Mother's day out.

The diminutive soft spoken woman the HM of primary school .,was the first person we met on the very first day of our visit to a prestigious school when admitting Vidat in fourth class ,inbetween a academic year, thanks to my grand father's enduring name ,that was the magic key to the correspondent to grant him immediate admission to a school i wanted so much for him and his younger brother to study ,repelled by the cowshed like school that was the only one for taking in the suburbs we lived then.

She showed us around the vast spaces of the school that reminded of my school at Hyderbad.Iwrangled an admission for my second son soon after .This was not smooth sailing .I had to exert a lot of pressure especially through my mother that finally had the desired effect and a very vexed correspondent who has the greatest regard to my late grand dad gave in graciously and even waived away with the donation payment ,taken in by my earnestness.Once again i met this small woman who suggested that i create trust in the name of my g.father and pay the interest as prize to kids excelling in the field of my liking.
The cynical clerk at the accounts dept shot it down the very next day and advised us to either pay up straight and simple or not pay at all.My husband paid up.

Vidat's greatest moment of pleasure in his school days was winning doubles carroms in the primary school hence i wanted to institute an award for winners in his memory.I did 3 years back, but no prize was awarded.

Got a letter out of the blue few days back that the memorial prize in my son's name will be given on the 16 th of this month soon after the morning prayers.
All the thrashings received and spying and my frustrations at inability to keep this constant intrusion into my private life made me sink to a such low ebb that this news did not uplift me as it would have, normally.It did one thing immediately to me though ,of suspecting the toad's hands .The attempts to forcibly socialise me.

I had butterflies in my stomach after i readied to visit the school and watch the ceremony.It was tough to revisit the school .The cab was on time . No obstacles there.

One of the staff who must have been a beauty in her younger days received us ,a bit too enthusiastically at the secondary block,as and when she came in, whilst i was filling my eyes with the ravishing red coloured flowers of the line of gulmohar trees ,in full bloom and listening to the carefree chatter of school kids as they trudged up to their classes..

We were seated right in the front near the stage very near kinder garden kids , for being a donor whilst the parents of the winners , sat far behind.The obstacle ,began as expected .How can Charlie turn into a new leaf overnight?As i was enjoying the creamy innocence of pre KG kids ,their faces fresh as newly bloomed white roses that was heightened by their snow white uniforms and was thirsting to catch a glimpse of their unadulterated innocence ,a balm to taodies wickedness ,a teacher of huge proportions found a very convenient spot just in front of me and blocked the view.

My longing made me stand up to catch a glimpse as they skipped to the stage to receive their prizes,as the hefty woman refused to budge.Here i was met with long hard stares from toadies ,men posing as fathers [may be they were].
Charlie knows exactly what i long for and sees to that i am denied of these small pleasures.Sadist.
Despite this i managed to have my fill of innocence, a shaft of all that is good in this world , that has got terribly lost in the past few months of horrible fights.

Of course i wasn't allowed to have a full glimpse of those two girls who won the prize i instituted in Vidat's name.Charlie saw to it ,stationing that amazon at front of me.I wanted to get up and go out and meet those girls ,but all the beatings and hurdles thrown and stiffened my initiatives and i stuck on to the seat
An young girl was made to tell a story about rabbits, wolf and tiger .Poor kid was shaking in fear and chattering incoherently.Her fear and not the story [i am pretty bad at taking hints] that caught my attention.Why prey on a innocent lamb for your selfish interests,you wolves in sheep clothing?

The chief guest was a young singer .Her singing was her meditation ,pure and simple that straightened my cramps.
We were escorted out at the end!An honour reserved for only vip's , i am sure.Met Vidat's favourite teacher .Her hair looked all askew but what she had to relate and recapture Vidat's mischievous antics touched me .She still remembers my son as well as his mischiefs with a fondness that matches mine..No wonder she was his favourite teacher.

The group of teachers and HM took us to a room for breakfast.Charlie's doing definitely.The look of deep thought in each of those mam's eyes and the mask of enforced joviality towards ordinary donor parents , gave the game away.Toady had got to them.,sounding them well in advance of my terrorist credentials and deep doubts regarding my mental equilibrium .They were all , on guard ready to flee the moment i raised my hand even as innocuous as smoothing my hair,except for that ex primary hm ,who has now shrunk further and lost in her own world.

As i rose to take leave after the conversation dwindled [like as if on cue after a call received by the hm and i knew that by this time toady would have read my diary , nobody likes my diary more than he , so i thought, till i read some blogs of the aman ki asha fame that a lot of others too are interested in them for instance the one who calls himself a pitcher and another a trader and not be left behind rival publications anon editorial.Toadies fry me to enrich themselves. Just you wait , my saviour is already born] the saintly woman who was the first person i met when i first entered these gates years ago and i suppose the last i'll see of her, blessed me with good wishes. I nearly touched her feet, if only she knew how much i needed some good wishes.May be she did
.The very old and the very young are nearer to the creator and instinctively divine others pain.

As we crossed the courtyard milling with students and passed the office where i used to pay the children's fees and glanced up at the upper floor,housing class 8 rooms, a lone teenager leaned down and looked at me ,his hands on the parapet wall with a smile and look that was unmistakably familiar.

I have seen that boy before,oh, so long , long ago.

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