I was very busy in making arrangements for the CBSE examination which was going to be held on the next day. All the papers were lying on my table. It was going to be 4 p.m., yet I was at the school. After having lunch at the school canteen, I was totally engrossed in arranging papers, taking print outs in the examination room. Suddenly I was interrupted by a voice from outside, “Sir”.
“Yes”, I raised my eyes; a boy of about 16-17 years was standing before the door. “May I come in” the boy asked. I immediately said, no, no and came out of the room and asked what the matter was. The boy asked about the examination centre. I clarified his doubts and then he departed. After he departed I glanced through the corridor and found light coming out of Principal’s chamber. It meant that he was still there. It filled me with a sense of relief that I am not only the fool who is working so late.
Next day, it was a hectic business for all. The school was on run, managing the new entrants as examinees showing their paths to respective rooms. It becomes a marriage ceremony like function in our school on the days of external examinations; especially when our principal is on move. Our principal is a very simple and laborious person, but a very strict one. He himself remains on move on such days to keep everyone else on run.
Suddenly, while monitoring the entry of candidates, I heard a strange voice, “look, how strange this school is, even the peon talks in English.” I looked through the voice. I recognized the face. He was the same boy who was enquiring about the examination centre the last day. He was talking to another candidate. My eyes followed his glance. My principal was talking to one of my colleagues. I looked back towards the boy. The boy had gone further away. I looked back the Principal. He was in a very simple dress, with his well known short stature and leather foot wear. Perhaps, because of his casual look, the boy had taken him to be a peon. I jerked my mind and let the matter go to mind the works with which I was entrusted with.
After seeing all the people off and sending the parcel of answer sheets to CBSE, I was taking a breath of relief in the examination room and was thinking to leave. I heard a voice, “ Sir”. I found the same boy standing at the door. I asked him the matter. He said that he had lost his admit card and wanted to know if we got any. I had not got any left away admit card and told him so. He became disappointed. Seeing his disappointed face I felt pity. I told him to let me see if the Principal was available and if he had any information in this regard. I went through the corridor and peeped through the Principal’s door. He was as usual on his chair engrossed in a work. I called him to come towards the Principal’s chamber. I took the permission from the Principal to come in. As usual the principal raised his eyes and gave a curious look. I gave the reference of the boy and informed him about his loss about the admit card. He glanced over the boy. Following the glance of the Principal I also looked on the boy’s face. His face was having a queer look full of confusion and perplexity. He was appearing unable to speak anything. The principal said with cool voice, ”wait outside, if you have lost the admit card in the campus, you will get it.” The boy sat outside the Principal’s chamber on the visiting chairs. Suddenly, he heard a call bell ringing, a man entering the Principal’s chamber. I left the chamber and went to the examination room to finish my work and to leave for my quarters. I heard some hustle and bustles amongst the class IV employees outside. When I was locking the examination room, the boy came to me and said, “Thank you sir, I have got my admit card”. I found a satisfied face with look of admiration to tell him welcome.
