The Bigger Picture

www.clipartbest.com

The new academic year was round the corner. But the school Suresh went to was to start a day earlier than the others. After years of bad maintenance, the management had finally fired the principal Mr.Verma and appointed Mathur Sir to the post. Mathur Sir was known for his strict and unorthodox attitude and was probably the only choice the committee had to salvage what was left of the school’s reputation.

While Suresh was not overly fond of Mathur Sir, he and the rest of the 10^th std. class knew there was no other teacher who could take up the big job. If anything they would ruin it more than Verma Sir had in the last few years. Sheela Maam was quite good but she had just joined the school as a junior teacher, she was yet to learn the ropes of the game. He was looking forward to the change which would begin that day, the day before schools reopened, the day a felicitation ceremony was being held to bid Verma Sir a farewell and to hand over the reins to Mathur Sir.

But his Mother Sukanya was anything but happy. Parents had been invited for the function but she had been reluctant to go. Her mood hadn't changed much at the School either. She sat there with a frown etching countless lines on her forehead listening to Mathur Sir’s speech.

“Look at Mr. Mathur getting all emotional! For all the aggression he shows otherwise, this is how he behaves when he gets what he has been greedy for all these years!” She was not able to control herself anymore.

“Ma, he has been with this school for over two decades, he loves it here. And now he has been given the opportunity to head the institution. Isn't that a big deal? Wouldn't you cry too?” Suresh had found the gesture to be perfectly normal.

“But look at how aggressive he used to be? Do you remember, he instigated those kids to mass bunk a few years ago? Imagine that! Bunking in school? Whoever heard of that?” Sukanya was just not ready to give up.

“I know Ma. But Verma sir also used to fight with the other teachers. He used to scold and beat us so much! Was that right? Don’t you always tell me that everyone should be treated equally and all guilty should be punished?... Why only Mathur Sir then?I feel Mathur sir is not that bad. Even Peon Uncle was saying Mathur Sir will do a lot of good for the school.” Suresh was now bewildered, he thought this was just common sense.

“But still, why does he have to shed tears? This is not one of my Saas Bahu serials now is it? Oh! Had this not been the only school close to our home and had you not been answering your boards this year, I would have moved you out!” Sukanya was now close to tears herself.

“But I love this school Ma! And why shouldn't a Headmaster cry Ma? You and Papa do when I score good Marks or win a trophy. If he can help our school it will be good right? You give me another chance so many times, then why not him?”  Suresh had now begun to lose his patience.

“But how can he? I mean-“

“Listen Ma, in all our talking we missed what he had to say about the new ideas the school has this year to make it better. You tell me not to disturb when someone is talking, now that’s exactly what we are doing! And Ma, you said there was a Parents Teachers Association survey done to decide whom to select. He was appointed based on that no?”

“But-“

“Ma you always tell me not to jump to conclusions, but isn't that what you are doing now? Now I don’t understand what is right and what is not”said Suresh with a confused look on his face.

Why did Adults behave like this he wondered? Couldn't they just take things as they are just like they asked him to?

From the corner of his eye he peered at his Ma and let out a sigh and walked away. He had more important things to worry about. Would Mathur Sir be developing the cricket ground or maybe the badminton court?