THE NIGHT DUTY
Today is the first visarjan – of one-and-a-half days’. So, my eight-o’clock-batch students wanted a day off. I could take some rest and reach late. At nine, when I reached near my classes, I thought of taking a glimpse of the Ganesh murti decorated just outside… There was no one around; so, I thought I could peacefully spend a moment inside the pandal. My heart spontaneously smiled the moment I reached the pandal . Three kids – aged between eleven to fifteen – were fast asleep inside! “Good morning,” my smiling heart wished them. Immediately, the youngest one jumped. “What’s the time, sir,” he asked me. “Nine, beta ,” I told him. “Oh, no!” he seemed worried and started pulling the blankets off his friends’ faces. “Nine it is; we have missed the school!” The other two pulled over the blankets and turned to other side. The youngest one decided to sit down for a while… The school, any way, had gone for a toss! ...