Happily Ever After

Chapter 10

We woke up in the morning, ate breakfast in the hotel and left for home. The journey was about 1 hour. The both of us went in a taxi. The nearer I got to home the more I got angrier. I had a knack of getting angry since I was small. As soon I saw home, I got charged with anger, 100%. The taxi driver helped us to unload the we took it back into the house. Niru knocked on the door. Now only dad was inhabiting the house, so there was no one else to answer the door. The door was answered by de-drunk dad. He smiled and said, "Namaste! Aapane mujhe nahin bataya ki aap aa rahe the! Andar aaen!" (Hello! You didn't tell me that you were coming! Come in!) I, in a rather uninterested tone, said, "Hi dad." Niru greeted dad. He went into the living room and exchanged a few words with dad and left for his room, sensing an oncoming tantrum in me. I sat on a sofa and kept aside my suitcases. Dad sat on the sofa in front of me. He saw my angry face. "Tumharee kya dikkhat hai?" (What is wrong with you?). I yelled, "Sab kuch galat hai (Everything is wrong)! You sold me to a drug lord's beta! That's not it. It's the drug lord of England! The drug lord of England was the one who killed Niru's Pa! He was the one who left Niru's mother widowed! At least, if Niru's Pa lived, Niru wouldn't have been orphaned! And you sold me! You didn't even ask me!" then dad started. "That was the only way to keep him from troubling us, Adira. I had to bargain you for our freedom." "How dare you! You are not my father. You wanted to control his kingdom too. That's why you did this. You don't care about me. And did you know that the one you sold me to was a womanizer?!" I shouted. "Bas! You will find a job and stop about pyaar zindagi (love life)!" I went out of the room, full of anger.

I lied on my bed, and thought about the things that I said. Suddenly Niru appeared out of thin air. "You didn't have to tell about my Pa..." he said. I got up. "There were two reasons that I hated Hayden. One; he was a cheater. Two; his father, the former drug lord of England, killed your dad. If he lived, at least you would have a family member remaining." Then he asked me, "Haven't you felt orphaned, I mean you lost your parents before me..." Then a thought struck me. I was orphaned since my birth! "I never felt it. Dad told me that I was adopted, but it never mattered me. I felt as if was born of a flower, not a mother. I have always felt that I had a parent-less birth. Even when I reached an understanding age, I had you. I never had time to think about my parents. The things that are gone are gone." I put on my neutral smile. He smiled. "Wish I was you..." he said. "We have got problems to discuss , Niru. Concerning about Hayden. And jobs. What are you thinking of?" "I want to be a doctor, and I have enough qualifications. The problem is, what about you?" he asked me, with a surprising firmness in his voice. I replied after several minutes of thinking. "I liked to be a teacher, but I am not at all good with kids. I have a very recent liking for science......", this was the first time I ever hesitated. "I'll tell you what. You become a teacher for science and maths, in the local school. I am going to work in the local hospital. I can drop you when I'm going to work. Come on..... No time to dream," he said. Yes. No time to dream. That was the problem. "I've got a anger controlling problem, Niru. I can't lose my temper in front of the kids.... ." He hugged me and said, "Tum theek karoge (You will do fine). Have faith in god."

In December, I started to get ready. I had to do some shopping and buy some books. I went to do some shopping soon. I needed some sarees, because I can't go to the school with a blouse and trouser. The town was far from where we were living, about one hour. However, I left as a normal woman, using public transport. I went to some saree shops. I chose all shades of beautiful blues. Then I went to the bookstore and brought a few books. I went to the local tailor in our village, and gave her my measurements and clothes. She was happy when I told her that I was hoping to be a teacher in the local school, and wished me luck. The sarees were ready in a week. The tailor had put all of her effort in her sarees. I am really thankful for her. The sarees looked beautiful on me. I was entering the school next year, in January.

January arrived soon. I was eager to see the children. Well, the school started, and I was taken in as a teacher. There were four classes in the school; Class 1- six year olds to ten year olds, Class 2- eleven year olds to thirteen year olds, Class 3- fourteen and fifteen year olds, Class 4- sixteen and seventeen year olds. The kids were barefoot and I was sorry, and soon I was going to buy them something. I had to teach maths to Class 1 and chemistry to Class 2. There were six periods. My first class was maths in Class 1. It was the first period in the week. I was shocked to see such a little amount of kids! There were around 20 kids, all in the 11-15 range. At first, the children were displeased to meet me, thinking that I would be boring. But they seemed to enjoy the class. Even I enjoyed the class! I gave each of the students a pencil each before I left their class. The kids were nice.

As I was leaving for the staff room, I heard someone following me. I turned back. No one was there. I headed to the staff room. There were sounds of footsteps again. I looked back. No one! I went to the staff room and closed the door. The other teachers were busy with teaching. I sat down on a chair and made myself a tea. How I was tired! When I finished my tea, I saw little eyes peeping at me. I opened the door. The children of Class 1 were outside the staff room, when they should be in class! I asked, "Tum yahaan kya kar rahe ho?" The kids wanted to know me. They had a lot of questions, as I went to drop them into the class. Surprisingly, I had a lot of patience. The teacher who was supposed to be teaching them was shouting at the kids, scolding them for their lateness. I went back to the staff room to relax, especially when I would have Hayden following me. But staying with those children made me forget all my problems. I went to explore the school. Plenty of trees were there. I climbed one of those trees and called Niru. We discussed the day we had spent already. He was talking about his patients and I was talking about my students. Niru finally kept the call and I got down the tree. It was interval by the time I got down the tree. The teachers looked at me as if I was supposed to be extinct. The interval finished after 30 minutes. I discovered hidden parts of the school, which were beautiful.

On Tuesday, I had Class 2 after interval. They were the same as Class 1. Unenthusiastic at first, but then interested. Thank goodness they didn't follow me. Or else I would have earned a bad reputation among teachers for charming kids into following me.

The teachers were pretty stern at the kids. They never used to teach the right and wrong. They used to scold kids for everything. Poor kids. The teachers were telling me to be hard at the kids, not soft. I couldn't help it. I always felt sorry for those kids, as they were referred to as "rascals" by the teachers.

One week passed, very happily. Class 1 and 2 were happy with my teaching, that they shone a lot. I was about to leave the school, when I heard a man screech a few notes and pluck a few strings. I had to close my ears. I went to the place where this noise was made. It was the music master! And he couldn't sing! The kids were covering their ears too. Classes 1,2,3 and 4 were having their music lessons every last period. For their mental relaxation. But this music can cause mental troubles! I went to the music master and shouted, "Paryaapt mahoday! Yah sahee tareeka nahin hai! Aap guitar tod denge. Aap bachchon ke kaan ko nukasaan pachunchaenge!" ("Enough sir! That is not the right way! You will break the guitar! You will damage the children's ears!) He stopped his awful music and started scolding me. I snatched the guitar from him and hugged the kids. He stopped scolding me and looked at me. I put on the guitar strap and settled the guitar on my body. The teachers had come out of their places to see what the commotion was. I launched into the song, "Bum Bum Bole" and the kids followed me, too see what I would do. The teachers were completely jealous. I saw Niru at a distance, and went towards him, and he was dragged in by the kids. He was also singing, and as we finished the kids came and hugged me. The principal gave me another title; music teacher for all classes. The kids roared out of happiness. The teachers went into the staff room. I sat on a stone under the tree and the kids sat around me. Niru sat behind the kids, interested. Then they noticed Niru and talked with him. Some of them knew him, and some didn't. I had a hard time sending the children to their houses. They left after I urged them too, and then I left.

After that incident, teachers kept their distance from me, thinking that I would steal their titles too, out of sheer luck. I felt sorry for the teachers alike. But I didn't care, for I had the kids with me.