The Kanak Miss Chapter
“Amit, I told you to hold your ears. The hands should not go down, even if they ache. Also, be straight!” shouted Kanak Miss.
Kanak Miss was the Civics teacher at Jyoti Mandir High School—a dreaded figure in the entire school. There was not a single class where students weren’t found kneeling in the common ground outside. Their crime? They had to know each chapter inside out before Kanak Miss could teach it in class. She would ask questions from these unseen chapters and seemed to derive real pleasure from students’ inability to answer. Inevitably, one by one, the entire class would be kneeling under the scorching sun. She would then continue her lesson with the 1-2 students who had memorized the entire book, smiling with accomplishment. Such was Kanak Miss.
The children tried to complain to their parents, but to no avail:
- Most of the village folks were farmers who viewed teachers as demigods, trusting them completely to shape their children’s future. They believed education was the key to giving their children what they could not achieve.
- Kanak Miss was excessively polite to the parents, convincing them, “Mera hi baccha jhooth bol raha hoga, padhai se bachne ke liye” (My kid must be lying to avoid studying).
And so, the ordeal continued.
Amit’s Determination
Amit was a simple, cheerful, and empathetic child. He excelled in most subjects but struggled with Civics. His father, a small vegetable shop owner, was proud of his son and dreamed of a brighter future for him.
While most children hated and bad-mouthed Kanak Miss, Amit believed there must be a reason for her behaviour. Determined to find out more, he began to investigate.
His Findings
In his free time, Amit roamed the village to learn more about Kanak Miss. He discovered she was an only child who had sacrificed her bright academic future to care for her ailing parents. After her father’s death, followed shortly by her mother’s, she was left alone.
She moved to the neighbouring village, took a teaching job, and lived in the ladies’ hostel, driven by a desire to help village children achieve brighter futures. But hardship followed her. A few weeks into her new role, she fell ill with jaundice. Though she recovered, being alone and unwell had embittered her.
The Raw Papaya
One cold December evening, Kanak Miss came to Amit’s father’s shop. Amit was there helping his father.
“Bhaiya, do you have raw papaya?” she asked.
His father replied, “No ma’am, sorry.”
“Could you get me some? The doctor has prescribed raw papaya for my jaundice recovery,” she said before leaving dejectedly.
The Papaya Tree
Amit felt bad for Miss that evening. He remembered seeing a papaya tree on the outskirts of the village.
At dawn the next day, he woke up early, rode his bicycle to the tree, and was delighted to find 3-4 papayas. Without hesitation, he plucked them and carried them in a bag.
The Gratitude
Kanak Miss was getting ready for school when the hostel warden informed her that a student had come to meet her. She was surprised—most students avoided her, and no one had ever come to visit.
To her astonishment, Amit stood there with a bag in hand.
“Miss, I brought this for you. Please get well soon,” he said, handing her the bag before leaving abruptly.
When she looked inside, she saw the raw papayas. Tears welled up in her eyes—tears of gratitude and remorse.
The Next Day
The next day, something extraordinary happened at Jyoti Mandir High School: the entire class was inside, learning together. Amit smiled quietly to himself, unnoticed by others. That day, everything changed for both students and teachers alike.
Today, Amit is a successful professional and continues to stay in touch with Kanak Miss, as do many of his classmates.
“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”
By Manjusha Dutta
Manjusha Dutta is a Senior Manager with a Software Insurance organization. A movie buff and an amateur dancer, she rocks in the videos that she creates for her YouTube channel. She can be reached at manjushadutta@gmail.com.
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