Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement

Nirja did not come that day in the study room of Prabha . Master Madhup entered the house of Prabha and went to the study room direct. Prabha came with her bag , she sat and before Master Madhup managed to say something , she said , ‘Sir, Nirja is not present today.’

‘ She might be doing something or She might be out,’ Madhup said .

‘ No Sir , she is here. She was coming with her books , but…..’.

‘Let it go . We should go ahead . Have you completed your task?’

Yes Sir.’ Prabha said and opened the answerbook before Madhup . Master Madhup checked the work , made corrections and instructed Prabha to attend to her studies more devotedly and diligently, After that Madhup felt somewhat uneasy. This was the first time when he felt like that there. He had been teaching Prabha for about eight months and Nirja came within just before two or three months before , for tution. She was weak in English and Mathematics, as she knew , but Madhup thought that she had to do a lot in most of her subjects, to upgrade her level of learning , for meeting her coming matriculation examination.It was a bit difficult too , since he couldn’t spare more time after his studies , for the girl and she began to sit with Prabha along.Prabha was a student of the eighth , Nirja of eleventh . It was onerous on Madhup to cope with. However , he managed for the time being, keeping in view the words of Nirja’s grandfather that Master Madhup should extend support to Nirja and he would help Madhup as far as he could. After assigning task for the next day Madhup left the place.

Nirja was sittng in her study room, books open . She came to know of the departure of Madhup through Prabha. She was shocked. she was just waiting for him and he went. She stood up , went to her grandmother , who was talking to her mother in the kitchen. She said, ‘ Dadiji, he ( Madhup) has gone . He will not teach me . I will fail. Why did you not allow me to sit with Prabha there ? I had been reading there till now.’

‘ Hey! Will you talk? A little girl you are. Can you understand anything? He will teach you and here , only in your study room. Okay?’Nirja looked at her mother , but of no avail . She kept silent. Nirja came to her reading room in silence.

The next day Master Madhup came as usual.As he entered the house, he heard Dadiji calling him with ‘ Beta’.He went to her . She said to sit , he sat before her. She started , ‘ Beta! How will Nirja read ?’

‘ She is reading.’Madhup said.

‘ No Beta, she is shocked after yesterday. She fears she will fail . You know the matters related to neighbours.’

‘ But I am not a neighbor , Dadiji.’ Master said.

‘ Prabha’s grandfather is our neighbor. His family members look down upon us . They may be rich , but they are not happy. Are they? They have problems and want to demoralize us time and again. We cannot pull along all the time with them.’ Madhup understood why Nirja didn’t go to Prabha’s study yesterday. He decided to spare some time for Nirja separately .

In those days kerosine oil was supplied through the public distribution system .There was scarcity of the commodity, for the time. Prices were very much high to be afforded by a so –called middle class family of Nirja . Since Madhup was a college –going boy, he couldn’t deliver during the day. His college was at a considerable distance from his village. He was a daily passenger for his studies at college.Commodities of common use were easily available in the house of Prabha and there was not any type of such problem with her . At this juncture , Nirja’s Dadiji tried to stretch her bowed position to a straight one , to look forward to the study of Prabha . Keeping in view the future of Nirja , she was once again allowed to read with Prabha , in her study room.

One evening both the girls were reading. Master Madhup asked Nirja to show what she had worked yesterday . Nirja said, ‘Sir, I am just completing.’

‘You should have already completed your task .It wastes time when you prepare your assignments , while I am sitting here to assess those things.’

‘Yes Sir.’

‘What Sir?’ Madhup repeated and she looked shy .

‘ I cann’t do it Sir.’ She declared.

‘ But you should do it , sir.’ Master Madhup said in a humorous manner , which touched her . Master put a pat on her shoulder , she ejaculated, but like a daffodil red roses disappeared, her face became pale. This was because Prabha peeped at her , pretending to attending to her studies., keeping her head beneath. Perhaps the fact of steps of age –ladder owed this. Master was a bit learned , Nirja was learning and Prabha was learning to learn how to feel and deal with a situation , of which we aren’t concerned. Nirja felt perplexed .Something was eyed by a girl , who was younger to her . Not only this , she was related to Prabha as mother –in-law.She thought why she was to read in this place. Mine is a better one for study. No one sees how I am called upon there, for my shortcomings. Here this little girl pays little attention to her study and concentrates on what goes

with me only. I shall not bear this . I shall read in the light of a candle, but will not let it happen again.Suddenly she thought of Madhup.

‘His eyes will have to bear the brunt of all this.No, No. This will not do.’

‘What ? Mr. Maddhup enquired.

‘What are you murmuring, Nirja?’

‘Nothing, Sir. I was just thinking to end my studies.’

‘Why? Have you gone mad? What will your family members say, if you don’t pass the examination?

Nirja could not make a reply.Master Madhup again patted her on the shoulder and Prabha had a full look of the situation. But Nirja was not disturbed this time. Perhaps she acknowledged this, after the gracious acknowledgement of Mr. Madhup.The session ended. Madhup started for his place, but he was informed of the message of call from Dadiji. He went there. Dadiji asked him to sit and have a cup of tea . Nirja was ordered to prepare tea. Dadiji , in the meantime, talked about the prevailing circumstances of the family. During the period Nirja stared her again and again as if she were telling her to spell short of the details, she was intending to put up. The tea was served, tasted bitter. Dadiji said , ‘ a little less sugar is there’. ‘ Better’, Madhup said and looked at Nirja . She bowed her wet sight. Madhup’s heart was full and he felt the plight of the girl’s eyes, which were a pledge of future and golden dreams were becoming within.

Nirja continued her study with Prabha.

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