A foolish cleverness

      “Are you ready, Raj?”  Karthick angrily yells from the kitchen at his son in the bedroom. 

     “Almost, dad,” Raj shouts back at his dad from the bedroom as he hurriedly writes the last part of his homework.

      As everyone, Raj does not like Monday morning. Though he is a studious and industrious student in the first grade class, he feels very reluctant to get back to the weekday life after enjoying the weekend.

      Raj’s mother died, giving him her precious life and leaving a great responsibility of raising him for his father. Karthick too takes care of his son by himself with no intention of another marriage and of sharing his son’s love with anyone else.  

      After hurriedly having breakfast, Karthick as usual sends off Raj to the school in the school bus.

“She is a devil,” Raj mutters as he is getting into the bus, staring at a gorgeous and doll-like girl, Isabelle.  He finds a seat and occupies it, thinking of his past two years of  life in the school. He reminisces how happy he was because of his teacher, Mary.  

“Oh... you are so cute!!!” said Mary when she first met Raj two years back. It still echoes in the heart of Raj. 

     But, the arrival of Isabella last year changed everything in the class. She became Mary’s favourite student because of her brilliance and dainty. 

     Entering into the classroom, he stares at the chair placed nearby Mary’s table in the first row. He curses Isabella once more for sitting on that chair and occupies a chair in the second row. 

     Mary enters the class angrily and orders the students to keep their eyes shut and be silent till she is back from the principal’s room. She also tells the student leader* to let her know about the students who speak or even open their eyes while she is away from the class. Setting everything and all students in order, Mary rushes out of the class to finish her other official work. 

After sometime, Mary returns to the class. The student leader points out the students, who opened their eyes. Mary flogs them up with a large and thin stick. 

Raj abruptly accuses to Mary, “Isabella opened her eyes.” 

Without thinking, Mary beats Isabella too. Seeing Isabella crying in pain, Raj smiles. Then, Mary comes Raj and asks him to show his hand. In confusion Raj stretches his hand and gets himself beaten up. He too starts crying in pain without understanding why he is flogged.

After the class time is over, Raj decides to meet his beloved teacher in the staff room. He reaches the staff room and stands near the door staring at Mary. Now, She looks like a devil to him. 

Raj goes to Mary and hesitantly asks her, “Why did you beat me?” She raises her eyebrows and replies, “How did you know she had opened her eyes without opening your eyes?”

He gazes at her in confusion and leaves the room without speaking anything. As he leaves the staffroom, he realizes his foolish cleverness…

Note:
*Student leader: The student who watches over other students while the teacher is not in the class                                   room