Neeta has moved to a new city. She finds a job as a teacher at high school. She finds one of her students very annoying. Was she judgmental about her? If she is wrong about her, will she able to come out of her prejudices and help the girl come out of hers?

 

Neeta was busy cooking. Ravi, her husband came and sat for breakfast. He said-“Now that we are done with unpacking and everything, why don’t you start applying for vacant teacher positions nodded. “That’s what I was thinking too”- she said smilingly.

Neeta’s husband Ravi was recently transferred to a new city and she had to quit being a teacher. After Ravi went to his office, she started looking at the classifieds.

“Needed-an English teacher with at least 2 years experience. Interested candidates can apply.”-an advertisement read. “That’s exactly what I am looking for”, she thought to herself noting the details. She e-mailed her resume to the mentioned e-mail address.

“Congratulations, you have been considered for a teacher position in our school, kindly attend the interview tomorrow at 9:00”-read the e-mail. Neeta told about it to Ravi. “I have a holiday tomorrow, I will drop you at the school tomorrow”, he said. Neeta nodded.

The next day Ravi dropped her at the school. She attended the interview and was selected. Neeta called Ravi.

”Hello Ravi, I got selected. I can start my duties from tomorrow”, she said overjoyed.

Ravi said-“Congratulations my dear! I will come pick you up also let’s go out for dinner, what say?”

Neeta smiled-“Ok I will be waiting at the same place where you dropped me.”

The next day she got ready for her first day at school.

She nervously walked into her classroom. The classroom was noisy. The kids were busy- some chatting with each other, some playing pranks on others, some giggling, some laughing.  They didn’t even notice that she came.

“Hello class”, she said.

There was pin drop silence. The students looked at their new teacher.

“Hello class good morning”, she said smiling.

“Good morning ma’aaaam”- the students said dragging the word.

“I’m your new English teacher and also your class teacher. Now introduce yourselves to me. We will start from there “- she said pointing to a boy who was mumbling something in the ears of the boy next boy

“Mmhm, my name is Akhil”, he said standing up. The rest of the class was spent in introductions.

“Ok class! We will start classes from tomorrow. You may leave for lunch now”, she said as the bell rang. The students nodded and swarmed out of the class.

“So how was your first class Mrs. Sharma?” asked Tripathi.

”I hope they didn’t trouble you. You know they were partly the reason for their last class-teacher to leave the school.”

“Oh! Is that so? But I found them to be good.”-Neetu said.

“Well! That’s nice to know”, said Tripathi with what seemed like a smirk.

The next day morning she entered the class. The class was as usual noisy. Some noticed the teacher and remained silent. The rest of them were in their own world and didn’t care about her coming.

“Silence”, shouted Neeta. The mumbling sounds and loud noises came down. “Open page no 5 and start doing the exercise. I shall correct it at the end of the class”,-she continued.

The students opened their textbook and started doing the exercise.

A student walked into the class without even looking at Neeta. She walked straight to the last bench and sat there.

Noticing all this Neeta asked-“I don’t think I have seen you yesterday, what’s your name?

The girl neither looked at her nor responded.

Neeta walked towards her and asked her the same question again.

With a grimace and with a lot of bitterness in her voice she said “Reema”.

Neeta then asked-“And may I know why you are late to the class?”

Reema didn’t say anything but simply looked at her.

“I ask again, Why are you late?”-Neeta asked slightly annoyed.

The girl stood up and said angrily-“If you are so angry about me being late, why don’t you just ask me to leave? Why bother about knowing the reason?” Saying she took her bag and left the class.

The students looked at all this flabbergasted. Neeta told them to resume doing the work given to them.

For the next classes, she saw nothing of Reema. She being the class-teacher, decided to take matters into her hands. She tried calling the number that was registered under her name. But no one lifted the call.

She discussed Reema with other teachers.

“Oh that girl, she never seems to be in this world. She has her head in the clouds”, said one of the teachers.

“Yes, the other day she stormed out of the class just because I asked her to submit homework “, said the other teacher.

That evening after returning from school she relaxed for some time and prepared lunch for both of them. After Ravi came home, he freshened up and sat for lunch.

”So how was your day?” asked Ravi settling down to eat. “Nothing much but do you remember I told you about a girl who stormed out of my class that day? Well, every teacher has got some or the other complaint about her. Even her parents aren’t lifting the call.”-Neeta said.

She further continued-“I don’t know what’s there to be so arrogant about. How can she just treat people like they are nothing? Don’t you think so?”

Ravi thought for some time. He then said-“I don’t know maybe you should know more about her before judging her like they say walk a mile in their shoes before you judge someone.”

“You think so?” Neeta said,” Maybe you’re right.”

The next day after the class she asked Rani a girl who sits at the back to meet her.

With a tensed look on her face, Rani entered the staffroom. Neeta smiled at her and said, “It’s Ok Rani, I’m not going to scold you.”

Heaving a sigh of relief Rani asked-“what did you want to meet me for ma’am?’

Neeta then said “Sit down Rani; I called you to talk about Reema. Will you tell me about her?”

Rani nodded.

“Then tell me, why does she behave that way? Was she always like this?”-Neeta asked.

Rani took a minute deciding whether to tell her or not, finally deciding she said –“Ma’am actually Reema wasn’t always like this. She was also a bright student. But then she lost her mother very recently. From then on there was a drastic change in her. She isn’t even talking to any of us.”

“What about her father?”-Neeta asked.

“She lost her father years back. She lives with her grandmother”-Rani replied.

Neeta then understood the reason behind Reema’s behavior. “The child was just unable to cope up with the loss of her mother and here I was judging without knowing what was right from wrong.”-she thought to herself.

She searched for Reema all over the school. But she couldn’t find her. Just when she was about to give up on her search she saw Reema entering the school.

She went to her. “Reema, Can you give me a second and talk to me?”-Neeta asked.

Reema ignored her and started walking away. “Just a few minutes please!” she said.

She nodded and they moved towards staffroom.

Neeta then said-“Reema I have come to know about you. I’m very sorry that your mother is no longer with you. But still, don’t you think it’s high time that you move on with your life.”

At this Reema burst out into tears. “What do you know? And why do you care? My mom promised to never leave me. But she did. Now I have no belief in anyone or anything. I don’t care and I don’t need your pity.”

“Dear Reema! You are a brave girl to have held it in within you for so long and I have come to like you for what you are. It’s not pity. It’s just that I really care about you and want to see you do well in life. Trust me, your mom and dad may not be with you here but they will always be watching you. Don’t you think all their efforts for you will be going down the drain if you are like this? I will help you through this.”-Neeta said gently wiping her tears.

Reema cried until all her tears went dry. She then said-“So what am I supposed to do now?”-she asked softly.

“Well let’s begin with you talking to your friends and apologizing to all those you have been rude to, Shall we do that?”-Neeta said smilingly.

Reema nodded.

”And also you are going to attend extra classes to catch up with what you have missed so far”-Neeta continued.

That was when a child came out from a period of drought into a season of spring. That was when a stranger became a pillar of strength to another only to a form a pure relationship.