Part 6:
For the first time in four years, her heart was beating in the same place as her body. Sumo took a deep breath, struggling between rage and trepidation. He was here. Under the same roof as she.
Upstairs...
Preeta warned Shravan: This is your last chance. Mess this up and I will throw you out of this place myself.
A mosquito was buzzing around the sparsely furnished room, bugging them.
Shravan smiled: Thank you, Preeta.
Preeta: Haan haan, don't thank you me. Pata hai na? Keisae mara tha mein un lafange ko that tried to mess with Sumo? Remember that. Don't forget it. You hurt her this time and...(she clapped her hand and killed the buzzing mosquito).
Shravan shook his head, understanding the threat and amused by it.
Preeta came back into the hall after showing Shravan the way to his new room. She kept her eyes on Sumo, while keeping her distance. Preeta worried whether she had done the right thing by listening to Shravan as she saw Sumo struggling to hold back tears and keep it together in the teachers' meeting. But she had seen Sumo suffer and pine everyday for that boy while running this school.
Sumo had called them to Mumbai to help with the school after she closed down Delhi's PCT and canceled the deal with Aditya. They had all done what they could to fund-raise and bring this school into being. Any financial risk was worth it for Sumo and without PCT, they did not have any jobs to hold them back in Delhi anymore. They all moved here with their faith in her.
Sumo never said anything throughout, but Preeta could see that she missed him like a limb. She talked with her family in the U.S. like everything was fine after the wedding's fall off, she rejected Nirmala Aunty's offer of help with kind words, she eventually got in touch with Preeti and told her everything, but it was the silence on Shravan that was the loudest.
That boy and his tantrums during that wedding had annoyed Preeta, she was right the first time, he was a kareela ka soup. But you can't help who you love and who would know that better than her? Sighing, she went after Dhurinder who was snooping around the kitchen again.
Suman: Last but not the least, we have a new...government teacher (the word irked her now), Mr. Shravan Malhotra joined us today. I will introduce you all to him during dinner. Until then, the meeting is adjourned.
The teachers all went out for their afternoon break. Some headed to the garden.
Sumo sighed and went up to complete the task she was dreading.
Shravan heard some giggles. He looked around. Nothing but the curtains moved on his door.
He went up and looked around. Some children ran around the corner. He looked down when he heard a small sucking noise. They had had left behind the youngest one in their quest to play hide and seek with the new teacher - little Sahil.
Sahil was looking at him wide-eyed, quietly sucking his thumb.
Shravan knelt down and pulled his hand down softly: Bad idea, Champ.
Sahil made no noise.
Shravan: I am your new teacher, nice to meet you (he shook hands with Sahil's arm), Shravan.
The little boy's face broke into a warm smile.
Shravan playfully: And what is your name, Sahil?
Sumo spoke up from behind: Woh bolta nehi hai.
Shravan's heart plunged in guilt. He had been rude to a deaf kid!?
He stood up when Sumo picked Sahil up. The kid trustingly put his arms around her neck and lay his head against her shoulder.
Shravan was red-faced: Sorry, I didn't know he was deaf.
Sumo possessively: He's not deaf! Just muted from childhood trauma. This is not a normal school, Mr. Malhotra. Keep that in mind when you teach. Anyways, he will speak soon, if I can help it.
Shravan smiled: I am sure.
Sumo: A few ground rules now that you have forced yourself in, Mr. Malhotra...
Shravan looked at her with amusement in his eyes.
Sumo: I have a strict no overnight guests policy here. Everyone keeps to the meal times with the other colleagues and children or eats out on their own. The food here is very good, they are by professional cooks from Delhi, so no one goes out that much. You have already seen Preeta.
Shravan chided: I know Preeta, Sumooo.
Sumo went on as if she did not hear: In any case, on a non-profit teacher's salary... But all that does not apply to you. I am sure we will not meet your standards, so you are welcome to eat out any time you like. Just be on time for your classes. And you can entertain any guests on your own time, there are plenty of hotels and such around here. Every teacher's day starts at 7 am and ends around 1 pm weekly. Then there is lunch and from 3-4 pm on Fridays (today), there is a teachers' meeting with me for the week's updates. Is that all clear?
Shravan smirked: Very! I won't have any guests. If anything, Pushkar will come by tomorrow to drop some of my things off from home, but he probably comes here pretty often.
Sumo warned: Don't get familiar with me. I am not talking about Pushkar.
Shravan looked confused.
Sumo's blood rose to her brain, he was playing dumb. Thinking of that girl in that glittering sari still made her skin crawl. To think her heart was wasted on such a man made her even angrier.
Sahil snuggled closer into the nape of her neck, reminding her of his presence.
Sumo: Perhaps I worded it wrong. Family visitors and friends are fine. We do not have space to accommodate them at night, that is the only issue. I was talking about the other kinds of overnight guests.
Shravan: What other kinds of overnight guests? There are no...(it finally dawned on him, it was like someone dropped a ton of bricks on him).
Shravan's sharp intake of breath and the worry in his eyes alerted Sumo that he had finally figured it out. She was glad to wipe that smirk off his face at last.
Sumo took a deep breath to ward off the weight in her chest that was quickly about to turn to tears: Yes, your engagement might be off, but Aditi or others whose "majboori" you make a habit of understanding in your bedroom...there will be NONE of that here. As I said, there are other places to stay around here. I do not want any of those behaviors around my children. It will be a bad influence on them.
Shravan was looking at the ground during her own speech, he finally looked up, his pupils as big as his eyes.
Shravan: Sumo, nothing ever happened. I know I made it seem that way...but nothing...I didn't...
Sumo snapped, though she was shaking: Your personal l-life is none of my concern! I am only speaking as the person morally responsible for the rearing of these children (she hugged Sahil a little closer to her heart). You joined this place not knowing what the rules are and now you have to live with the inconveniences.
Shravan pleaded: Sumo please, there was never any woman, not Aditi, not anyone.
Sumo gave a bright smile, her eyes challenging him: That is all I had to say, Mr. Malhotra. If you will excuse me now, it is time for Sahil's nap. Welcome to the Raguvar Tiwari School, teacher.
She turned and walked away, leaving Shravan stewing in his own guilt.
Just before she turned the corner, she spoke without looking back.
Sumo: And dinner is downstairs in a few hours. Your introductions will be made then. If you feel like it, there is tea and coffee out in the backyard garden.
Sumo tucked Sahil into bed and swiped the hair off his forehead. Her little quiet one. He was just old enough to witness the death of his mother and to be affected by the trauma. The train station authorities contact her six months ago about this child a woman had left behind on the station platform after jumping to her death. (Sumo shook her head) The things poverty made desperate people do.
Sumo had rushed to the station with Preeta, sorted the papers and brought him right home, dirty and soaking in his own tears. He didn't say a word, no matter the inducement: chocolates, toy trucks, other kids... Sumo and Preeta bathed him and Sumo tucked him in her own bed to secure his sense of safety for the next couple of weeks.
That fateful night...
Sumo thumbed his little chin cleft: So alike.
Preeta: What are we going to call him, Sumo?
Sumo smiled through her tears: Sahil.
Preeta would not have known. This was a name she had kept hidden in her heart for her own child. Sumo had imagined having a boy like Sahil once, in her girlish dreams...one so like his father, all big brown eyes, jet black hair, upturned lips, and an adorable chin-cleft.
It was not to be. But Sahil was like a gift God gave her as a consolation prize, so her little quiet boy earned this name. No use keeping it to herself anymore for what was not to be...
Sumo wiped a tear and kissed her sleeping baby. He smelled like sleep.
Smiling, she went out to get some coffee in the garden.
Shravan looked at her as she walked in slowly. He made her a cup of tea and offered it. There were a few others in the garden too, he was sure she would not refuse in front of them.
Sumo: No, thank you.
Shravan, chest-fallen: But this is how you always like your tea. Please, this is your cup, I made it for you.
Sumo looked at him equally: I drink coffee now.
She made herself a strong cup of coffee and walked away to take seats with some wary looking PCT women who were, no doubt, talking about him.
Shravan to himself: Be strong, Shravan, be strong and stop moping. She has to forgive you someday. This is just the first trial.
At dinner...
Sumo introduced him with the other teachers with some perfunctory praise about his qualifications as the new government teacher and then left the table to see to the kids' dinner as they sat in long benches stuffing their little faces.
He shook everyone's hand and tried hard to remember their names. There was a Canadian retired children's psychologist who wanted to do some social service, a Frenchman who taught the kids a couple of languages, a PT teacher from Dehradhun, a music and teacher dance teacher from Lucknow, a grammar teacher and much more. The staff totaled 12. Shravan could feel be more proud of the institution Sumo had created, it was a lot more established than Sumo made it sound. And it was quite spacious and very well-funded as a non-profit. No wonder she got the CNN award. The place was only designed to look antique because it reminded her of Nanaji.
Seeing Shravan smiling to himself, the Canadian psychologist whispered to him: Penny for your thoughts, Mr. Malhotra.
Shravan shook his head: Nothing, just happy to be here I guess.
She smiled back: Aren't we all? You joined a good place, Mr. Malhotra. Sumo is a great headmistress and she takes care of these children as if they are all her own flesh and blood. You will love it here.
Shravan nodded: No doubt...wait, you call her Sumo?
Marie: Why yes, that is her name of course.
Shravan: Not Mistress Tiwari?
Marie laughed: Oh, we are not so formal here, Mr. Malhotra. She insists we call her Sumo. She's no hard driver, everyone who works here probably works better for that reason. Internal motivation, you see? In psychology, we see it as a kind of positive reinforcement. Intrinsic motivation is much productive that following orders. There's no Mistress Tiwari here, only Sumo and we are also only known by our first names. The kids are given last names for their sense of belonging, but otherwise, it is all the same. And she helps us along as we join to do our own bit from different parts of the world. This place is a product of love and collective effort, in her own words, Mr. Malhotra.
It dawned on him. This ice princess was only playing cold games with him.
Shravan: In that case, please call me Shravan.
Sumo turned off the lights and went down the long, silent hallway to finally call it a night.
Shravan cut her path as she was heading to her own bedroom: Hi, Mistress Tiwari.
His eyes were glistening in the dark.
Sumo: What now?
Shravan: Oh, I was just wondering when classes start, Mistress Tiwari? I have to prepare materials by the class year na, Mistress Tiwari.
Sumo's lips thinned: Classes start Monday. I will give you the information you need by tomorrow evening. Good night.
Shravan: Oh but wait, Mistress Tiwari. I had another question.
Sumo stopped mid-way up the stairs: Now what?
Shravan pulled her right on to him by the waist. As he was three stairs down, she fell on to him.
He softly kissed her dangerously close to her lips...on both sides.
Shravan's heart was racing louder than his own voice, he felt her heartbeats against his chest pick up too.
Shravan slowly: Teachers deserve good night kisses too, Mistress Tiwari. (He held her like that) I miss-ssed youuu...(he brushed his cheek against hers as he spoke his heart). (Suddenly cheerful and loud) Good-night, Mistress Tiwari!
He put her down abruptly and hiked up the stairs five at-a-time before she even had time to consider what just happened.
Sumo fell back against the wall, finally daring the breathe.
Long enough, folks?
Edited by Marybarton - 9 years ago
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