “What do you want to know?”

“Why were you crying?”

“It’s because of my students.”

“But what did we do? We didn’t trouble you today miss.”


“No, not you all. It’s this private school that I work at in the daytime.”

“What did they do?”

“They… well, I don’t know whether you will understand this or not, but they actually said something.”

“What?”

“They said they couldn’t make out the difference between me and the blackboard.” I had never really noticed it before. Ms. Gauri had a dark skin tone. But so what?


“So? Why did you cry?”

“It’s…” she stopped for a while and let out a huge breath. Then she looked up at me, smiled and said, “You come to this school for studying, right?”

“Yes.”

“You learn what I teach you and that’s all that matters to you, right?”

“Yes miss, of course.”

“So that’s all matters to me.”

“I am not getting what you are saying, miss. Why did you cry?”

“You will understand one day, son. Right now, I just want you to listen to this - Even with white chalk in hand, you need a blackboard to write on with it.” I think my blank expressions gave her the idea that I hadn’t understood even a single thing.


But of course, I understand it all now. They were just being racists, nothing else. When I understood this, I thought what was such a big deal in it? But later I got to know that those students always used to behave like that and their attention was more on the appearance rather than on character and studies. That made me keep the promise she asked of me.


“Will you promise me one thing Nihar? Will you make a school where students like to come. Where students love to study and teachers love to teach. Where the school feels like a home to all. A school where along with your friends, you make your teachers a member of the happy family.”

“You mean a school like Dnyaanoday?”


She nodded with her eyes again filled with tears. “Yes Nihar, yes.” She got up, held my arms and gave me a kiss on my head. “Go home now son, it’s too late.”

“Okay. But you don’t cry, okay miss?”


Okay.” I ran in the direction of my house and she stood at the gate of Dnyaanoday, waving at me.

I looked up from the bench, and there I saw her standing near the blackboard, brightening up the whole classroom. I knew this was just my imagination, but I wished it were true. I wished she would have come today to see this school. Anyway, better late than never. I decided to go and call her myself to see Dnyaanoday when these classrooms would be filled with the family like she wanted - happy students and happy teachers.


While walking out of the classroom, I saw her giving me that same smile and a thumbs up. That made me even more eager to meet her - Ms. Gauri, my teacher, my family.


Rate this content
Log in

More english story from Saachee

Burkha

Burkha

10 mins read

Cycle

Cycle

10 mins read

Do Chai

Do Chai

9 mins read

Burkha

Burkha

10 mins read

Similar english story from Inspirational