Neeti had been a very bright student right since kindergarten. She had been all her teachers' favourite. Mumma and Pa took pride in that. But they never boasted about it. In fact they were glad that Neeti had always been a very humble and well mannered child with never a complaint from anyone. They always encouraged her and never missed an opportunity to appreciate her achievements even though it was full marks score in just a weekly spelling test. But they never burdened her with their expectations. And in reality, this was the part they were really proud of. Her inborn sincerity.
It was Neeti's mid term exam in class five. Off late, she was finding maths a little more challenging than the other subjects. But she never gave up. It was the day of her maths paper. The last one of the exam. She was waiting outside the exam hall with her classmates, all revising their tables and formulas. Many of these girls had the habit of cross checking others' preparations rather than their own. This always annoyed Neeti. "Why can't they just mind their own business?" she grumbled to Janki, her best friend. As Neeti was going through her own textbook for last minute brush up, Devki, the curious cat of her class who never paid attention to what the teachers taught, jabbed Neeti with her elbow, "Hey topper, what are you so worried about? This test is a cakewalk for you I am sure. That silly textbook must have been learnt by rote, I know." Neeti was annoyed. The subject was already giving her a hard time. And this useless enquiry by Devki only made her more anxious. But she just smiled away and started discussing an equation with Janki to shoo Devki away.
The exam was over in an hour and half. If one saw the crowd leaving the hall, one would wonder that how could a simple 40 marks test splurge such varied emotions on so many tiny faces. Some were jumping with joy out of confidence of cracking it. For some, it really didn't matter as studying had not been a favourite part of their ten eleven years of life. A few were anxious because their report cards mattered more to their parents. And some, like Neeti, were disappointed as the last ninety minutes did not pass as they had imagined it to have.
Mummy and Pa never forgot to wish her luck before all her exams and also to ask her how it went. Not out of concern for her performance but always to make sure that she was fine. Even when Pa was out on his work tours, he never missed to call his little girl and ask her about it. But that day he could not do it because of his meetings, not that he forgot.
Neeti's school had this system of showing students their evaluated answer papers before the Report Day so that they could go through them on their own by noting their mistakes and discussing them with the teachers. Today Neeti's class was going to see the maths papers. Neeti didn't feel good. The maths test had been haunting her since. The ever smiling face could not help frowning at the thought of looking at that sheet of paper. 'It's far from a full score this time. I hope it's at least 30! Please God please!' she kept repeating in her mind.
Soon, Mrs Iyer entered the classroom. She was not a favourite but she was not despised too. She had a lightning speed in calculations but somehow was not very articulate at teaching the subject. Today she carried the most eyed bundle of paper in the world in her hands. Different exclamation noises could be heard in the background. "Here it is!", "Oh I am not going to look at my marks. Let Mumma do it on Report Day", "I am not going to let anyone look at my paper", "Who says Mrs Iyer is very good at maths? She never does the total right on my paper".
Mrs Iyer totally ignored the commotion and started handing over the answer sheets roll number wise.
"One, two, three, four, five... "
"Five... Roll number five.. Is she absent? Neeti?"
Whenever any evaluated papers were distributed, Neeti always started walking confidently to get hers just after roll number four was done. Even before the teacher called out 'five'. Today was the first time it happened otherwise.
She made sure nobody else got the slightest chance of peeping in her paper. So she walked straight to her seat without looking at any of the girls around who were always eager to look at her performance. She took a deep breath and exclaimed a very low "Oh no!". She had scored 20. Although passing marks were 14, it was way below her expectations. She didn't even look at the girls pestering her, "Neeti how many? Full? 39? 36?". She put her head down on the desk. Her tummy had an intense feeling. She didn't even feel like turning the pages of her answer sheet to go through her mistakes. "The worst test ever, ever".
Janki could make out that the test definitely had not gone Neeti's way. She had scored 32. She didn't ask Neeti about hers but simply said, "Its okay Neeti. You will do better in the next one I am sure."
The first thing Neeti did everyday after coming home from school was to describe her entire day to Mummy and to Pa if he came home for lunch. That day she kept it brief. Pa was not home yet. "She's probably tired" Mummy thought. Neeti never hid anything from them. Even today she knew that Mummy and Pa would never get annoyed at her over her test result. But still she couldn't muster the courage to talk about it. It was the first time that she was not very proud of herself.
Just as she walked towards the sink to put her plate after lunch, Mumma said, "Neeti, you have told me about your marks in all the subjects this time except maths. Did you see your paper today?"
Neeti really didn't want to lie. It was just that she wasn't prepared to talk about it yet. Without giving any thought she blurted, "Mrs Iyer is still going through our papers. She said we will be able to look at them only on Report Day tomorrow."
She left without waiting to hear what Mmm had to say. Mummy never doubted her girls. They never gave her a reason for that. Neeti felt worse. She didn't join Drishti, her six year old younger sister, to watch Duck tales. It was a thing both the sisters did together after lunch everyday. She fell asleep hoping that the entire maths paper episode could just vanish from time when she was up.
Pa was already home when she woke up. "So, what time does Report Day begin tomorrow? Mumma told me about it. Is yours and Drishti's at the same time?"
"It's from ten to twelve Pa." On other Report Day eves, Neeti was eager to take her parents to school and listen to her teachers praising her in front of them. It elated her that she made them proud. Today she did not feel that way.
"I am sure they won't scold me. But I am not sure what their reaction would be!" she tried consoling herself.
Then she continued talking to Pa, "We can go to Drishti's class first and then mine. First standard students have just five subjects so hers would be done faster." She thought maybe going to Drishti's class first would spare less to spend at hers.
"Okay, lets do it that way tomorrow" said Pa.
It was not compulsory for students to attend Report Day with parents. Neeti had never thought she would ever be glad about this. She had accompanied them merrily for every Report Day. But not on this one.
She could not get out of her bed. "Mummy, I want to sleep today.I know all my marks anyway. Can I stay home? You can let Kamal Aunty know. Let Drishti stay here too if she wants to." Kamal Aunty was their next door neighbour, but she was just like family.
Mummy figured something was going on. "But you said that you don't know your maths paper marks yet."
"Ah, yes. I so forgot about it." Neeti fumbled. "But you can tell me that after you are back." Mummy knew something was going on. Neeti was a pretty straight forward child. But she did not push her and convinced Pa also not to. Drishti accompanied them alone.
"Thank God both of them agreed to let me stay. If Pa gets furious, Mummy will surely calm him down. And then I am going to apologise for the marks and for hiding it from them". She couldn't focus on any of her games to play. Instead, she decided to open her maths textbook and revise the latest lesson.
Kamal Aunty dropped by to check on her. "What a sincere little child! I have never seen her parents chasing her to stud". She praised Neeti silently and let her be on her own.
In school, Mummy and Pa were done quickly with meeting Drishti's class teacher. Their younger one was not a topper but she was a bright child. The happy go lucky one of the two they had. They proceeded to Neeti's.
They started going through all her answer sheets. The report card was kept below all the answer sheets. Nevertheless, they had never obsessed about it. Co incidentally, maths paper was the last one in the bundle. 'English 34/40, Hindi 32/40, Marathi 31/40, Science 38/40, History 18/20, Geography 18/20, Maths 20/40.' Mummy reached for the report card to check if it showed a different score for Maths. But it didn't.
It did upset them a little. They did not doubt Neeti's hard work but they were worried that she might not be getting enough help from them or her teachers for the subject.
Just as they handed over the file to Mrs Rajinder Kaur, Neeti's class teacher, she briefed them about their child's progress. Being Neeti's parents gave them a soft corner in all the teachers' hearts. "Neeti is a wonderful girl. Obedient, sincere and helpful. She looked a little upset yesterday when Mrs Iyer showed the girls their maths papers. But it really does not matter that much. I am sure she will make up for that in the next exam."
Mummy had told Pa what Neeti had said about the maths paper and also about her weird behaviour that morning. They thanked Mrs Rajinder. But they did not react and left. Little Drishti could gauge nothing and followed them innocently. Mummy thought she saw a sign of tears in Pa's eyes. But she did not say a word. His heart was crushed. Not because of Neeti's performance but because Neeti felt the need to lie to them. All the time while driving on the scooter home, both of them had just one question in mind, "What is it that we are doing that is stressing out Neeti? We never pester her with her marks and her rank." But in their hearts they knew it was their daughter's innate nature to be the best at everything so that they could be proud of her that had led her to speak the first lie of her life.
As Neeti was just solving a problem on Pythagoras theorem, she heard Pa's scooter approaching. She felt a sudden urge to visit the washroom. Even the visit didn't help calm her tummy. Pa opened the house with his keys. Neeti sat on the sofa frozen. She had not let tears fill her eyes but they definitely reflected an apology. Mummy looked upset but she was quiet. What worried Neeti more was that Pa's face had no expression.
"Come here beta" he said in the most gentle tone.
Before he could begin to speak, Neeti broke into tears. "I am so sorry Pa. I promise to do really well in the next exam. I have already started revising from today. I am sorry I did not tell you and Mummy about it. I have let you down."
His heart ached. For a moment he forgot all whys and hows. His heart ached to see his princess crying. She never pretended anything. Even her crying had always been sincere. He could feel her pain.
He simply hugged her and said, "I will always be proud of you as long as you are true and sincere with yourself. No matter what. But I only want you to trust me and Mummy with anything under the sun that is bothering you." Mummy did not interfere in the father daughter talk. She agreed with her husband.
Neeti was still sobbing. She could not be more thankful to her parents. How blessed she was!
"Look what I got for both my girls. I know it's still Saturday today. But we can do it again tomorrow." It was Pa and his daughters thing to feast on a huge bar each of Dairy Milk every Sunday. Drishti was confused. She had understood that Neeti Didi had done something not likely of her. So why was she getting rewarded! It was not even Sunday yet.
But today was an exception. In his heart Pa prayed that the exception was not only the Dairy Milk feast being a day before Sunday but also his daughter being wary of them. As Mummy helped her daughters to unwrap the chocolates, Pa put an arm each around Neeti and Drishti and said, "My girls are my pride!" He thanked the maths test silently that it gave him a chance to say this to them.
Post cover photo courtesy : https://unsplash.com/photos/black-retractable-pen-on-white-printer-paper-_zsL306fDck?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash
❤️
ReplyDelete