Story of Kunal

 

The Story is about Kunal. Kunal works at a Japanese Research Institute. He is a senior Physicist researching at the core of quantum entanglement and its application. He is in that country for a long time now, almost 15 years. His research work has taken him all around the globe and he has been awarded many accolades for his work. He is gaining quite a name for himself in the niche field. One day he learns that his Mausi is struggling with a disease and might not survive and she expects to see him before her demise. It has been more than 10 years since he last visited that town, he fears that he might not return if he goes to India.

Kunal was born at a semi-urban village city 100 km away from Meerut. He was schooled at a nearby school of bricks and mortar and just like every boy of his age in that small town, he had no idea of a world outside of that place. He only saw it on TV and that there is a sprawling city Delhi just 300 km away from his town. Even as a child he dreamed to live there. His Mausi, who was a widow, was married off in a second marriage to another widower and she has started living in the outskirts of Delhi.

He was in 7^th class when he first heard of the idea that he and his elder sister who was of 16 years at the time might be sent at their Mausi’s. He thought his dreams have come true but the idea soon was thwarted as there was not much excitement shown by their Mausi’s family.

Mausi who had remarried a widower, had no children of her own. Neither did her second husband had any children from his first wife. They were trying for their own child. They had even tried some city-magic medical treatment for this, something called IVF but no luck so far. Two years later, his Mausi finally invited him and his sister to live with them. His sister was now 18. This invitation came unexpected and his parents and other folks were not excited this time as their daughter was coming of age and city life could be corrupting.

But at this juncture his local school teacher came to Kunal’s rescue. He was also a local guardian of sorts as he was an old fellow who retired from teaching in public schools and had opened his own private school in the small town. He had struggled hard in uplifting the educational standard of the town and people regarded him with great awe and respect. He advised his parents to not rob Kunal of his future. He and his sister, if they are getting a chance, should avail it. They should trust their family values and morals and send these kids on their own journey.

It was after this encouragement from the village elder, Kunal and his sister were sent at his Mausi’s house. She lived in a Janta-flat in Rohini, a sub-city in the north-western part of Delhi. For Kunal and his sister, it was a new world altogether as they could see how easy it is for them to get lost in this concrete jungle.

Kunal was admitted in 9^th in a new school. His sister had completed her 12^th in Dhalia, the native town. A year later she got admission to a nursing course.

Kunal started attending his new school and became friends with Samay and Vishal. Both were his classmates and he divided his school hours with them as both belonged to two different groups. 9th standard was difficult and nothing made much sense to Kunal. He was struggling and it was evident in his marks. So his Mausi started looking for different tuition centres. He was sent to different tuition centres around the year but no one came close to his rescue as every test was reflective of his lack of understanding. 

9th standard came to conclusion and Kunal barely managed to pass all his papers. This was a worrying development and everyone from here at Mausi's place to the village were berating him for his lack of understanding. 

In 10th standard, he was sent to Batra Sir's tuition classes. His marks improved and Kunal developed a newfound interest in mathematics. In 10th he also participated in the school debate competition and his personality started to take on a new course.

Boards came and went and Kunal had scored decent marks in all his subjects. This led to the broadening of his understanding of himself. He had started to stretch his limits. Amid all this, Batra sir had started inviting him on Sat and Sun for 'Growth Classes'. This was an unusual thing for Kunal. In these classes, he was taught spirituality and self-development. He started developing an interest in literature and experimentation with different music. He also became more curious and started questioning authority. This led to a confrontation at school with a teacher. 

Later, Batra sir guided him to curb the monstrosity inside him and channelise the energy in constructive ways. 11th concluded and his marks had significantly improved. Within a year he had shown much progress. 

12th continued with the same fervour. He had started to cultivate a dream to indulge in further science and make a career in it. In the same year, he developed a liking towards a fellow classmate, Suparna. 

They started dating and Kunal started missing out on many important things as on weekends Suparna and he started meeting. In the guise of Growth Class, he went on dates with her. This continued for a few months and November arrived. In the first term exam, there was a slight dip in the marks, lower than his expectations, but in the second term exams, the marks dipped further and this was a wake-up call for him. 

So he broke off with Suparna, got back in the habit of studying again and took Batra sir's teaching method as a guiding star. 

He scored very well in 12th but this was not enough for DU's cut off list. He was again at crossroads.

After 12th board exams, he was not sure how to proceed since he was not securing seats in top colleges that he aspired for and he knew his parents could not be subjected to further pain with an extra burden of donation. 

He received some guidance from Batra sir. He advised him to take some time for himself and make a more sound judgement, free of all the other influences. He was introduced to different religious practices by his parents and mausi. He was asked to wear rings of different gemstones. He had to offer oil to a banyan tree on Saturdays and was also asked to fast every Tuesday. This was all too much for an 18-year-old boy but he still confided in the old religious belief of his parents, not out of faith in all these practices, but out of respect for his guardians.

He finally took a bold decision and decided to drop a year and delve deeper into his skillset and hone his academic acumen. Batra sir offered him a job at his tuition centre. He was asked to prepare question papers for different class groups and analyse each student tests. He was offered a monthly salary and also was allowed to self-study for different competitive exams at the Batra sir's tuition space. 

For an entire year, he pondered over his interests, his aspirations and his worth. He was making a small earning and tasting financial liberty for the first time. Interactions with Batra sir on different topics ranging from politics, socio-economic conditions, geopolitics to spirituality, Vedas were subconsciously shaping his character. Years later he will reminiscent this year as the most value-creating phase of his younger self. 

During that year, his vision cleared and he finally decided to pursue higher science and become a research scholar. He applied for undergraduate programs for various state universities and was selected for Bsc in Physics at Punjab University. 

Was it a cultural shift? It was a question I had no realization of at that time. How my life was going to turn around I had no knowledge at that time. How could I? Life is funny, it brings along a great change in subtlest of fashion. My sister, Rhea, and I, were witnessing a once in a lifetime upheavel which we could not have anticipated. Life in Dhalia could very well have been predicted. If I had grown there, I would have become one of 7-8 characters which are easily found in these small places. But a young boy, I was thrown into a chaos and now my fate was uncertain. Here in the city, I could be anything. There are no limited characters to choose from. City life is unpredictable and no one can say what a young person can and can’not become.

When brought to this city, few things were already on card. I found admission in 9^th standard at a private school. This was different from government school at which I had studied hitherto. Initially school was not ready to give me admission to 9^th standard as my academic background was not upto their expectation. Later I learned that the school gave me admission because somehow my father, a small-farmer, had given a heavy donation for me to be admitted in 9^th standard.

First day of school is as fresh in my memory as if it happened yesterday. I sat alongside a polite, well-spoken city boy, Samay. He was chirpy and had a smiling face. Friendship was easy with him. But the trouble was I sat at the front desk. This was overwhelming for a boy like me. I have never been timid in my life, but somehow that day I felt I was under some kind of microscope. First class was Science and I instantly felt in awe of Mrs Meena mam. Her face was old and kind and she had a way with words that easily calmed me down. She asked me to stand up and introduce me and I learned that she is our class-teacher. We learned something in chemistry that all sounded alien to me.

School continued. I befriended two groups of friends and both had a huge difference between their lifestyle. Samay’s group was a bunch of mild-spoken, not so studious but fairly docile. They are a bunch that all teacher feel more comfortable around as they never ask questions and they never partake in any kind of trouble. The other was that of Vishal. Vishal belonged to Baghpat. His language was raudy and this group was keen in causing all kinds of troubles.

I learned a good deal from Vishal and his group. We hang around during games period and during lunch I was with Samay’s group. I juggled between Vishal and Samay’s group throughout 9^th class. I was a leaf left in a wind, I was swaying all sides, with no concious effort from my side, no agenda from my side.

Once, my Mausa ji took me to Chandni Chowk, to his office. Well he was a manager at a Sweet shop chain joint at Chandni chowk. The pay was not good and job not secure. He had been here for 6 years, just after his first marriage. At office, I sat at the cashier table, why was I brought here? Well because my mausi had insisted him to take me to see the city. I have been fairly good with numbers since childhood. But I was extremely poor with theoretical maths. Well I was an average student at my old government school, but here in the city I had fallen even that level and now I was struggling with all subjects.

Mausa ji asked the gatekeeper to take me out on a tour of Chandni chowk in evening. It was a chaos, a complete chaos. Everyone was going everyway. I had problem keeping track of Ramsingh who was my tourguide, well he better never make a transition of jobs and become a tourguide, because he sucked at it big. Ultimately it happened what I was fearing. I lost him in some random gali he took me in.

I didn’t know which gali I was in. I kept surfing from one gali to another, with my heart throbbing hard. I had heard stories about young people being sold in big cities, all those stories started to race in my mind. For the first time I panicked in life. Nothing made sense. It then struck to me that I had a vague idea of the name of Mausa ji’s shop. It was something called Wah-ji-wah Sweets. I findally made my way back to shop after an excursion of 3 hours. Back at shop I was berated like a dog.

In Diwali I and sis came back to my town Dhalia. I never realized how much I could miss my mother before I saw her. It was joy unknown but I had learned to not show my weakness to others. I guess, we learn things like that in course of growing up. But my mother had not learned that skill and she showered my and sis with lots of love and sweets. Her sweets tasted much better than that of my Mausa ji’s shop.

Both papa0mummy made me realize that they are expecting me to shine in life and for the first time I realized that I am carrying responsibilities in form of their dreams.

On returning for the second-term exam which was in December. First term exam had a dismal performance from me. I had barely managed to pass all the subjects, but second-term was passed in all the excitement and fun with both the groups. I had no qualms till then to score decent marks in exam, I was there oblivious of the expectations that rested on my shoulders. Life so far was lived in struggling with other issues. For the first time I was in close vicinity of females of my age which in itself was both exciting and punishing for myself. It was the beginning of self-awareness for a boy of 15 years. Everyday I was waking up to new revelations about myself. My skin was duskier compared to other boys, it also had blemishes and shades which added a more sulking texture to my face. My height was fairly decent and my built was sturdy, but I was lean and looked malnourished in front of Samay and Vishal.

Second-term came and went, and I had no knowledge as to how I should study for it. Though I was not absent-minded, but classes made little sense to me. Especially Mathematics and Science. They were spoken in some language that could very well be foreign to me.

As I reached 9^th final exams, finally it kicked into me what all was expected of me and how far I have ventured into. Life was going to be tough and I had no way of measuring what all was happening to me. I was consumed by anxiety and fear. I didn’t know how to study for exams and what I feared, happened. I somehow passed in other subjects, but got compartments in Maths and Science.

This was a jolt to me, but it wreaked havoc on my Mausi and parents. My Mausa simply rebuffed that he had expected that from me. What good can come from mindless tv and new sneaky entertainments that I had been engaging into late nights?

It was a complete disaster and I was terrified to my bones. In compartment exams, I managed somehow, with help from Samay and a neighbour, to pass.

10^th commenced and it was the beginning of new trials and tribulations. I had still not understood how to deal with anything, and now what previously made a little sense, now was more alien than before.

It was around April, just the beginning of summer vacation that my Mausi was told about an old man living on the topmost floor of the corner most building in the street across us. She told my parents, who instantly sent more money to be spent on my education.

The first day in the tuition was uncomfortable as the whole set-up was completely unexpected. I entered a wooden door and came into a room that was a weirdly disordered set-up.  I was greeted with ogling eyes by boys and girls of all age groups. They followed me walk across the room, and for the first time, I laid eyes on Batra Sir and Batra Aunt. Sir was a stern-looking man, whose eyes were sunken deep into the socket and temple protruded in front. But he wore a stern smile for me and when I didn’t smile back, he simply revealed his teeth, which apparently were crooked, gave a funny aspect to his otherwise stern face. I bowed as our Indian customs require us to. Batra aunty welcomed me in a kind voice. She asked me to come and sit at her table. I bowed back to this fat lady who was draped in a white sari with green borders, loosely wrapping her overwhelming built.

I started going three days a week to the tuition class. Summer vacation continued and it was for the first time in my life I was living in a strange city with new people and with time in my hand. Tuition hours started at 4pm. Now I had already attended one other tuition the month before which was April. It had a general setup. It was synonymous with school classes, students of one particular standard came in bulk, sat on the stiff plastic chairs which had a small table, and to manage even one A4 size notebook on it was a talent. The classes were a little over an hour and the sir did few questions on board to explain the concept and then did few others which applied the concept in some new way, at the end, we were given homework which added long excruciating hours in the schedule which had an already jampacked school homework and all this sucked the marrow of the bone, viz, my summer vacation. The long homeworks were justified by constant reminders of the coming board exams of 10^th which were to be held the next year.

Since I was struggling with even half of the homework, I talked to Mausi ji that the tuition was too much and that I can manage my studies on my own and if I could drop the tuition. It was allowed and Mausi observed me for a week and reported to the village that I sat with a book for most of the hours but managed to do little of the required, as was checked by Mausa ji later at night. Life had become monochromatic for me. The burden of my responsibilities towards my parents and the kindness being thrust over me by Mausa ji is being constantly reminded to me for major portion of the day. If I am ever seen anywhere around the television, my mausi ji doesn’t miss the opportunity to rebuke me for being tempted by the idea of entertainment. I don't know where Mausa ji has learned the word ‘hedonist’(years later I would learn its meaning) and throws it carelessly to address me.

Life has become so overbearing lately. I don't find a single moment of peace, earlier I awaited daily calls from Ma, but lately, I've started to fear it. She always talks over an hour with Mausi, god curse this cellphone technology, most of the time I can hear both of them crying over my fate and my lack of seriousness. 

Mausi has heard about some old man who lives in an apartment across our street. He has a different setup for maths tuition. A new gimmick, wow, as if my life is not already tough.

So that’s how I was sent to the Batra sir.

The ambience at Batra sir’s was completely unexpected. As previously told, everyone sat anywhere, there was no order, no regiments in which you had to fall. So on the first day, I sat on the table across Batra aunty’s. She was teaching English to a 5^th grader, as I sat down and looked around, she looked at me without raising her head, just raising her eyeballs, which looked large through the glasses, “Beta, are you comfortable?” “Yes mam,” I answered without understanding what she meant.

“Go on beta, take out your maths book and start studying.”

Now this was a surprise. Study! Well, I knew not how to respond to that, so I took out my book and register and bent over it. I opened the second chapter and started to do the same questions that I had already done before. Half an hour passed before Batra sir, who sat across the bigger table, which was in the middle of the room, which had 7 children of different ages sitting around. Sir was mostly surrounded by one or more kids and he was muttering to them, they were solving questions together. Then after he was done with one bunch, and they departed to sit on their respective seats, another bunch would surround him.

Finally when he got a moment, he invited me to stand beside him. So I stood up and started moving. I reached him and then stood like a pole beside him as he was peering into a maths book which seemed to be of a higher standard to me. He raised his head and met my eyes. “Dear boy, where is your book and notebook?” “On my table sir,” I replied. “Don’t you think you should bring them to me, go on, bring your subject to me, how else do you expect me to teach you?”

I hurried to my table, haphazardly grabbed book and notebook and rushed back to him. All this while he was gazing at me. I reached him and he broke into a smile. He had a snaggletooth and his otherwise serious face all of a sudden looked funny.

And then he guided me personally through the second chapter. He wrote with different coloured pens. Kept me involved in every step and at times even gave me time to come up with my own interpretation behind each step. I had a completely new way of seeing maths, it all looked easy, as if the answer and the logic was always there in front of me, I just was looking at the wrong things.

There was no coming back timing at Batra sir’s. You were allowed to study for as long as you wanted. I started enjoying Maths. There was no homework. That added a new flavour to my everyday life because I used to do more than enough questions at tuition itself, so when I used to get back, I immediately reported that I had done this much study at the tuition so that when I finally sat across television, though I was chased by hopeless eyes, I was atleast not chased by stinging remarks.

Sometimes I could get out of tuition early and though Batra aunty made sure that anyone who belonged to the same grade didn’t mingle with eachother outside the tuitions, I found Ram to be waiting for me downstairs sometimes. We started hanging out together and he introduced me to new friends in the park which they frequented often. They invited me to play football with them. Now I had played cricket at village but I had never played football. But I found it was easy, all I had to do was push people around when ball was with me and shoot it across the field into the goal-post.

School reopened and my summer vacations came to end. I had already completed five chapters in Mathematics. I even started to make sense of other subjects and 10^th boards finally came. I had done good on my pre-boards but that had brought a new-found courage in me to dream of impossible. I had started to dream of 95% for my 10^th boards. I laboured for it.

Boards came and went.