During the lunch break as you may suppose, many buried stories surfaced. Every person worth his salt came up with a story and at last it was Dr Gunamalai�s turn. �This is an incident of which, he said, �I would not be a part again even if I am proffered a place in heaven by lord himself.�
Everyone sat up at that for dr Gunamalai was known to be a pious man, willing to do anything to please the unseen but much heard of. The doctor, knowing that he had touched the right chord, lossened up a bit and lit a Marlboro � his favourite. Here is the tale, which I suggest you digest with a pinch of salt for it is pretty much as the Doctor said.
It was around twenty eight years ago. I had just finished my post-graduation and had got appointed as a temporary teacher for the higher secondary at a reputed school. Now-a-days you very often see students behave the way they should just because their parents and their schools wants them to. But in our days, it wasn�t so. Once inside a class you could see only dedicated students who cared about their behaviour.
To tell you the truth, I myself learnt a lot from them. They took advice from anyone who knew better and practiced to make themselves perfect in anything worth mentioning. You may chuckle, but its true. It is your bad fortune that you have not come across such students.
I would have had no tale to tell if it were not for Shalini Kadam. Shalini was a very pretty girl of sixteen with very bold eyes, apple-red cheeks and an air of authority in whatever she said or did. Though she had spent most of her days in the school hostel, under the vigilance of the sisters, Shalini had the mannerisms of a family-bred child. She was a student of grade 10, incidently the class I was chosen to look after.
Within a few days I came to know what this girl Shalini was actually made of�.sheer stone I should say, if I have to be honest enough to go by what I saw.
One day I had gone for a stroll early in the morning and the high ascent on the way back was forcing me to breathe heavily with a shrill grunt. All of a sudden I saw a frail figure in track suit jogging towards me. The heavily built mist was adding a sinister touch to the fast approaching figure. As we neared, I relaxed a bit for it was Shalini and I thight she must have noticed me exactly at the same moment for I had caught a sudden jerk in her smooth striding motion which has given her that extra second to recognise me �all bundled up in wollens. Apolite good morning was all she said after slowing down a bit and then went on her way.
You may take this to be quite common, but young men, when I walked downhill towards thje school two hours later she was still running. Later, on enquiry, one of the sisters told me that Shalini was a middle distance runner wnder whose glory the school had been basking for the last three years.
I myself being an athele, took a liking for her and thus came to understand her better. The magic of her presence was such that I unknowingly but openly started giving special attention towards towards her, which was quite uncommon in those days. It is only today that. That you see biased teachers, but then, ours was supposed to be the noblest profession. Everything went on well for a few months during which she was crowned the best middle distance runner of the district and I was promoted as a permanent teacher. I told you�didn�t I, that mine was a temporary appointment earlier.
