AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP

         As is generally said, and very rightly said, that 'Jaisi Karni, Vaisi Bharni' or for that matter, 'As You Sow, So Shall You Reap'. To prove it, here is a real tale to tell.  On 26th October, 2015, at about 3.30 PM, right at the time when earth trembled, my heartbeat also increased manifolds when I came across the school diary of my grandson, Joshua, a seven years old primary school boy, studying in 3rd standard. 

       Before I move ahead on the write-up, I may tell the readers that  I was staying temporarily, for  month and a half, with my son in order to give company to Joshua.  This arrangement had been made due to Preeti, my daughter-in-law was away from home in France who was likely to come back around Diwali.

        My son Vivek, who is working for Wipro, leaves home early morning for Gurgaon and returns usually late in the evenings.  Therefore, I had to give company to Joshua.  I had to join hands with the maid every morning to ready him for school; leave him at the school bus and pick him up in the afternoon.  One of my duties was also to make sure that Joshua did not spend much time either on Papa's lap top, I Pad or before the TV watching CN. 

       Sending him to tuition after school within the residential complex of Niho Scottish Garden and also to ensure that he did not spend much time in the complex while cycling in the evenings.  This child is very fussy over meals.  It is an herculean task for one to feed him properly as he prefers junk food over daal-roti.  What exactly is being experienced in handling our grandson today is, a similar situation that we had confronted in raising Vivek, our son!

        Now coming back to the main story.  As I quoted in the beginning, I think, I have already reaped what I sowed in my boyhood in the school.  In the class room I always felt myself helpless, depressed neglected and untouchable.  I had started developing a sense of dislike and even hatred and negative attitude towards studies mainly due to my helplessness to understand mathematics. 

        Mathematics was a subject for me due to mere impending fear of which, both my mental and physical growth had been badly affected.  Due to this unforeseen and ambiguous fear of plus, minus and into, I had started experiencing a conspiratorial  attitude taking shape in me due to which soon I found myself fallen so low that I did not afraid of hatching a conspiracy of duplicating signatures of my Chachaji, who was also a senior Hindi teacher in the same school.

        Math Teacher, Shri Hans Raj Sharma had issued strict instructions to all the students that irrespective of unit test results, each and everyone would obtain the signatures of their parents or guardians on the answer sheets before handing them over to him next day. As I never crossed from 0 to 5 marks at the most, in order to come over this problem and avoid wrath of Chachu, I conspired to duplicate his signatures. 

         Hardly two months have had elapsed when the pitcher of this malpractice was broken when math teacher had a discussion in the staff room over the performance of the students, math teacher became so furious in the fit of raze.  Next day I was summoned by the math teacher for an explanation in front of the class and the school faculty.  It could be any body's guess that what an horrifying situation might have had arisen before me...........!

        The other day, Vivek asked Joshua to show him his school diary so that he could see if there were  any remarks given by the class teacher.  Joshua, very innocently replied that he had left the diary at school.  The matter was over. Joshua's school was closed for autumn break for six days from 22 to 27 October 2015.  On 26th October, mid day, I was trying to locate my English Novel 'SCION OF IKSHVAKU', which I was reading those days. 

       Suddenly, I lay my hand on Joshua's school diary, which perhaps, he might have had tried to hide in his Papa's small library.  When I checked the diary, my eyes and mouth opened wide and eyebrows raised upwards, with a nasty surprise indeed!

\        I am quoting here what remarks Joshua's class teacher had written in the school diary and see the reply which Joshua himself wrote in red ball point pen and also signed for his father!

        "Quote; Joshua is not completing his work and not interested in doing the class work in the class.  Need your permission to make him sit in the class during his activity periods to get his work completed. Regards. Unquote.  In reply to the query of his class teacher, Joshua wrote the following replly,   "OK. Joshua will be bringing Rs 100 tomorrow for pizza and pastry". Signed for his father as Vivek!

        Now, I am in deep shock and lay flat on the sofa in a thinking mode!  What I had been doing myself in the school, the result is before me with interest!