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Text Copyright 2017 Chandan Deshmukh
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T HE B IGGEST L IE
There are only two types of teachers in this world.
Be it any country, whichever school or college, whichever subject they teach, scan any number of staff rooms, there are only two types of teachers when broadly classified.
Teachers by choice and teachers by chance .
The difference is similar to that between the food cooked by Mom and the food prepared in restaurants. Mom cooks with love. She chooses to prepare delicious and healthy food every day to keep you nourished. She cooks by choice , and thats the secret ingredient.
On the contrary, the food prepared in restaurants will not have the secret ingredient and may not be healthy always.
Teachers by choice are the ones who entered the teaching field on their own will, by choice, and not because they had a taunting mother-in-law at home, to pass time, or to earn a few extra bucks. By Choice teachers not only become teachers via the organic channel. Sometimes, they actually quit more lucrative and prestigious professions to teach. There are instances where tech employees from Fortune 500 IT companies, seasoned lawyers, IAS officers etc. have quit their well-paid and cozy jobs just to follow their true calling of being a teacher.
Mrs. Ahalya belonged to that category.
When any student was asked about their favourite teacher in Sunrise High School, the choice was unanimousMrs. Ahalya, the Science teacher. When Mrs. Ahalya stood before the blackboard, she was viewed like goddess Saraswati herself. Yeah, of course, minus the lotus and veena !
Her way of teaching was easily comprehensible, and her down-to-earth attitude enabled students to state the most basic doubts without fear. Her magnetic charisma ensured full attendance in class. Ever-smiling Mrs. Ahalya was not only a great guide to the students, but she was also a clean sheet who didnt involve herself in any school politics or gossip.
Ironically, her only child was deaf and dumb, and she had a lot of personal issues in her family. Yet, she wouldnt frown at any time during the day. But one day, strangely, the school clerk saw her sobbing in an empty classroom. There was a reason, a very good reason for this.
Mrs. Ahalya was the most treasured possession of Sunrise High School, and was in the good books of all studentsexcept one.
Tarun, a below-average student of Class Ten, hated her to the core. You know the last bench student who taunts every teacher in every class? He was that guy. His mischief was a concern during all the classes, but the intensity of this mischief was a notch higher during Mrs. Ahalyas class. He probably resented the fact that she was a near perfect teacher. Throwing chalk pieces, whistling loudly during the class, passing comments etc. were some of the things he did.
Get out. Stand outside the class facing the wall, said Mrs. Ahalya to Tarun one day. This was not unusual. Mrs. Ahalya often punished Tarun. This practice had become so habitual that when Mrs. Ahalya entered the class, Tarun would involuntarily stand outside.
But one day, for a change, Mrs. Ahalya made him sit in the first row. Surprisingly, it made him serious and heed to the class discipline with a sharp focus on studies. But after a day or two, just like a recovered patient, he was back to his old tricks. Nothing, it appeared, could change him.
Making him sit in a single place to study was a big challenge. His attention was diverted very easily. During exam times, as soon as somebody called out to him, he would ditch his books right away and join them. Little did he realize that his friends had already studied and it was he who was under-prepared. His parents had even tried sending him to a famous tutorial, but to no avail. In short, it didnt look like Tarun was going to make itpass Class Ten.
Surprisingly, outside the class, he was very normal. He was a helpful friend, he read the important news for the day during the school assembly, he gifted roses to all teachers on Guru Purnima, and he was a sportsman as well .
One day, one of his last bench friends told him casually, Bro, I have an idea. Why dont you write the answers/ formulae on a small piece of paper, and pass the exam?
I will never cheat. Its okay if I fail, but I will only accept the marks I deserve, came the swift reply from Tarun.
Tarun was therefore a strange mix of the good and the bad. In any other school, the authorities would have taken action against him solely on the basis of his misbehaviour in Mrs. Ahalyas class, all his other good qualities notwithstanding. But that was not an option at Sunrise.
Taruns father had funded the schools infrastructure during its early days. Due to this, no action was taken against him. The principal had hinted to his father about his antics. She had also suggested that Tarun appear for his Class Ten final exams privately so that his expected failure didnt break the schools 100 per cent passout reputation. But, nothing had moved yet!
It was December, and, in a few months, students would appear for their final board exams. Mrs. Ahalya wanted everybody in Class Ten to leave the school with healthy scores, and she was hoping Tarun would move up to at least 60 per cent from his historical average of 32 per cent.
Mr. Raghupathi, the Math teacher, always said during the lunch break, There is a thin line between being naughty and being atrocious, and Tarun belongs to the latter.
Mrs. Ahalya would counter with her usual dialogue, He just needs to channelize his energy appropriately. Thats where he will need our help.
One day, seated inside principal Mrs. Charlottes cabin, and after obtaining her approval, Mrs. Ahalya called up Taruns mother.
Hello, is this Mrs. Veena?
Speaking.
Namaste, Maam, I am Mrs. Ahalya, Taruns Science teacher calling. Is this the right time to speak?
