“THE UNBARRED CASEMENT”

“I’m Keerthi’’, introduced Keerthi to Bathma Priya. She too introduced herself, as she arranged her cupboard. Keerthi’s hometown was far away from her hostel. That was the first time in her life as a hosteller. She came early in the morning and finished her arranging works. She came there for her higher secondary schooling since it was a pathway for a person’s future. That school was well known for its reputation in sending good doctors and engineers every year. It had a high standard of coaching and training. Students were forced to study and they were literally tortured. After few minutes Bathma Priya asked “what’s your percentage in high school?’’. Keerthi replied in a feeble voice “91 percent’’. She didn’t ask her back since she knew that most students admitted there at that school will be more than 97 percent. Then came Keerthi’s other two roommates. After a long and detailed introductory conversation, they slept at 12:30 am. Keerthi couldn’t sleep all night yet she woke up soon to get ready for her first day in thneat school. Most of them were new students. Keerthi checked the notice board to see which section she belonged to. There she got many new friends one among them was Pavithra. She became a close friend of Keerthi. She was from the same place where Keerthi came from and also she was next to Keerthi’s room. A week went by and all newbies were sent home for two days. All of them returned from their homes. From the next day, started their daily tests. Keerthi had to start her hard work since she was not as efficient as other students. She planned to study during night as she comfortablefound that . It was twenty minutes past eleven when she was successfully revising her first answer. Everyone was fast asleep as she was studying. Suddenly she heard a feeble sound beside her, it didn’t seem like Bathu’s voice but it came from her. So she went near her to know what if she was reading, since she finished studying during evening itself. They were in their eleventh grade but Bathu was having twelfthrade’s book. She was reciting the Ohm’s Law. Their school had a practice of making eleventh grade students to study twelfth grade portions a year earlier that is on their eleventh grade itself since they had to face the board exams successfully. But, that too they’ll start only after finishing the half yearly exams in the eleventh grade. It was just a week after joining that school and all have to study the eleventh grade syllabus at that time. “Meera” was the name written on the first page of that book. Bathu became very angry on Keerthi as she grabbed her book and was continuously questioning her. Unknowingly she lied down and fell fast asleep.

Thinking that she would have done that unconsciously, Keerthi went to sleep as she couldn’t continue studying. She studied only one answer so she couldn’t write the test well the next day. Keerthi became more frustrated as she couldn’t

concentrate on her studies as she had disappointments with her marks. Moreover, she had nightmares like being unsuccessful in life. A week passed by. One night there was a heavy sound. Everybody woke up and peeped out of the unbarred casement. Everybody were shocked. Monica, one of Keerthi’s roommate fell unconscious as soon as she saw that. It was Bathu, who fell down out of that casement. She committed suicide. She was dead on that spot since their room was on the fifth floor of that building. They immediately reported to their warden and seniors meanwhile, also took care of Monica to recover from her unconsciousness.

The school announced holidays for a week on account of the death of one of

its students, Bathma Priya. Keerthi begged her parents to transfer her to some other

school. Her parents didn’t consider her pleadings. They thought she wasn’t willing

to study and she’s trying to escape studies. “Mom I don’t want to study in that

school. Please, let me study in the nearby school”, pleaded Keerthi. “No, the

schools here just get money and don’t give quality education whereas the school

you study now has a great reputation for sending a number of doctors Every year.

We want you to study there or else you discontinue your studies” came the reply.

“If that is the case I’ll discontinue” Keerthi said angrily and went inside as she

threw away the chair in which she was sitting.

Keerthi thought that the school was money minded. Yes, that’s true. That

school was just a business for those ten directors who administered the school.

People admit their daughters in that school hoping that they will become doctors or engineers. Yes, that school has a great reputation for sending more doctors or engineers every year but there are failures and low scorers too. If that year they get a hundred good scored pupils, they get at least fifth failures and hundred plus low scorers. But they don’t reveal those remaining one hundred and fifty or two hundred in the banner. There will be colorful banners of that school around the city bearing the photos of toppers. One thing that parents mostly don’t understand is that, a child in pursuit of knowledge will study properly even if they are admitted in a school with basic facilities or in a school without teachers. Everybody spend the same money in that school for their studies. But only a few students’ futuresare well built and that’s because they utilize everything they get in that school.

(TO BE CONTINUED)