V-Std-'A' Section

It was his D-day, as he was expecting his half yearly test results, which he had written a month back. He was studying fifth standard, infact; ‘V-Std-‘A’ Section, always expounded his educational qualification with that finer detail. His appearance was fat, rather an obese of nine years old, and quite a blithe, insouciant guy, always showed his regardless towards his studies. He was called ‘tummy’ by his classmates, for the apparent reason. His half yearly test preparation was never any different, though his father had assured that, he would present him a bicycle as gift, if he tried to pass half yearly examination.

He sat at the third bench, leaned his hand across his face, and started to think about the proceedings that would happen in the following evening. He was at the premonition that, he would get the last rank for sure. His class teacher entered the class, with the assortment of progress reports, heralding his diabolic scene. The students greeted and tweedled rhythmically, ’Good morning Teacher’. All the front bench enthusiasts were asking her the progress reports, as soon as she entered. He was cursing them like anything. If he were given any power, at that moment, all those enthusiastic dabblers would be deported from the country without any further delay. The teacher gestured a smile at everybody, as if everybody were passed. She started her mundane lecture in science subject, describing about the food life cycle in a cadaverous way. Many of them were uninterested, as they were eager to know their grades than her deadening lecture. Some of them steadfastly started to take notes, capturing the each and every word spelled or misspelled by her. He was neither pleased with her lecture, nor awaited his progress report, infact, to be precise; he was indifferent to the both! After noticing a few yawns and oscitations from the students, she stopped her lecture and started to distribute the progress reports.

Progress reports were arranged in a chronological order of their ranks. The teacher started distributing them with fervour, supplemented with her unrestrained advice and appreciation for the top rankers. Her voice and her excitement seemed to reduce, as she was giving out the reports. He was awaiting his name to be called, one after another, biting his nails, looking for that skittish moment. The progress reports were getting drained. His prediction turned out to be correct. Finally, the teacher called his name: ‘Mahesh’. She gave out his, without uttering any word. Mahesh sat and looked at the progress report, which was much excepted; nothing to worry/be happy about. But he pretended to be sad. ’Hey tummy, what is your rank’, asked one of his friend, who sat in the girls’ segment. Yes she belonged to that gender, who, some has spontaneous disposition of teasing the boys. Though she had known of his rank, she asked it. Mahesh boasted himself and said, ‘Yes, It is expected this time, I’ve scored fourth rank’. ‘Mahesh, I know your rank, it is your usual number that is out there’, she said. Mahesh never felt infuriated, he was an unusual cool customer, kept his report card on the bench and started to sleep over it. The school bell rang; The class teacher departed

A few were excited as they got the rank they had desired. A few were sad and despondent. The school head master entered the class. He was a martinet, with a monstrous moustache hiding his upper lip; Mahesh woke up after a small nap. The head master with his bigger radius belly, leaned against the first row, made the first bench enthusiasts to suffocate. He was there to teach the Moral science subject; he came forward voluntarily to teach the subject, as he felt he was the right person to teach; but the real fact was that the subject didn’t demand enormous preparation from the teacher. As soon as he started, students at the neighbourhood class were singing aloud to the tunes of the music teacher. So, he locked the door and ensured that any minute decibel of sound wouldn’t enter the room. He spoke superficially touching the wholesome topics such as ‘Honesty’, ‘Hard work’, ’Patriotism’ and the topics that flashed across his mind. Sooner, his throat got dried and hence he sat and comforted himself to get rid of his enervation. And he slept. The students felt as if they were released from the appetence of vampire. At this moment, one of a miscreant, who was studying in fourth standard, had been noted for his prankish thinks; had been the head master’s hit list; had been reprimanded many a times earlier, passed by the class room, where the Head master was sleeping. The miscreant locked the classroom front latch, ensured that the Head master would have a nice time inside. Time passed by...

Before a few minutes to the final bell, there was a commotion across the opposite corridors of the class room, yelling ‘Fire, Fire...’! The students in the ‘V-Std-‘A’ Section were sleeping as they were unfeignedly following the footsteps of the head master who was also sleeping then! The school teachers were running hurriedly and tried to vacate all the students. Unfortunately, Mahesh’s classroom remained unnoticed till then, as the class was completely dormant; the teachers presumed that the class was already been vacated, without coming nearer to the class room. Some of the class rooms’ roofs were not equipped properly, to face the thermal ignition. Fire rapidly snaked through those roofs; Mahesh’ classroom was one among them. All the classrooms had been vacated, except his. A few of the neighbourhood friends started to scream, ‘V-Std-‘A’ Section is missing’. Immediately, the physical training (P.T.) teacher blew the whistle and moved towards the classroom. By that time, fire speeded across the roof of that class room. The P.T. teacher released the front door latch and shouted,’ everybody move out, quick, hurry up’. He raised his voice as much he could. Fortunately, in few seconds, most of the students were vacated including the hibernated head master. Mahesh was also vacated. A few clusters of fire balls dropped from the roofs on the centre of the class room, making the rescue operation a little difficult. Three students needed to be rescued. They had been seated in the left side first bench of the class room (of course, enthusiastic dabblers, according to Mahesh). They were shouting for help. The P.T. teacher, the only saviour, balked for a moment, on seeing the fire balls. They were not able to mitigate the fire when it was too late. Mahesh came forward and hold the hands of P.T. teacher and prompted to move forward. Mahesh kept his first foot forward and stretched his small hand to touch his class mate’s hand. The P.T teacher invigorated and inspired by his small boy’s quantum of effort, pushed himself and stretched his long hand that could effectively touch the one of the three. Swiftly, the P.T. teacher and Mahesh pulled them out forcefully. And they were able to rescue them with their strenuous efforts. Everybody started extolling Mahesh and those three first benchers rendered heart-warming thanks!

All the parents were standing outside the school gate, anticipating their kids to arrive. It was the most satisfactory day for Mahesh, as he had rescued three lives, though he had scored the last rank in the class. Mahesh’s father received him and he was able to hear the laudatory comments (about his son), which even he hadn’t got in his lifetime. The father felt elated and gleeful. He had an every reason to proud. One of the parents approached Mahesh and said, ‘We are proud of you’ and gestured his son, who (the miscreant) was studying fourth standard and remarked, ‘you should come brave and courageous like this boy! By the way, which class you are studying’. Mahesh’s father rejoiced every gratifying remark, more than his son, replied earnestly, ‘Fifth standard’.

‘It is V-Std-‘A’ Section’, Mahesh emphasized!