Roll No - 13

Roll No - 13(Niki Jjhaveri) Roll No. – 13. Ashwin Jumnani – a rectangular face tapering at the chin with silky hair falling vertically on his forehead, small eyes, and a shrewd smile. Seated either side on the first bench or the last, most of the time my ear was struck by the complaint – ‘Mam, Ashwin is disturbing us.’ And when there wasn’t a word from any of his fellow classmates, Ashwin was surely having a nap. He was the teachers’ nightmare. What a naughty boy he was! Naughty? No…no. He was notorious as other teachers called him. So did I when I had just joined the school as a teacher.

He was very irregular in completing his books, produced untidy work, was shabbily dressed, and uncultured in his use of language, yet he scored better than others on IQ level and in exams as well. His report card took me by surprise when for the first time I asked him for his diary. Looking at his grades, which were satisfying, I didn’t feel that he required any coaching. Why was he then asked to attend extra coaching every Saturday? It was just his behaviour that needed some coaching.

Students despised him and so did most of the teachers. Initially even I was a bird with a feather that flocked with them. But when I was informed that even his parents had surrendered to his notoriety, I started changing my attitude towards him. Considered as good-for-nothing by the majority, I could apprehend his state of mind. So I decided neither I would get angry at his behaviour nor I would punish him on the complaints of the other students. If he didn’t pay proper attention or complete his books, I wouldn’t shout at him in front of the whole class. Instead, I decided to give him a bit of responsibility. I kept him busy with some work, and asked him to monitor the students while I was busy checking books.

And the response was positive. He became a little more attentive, started taking part in discussions, and his hand would shoot up for reading a chapter aloud. But his naughtiness was still very much a part of him. It had become his second self. So finally the supervisor decided to change his class till he showed some improvement in his behaviour.

But in the other class he was abhorred by all. Not a single student co-operated with him. None would be ready to lend him a helping hand. Even today I can comprehend how Ashwin must have felt then. I really felt pity for him. I could feel his loneliness but was handicapped against the school rules and regulations. I missed him in his own classroom which was the naughtiest, yet the best class for me. Ashwin must have missed his class too. And after some days, the whole school missed Ashwin. A garbage-collecting vehicle hit him when he was playing with his brother near his home. Yet many times while calling out roll numbers, I called out Roll-No 13, Ashwin Jumnani.