Gattu and the Ceiling Fan

EDUCATION/FICTION

How does the mind of a child work after he’s been burned? A 1980s tale

O.P. Sir had beaten Gattu for breaking a school window. Gattu had been bowling. The batsman had hit the unfortunate six and had run away and out of the school before he was caught.

Gattu had rushed to retrieve the ball, and ran smack into Manjula madam, who had been correcting papers in the room with the broken window. Manjula madam was an old softie, but O.P. Sir had just arrived to collect her papers and seal the envelopes.

O.P’s only thought was that the process of disciplining children should be automated so that one could fit the child to a whacker and not have to administer the whacks personally. He had envelopes to seal.

Seal he did. Wax is hot.

Gattu fingered his bruised skin, and knew he would get neither sympathy not medic at home. His father would beat him for playing, and his mother would cry. O.P. Sir should have to pay.

Maligaon was a hot and humid town. Each classroom had two fans, one for the teacher, right above the teacher’s desk, and one for the students.

The teacher was lucky, though. Teachers had a fan all to themselves.

Gattu left home early the next day. O.P. Sir was to take the first class. He used to wear a tie. That tie was coming off today.

Gattu placed the teacher’s chair on top of the teacher’s desk. He reached for the fan and twisted down the blades of the fan till they were vertical instead of horizontal.

When we entered the classroom after assembly, we didn’t notice the teacher’s fan. Gattu held his tongue. He didn’t giggle or sneer, or drop any kind of hint by word or deed.

The first class was O.P. Sir’s. He had gone to Gauhati for the day. The teacher substituting for him…

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