1.Teacher
The class is silent, the fan is off as it is winter and students are reading. All eleven chairs are full only one chair is vacant in the middle of the right row. I am checking their homework, students are piping behind one another's head whose turn is going on. The one whose book I'm checking stare at my hand and count how many times I make the crosses. and if I make a big right I can see the satisfaction on their faces
"whose book is this ?" I show it up a student sitting on the middle chair of the left row raises his hand giving a hesitant smile.
"were you hungry while doing your homework?" I said.
"no ma'am why ?" he said.
"because I can't see 4-5 alphabets that you have eaten up" I said.
The class and he himself laughed silently. I pass them one by one as it completes checking. All books are checked and then as usual I start the lecture and ask them what we learned yesterday.
"Gujarati alphabets and english alphabets." said the student sitting on the first chair of the right row.
"ma'am I have doubts in this paragraph" said the student sitting on the last chair of the left row.
"show me" I said.
He gave me his reading book full of paragraphs in English for reading practice and said "I have underlined the words kindly tell me its pronunciation and meaning".
I take a quick look at the words he has underlined, there are 3 words which are underlined.One by one I started saying.
"The first one is b-r-e-a-k-f-a-s-t breakfast, which means the morning meal we eat. Next is s-o-m-e-t-i-m-e-s sometimes, which means occasionally or not all the time. Another is p-r-o-g-r-a-m-m-e-s programmes, which means the T.V show. Any other doubts ?" I said.
he shook his head saying no
"write its pronunciation in gujarati on the word so it will be easier for you to read later too." I said.
He notes that every word asks me one by one and along with him all other students also note it in their book. Then I open the cap of the marker and put the heading and start to fill the whole board. I'm very clear and clean while writing on board as well as taking my notes. Everyone is shaking their heads up and down, copying in their notebooks. I am waiting for them to be completed so I can explain them the same. I am walking in the middle free space checking everyone is writing the same without any mistakes, and I get the chance to hit taaap ! I hit him at the back of his head and said " did I write J-a-n-e ? " He checks looking at the board and takes out his tongue and lets it in like a snake. Suddenly the sound rings tttrrriiiinnnngggg...it was the call on the landline phone.
"hello" I said
"Come to the office" speaks the person from the opposite on call
"don't make noise. I'll be there in a few minutes" I tell them.
I started moving towards the door, as I held the handle and was going to open the door towards my side to go out someone from outside too hold it and push at the same time. As the door opens I see him and he is looking at me without moving and breathing heavily like he came running.