The Test (Sridevi)

[RR]

The Test

- Sridevi


The bell rang. The first period teacher would come at any time. I still had not completed studying for the test. Every day we had a test, you know. The timetable was on the black board - a permanent one. Life was miserable, as most of the time we didn’t understand what we were studying. We were asked to learn by heart everything- mathematics, physics, and any subject under the sky. Even when the teacher was on leave some one else came and made us write the test. Bowed by the hierarchy of marks most of us had already lost our self-confidence. It all depended on the teacher’s sari. If she wore a yellow one, that day we did not get scolding for getting poor marks. Instead if she wore a red one, it would be a terrible day for all of us. We all wanted a break.
Padma, my friend, told me in a whisper that she wanted to talk to me. I had no time to talk to her. I still had one more page to learn by heart and I did not want to be disturbed. The previous night I had worked till eleven o’ clock and yet I could not finish my work. I still had five more pages to learn by heart. I did not want my concentration to be disturbed. The test was in the third ‘period’, and that was just one and a half hours more. But Padma kept on nudging me. Probably, some thing was really wrong, I thought. Breaking my mugging up I asked her what it was. She said that she had taken a small bottle full of some chemical, in the morning. The powder looked lovely in its light blue shade, she said.

Now I really got nervous. As it was I really had been feeling bad. And on top of that this problem too. This girl, Padma, can sometimes play the fool. I asked her again whether she really tried to commit suicide. With a dramatic smile on her face she said yes. My mind was racing. If Padma dies what will happen? Will the school authorities declare a holiday? What about that day’s test? Would they postpone it? That would give me some more time to study, of course. I asked Padma if she told anyone else - definitely not. Who would be as trustworthy as me? In fact she immediately took a promise from me not to tell any one else. I felt very proud of such an honour.

Meanwhile I had stopped studying. Any way the test will be postponed. I can go home and study well later. Now let me watch Padma dying, I thought. But she was very normal. Would she really have taken the chemical? Our science teacher had told us long back that chemicals could be very poisonous. How long did it take for someone to die in case of consuming it? If Padma were to die after the third ‘period’ then there is no point in the whole thing. Dying during the second period would be perfect. Poor Padma did not show any signs of death, not yet - no sweat, no tiredness. Her face was towards her book. She was trying, I was sure, to read. Calmness was on her face. Supposing she had lied. I got very scared of the test, which would be conducted if she doesn’t die and began studying seriously. This time if I fail, the teacher would put me in front of the whole class and bully me. No one understood how difficult it was for most of my classmates and myself to learn all the subjects in a foreign language. They loved insulting us for our lack of intelligence. If we don’t take these tests regularly we would fail in the plus two examinations, we were told. Last year two students in my school committed suicide after seeing their plus two results. Many of them became local rowdies as they had failed with miserable marks and were unfit for any decent future. I can’t take such a risk. My family was waiting for me to finish studies and get a job and the test was very important to me. I pushed the thought of Padma to the back of my mind.

The first period came and went. Nobody really paid any attention to that teacher. Everyday this happened as we were always under tension and could never concentrate on the teaching. Most of us had our textbooks beneath our notebooks and were studying for the test. The second period also started. The teacher was moving here and there saying something to which no one really paid attention as we were all studying. I had almost forgotten about Padma when she nudged and said that she started feeling giddy. Afterwards what did exactly happen? I really do not know. My friends told me later.

“ Arun, you suddenly jumped up and ran to the teacher and told her something. Immediately the teacher stopped teaching and went out. The headmaster came along with the peon. An auto was hired. Padma was taken to a hospital. It seems the Doctor said a delay of few more minutes could have cost her life.”

Even now I cannot understand how I saved her life. The test………we took it in the third period. Did I pass? I don’t remember.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Naivety & sensitivity unique to youth is beautifully brought out!

[crazy]

well written

[sundararaj]