Page 38 - English Class 08

“Have fun,” I said though I meant, “Break a leg.”
“Thanks... Before I forget, best of luck to you.” glum : gloomy

“Whatever for?”

“The moment of truth,” he said, baring his teeth in what I assumed was a smile.
“The report card must be in the post.”

I walked back feeling strangely glum . It was not nice to get away from one’s own house.
But what could I do? I could not face my parents. Though I tried hard, I could not pay attention

long enough in class. At home, I never opened books till the evening before the test.
We were having lunch in the garden. The afternoon sun was pleasantly warm, the
chrysanthemums were in bloom.

Dadi asked, “Do you want a second helping of Matar-Paneer?”

“No, thanks.”

“There is gajar halwa, too.”
“No, thanks.”

“I have never known a mere thing like a report card to affect your apetite.” She said
drily, “Is it particularly bad this time?”

“No more than usual,” I said, “I just hate the whole thing so much. Marks are not the
only measure of intelligence, are they? Then why am I treated like a lower form of life?”

Dadi just reached out and covered my hand with hers.

Dadi went inside to have her nap. The sun’s warmth made me sleepy. I lay down on a
sheet in the garden. I must have been fast asleep because I did not know when the car
arrived. The slamming of its door woke me. I saw my parents. I remember thinking, why

have they come here? This must be worse than I imagined.
“Ah, son!” my father began. But as usual, emotion rendered him speechless. He kept
shaking his head. However, there was something very odd. Mother was smiling. Breaking away

from her usual pattern, she kissed me and said, “Son, you have done us
rendered : give
proud.” Opening a box of sweet, she stuffed a laddoo in my mouth.

For a moment, I felt I was dreaming. Were these my parents? Was I their son? They held
out the report card. Was this my report card?

I ran my eyes down the column : 90%, 95%, 92%, 97%..... Rank: First, “You have
brightened the Sharma family’s name, son!” Father finally managed to say.

That was when the penny dropped. Ajai Sharma, My name is Ajay Sharma, too.

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