There is a lot in the Name
Author: Dr. K. S. Kang
Insistence of friend’s and relative of not taking any assignment, even honorary, after retirement enhanced the span of leisure in the life of Mr. Malik. As a result of it Mr. Malik used to be at his home most of the time. His next door neighbour Mrs and Mr Pareekh were working couple with two school going children- a girl named Shalu of abouot 14 years studying in Ninth Standard and a boy known by the name Sonu in the neighbourhood of about 8 years studying in third standard. Usually both the children used to go to school and return to their house together. One day Mr. Pareekh requested Mr Malik to bring his son from the school at the appointed time as Shalu was out of town on the visit to some of their relative. So Mr. Pareekh left Sonu to the school while going for his job.
Mr. Malik, after taking bath, breakfast and post breakfast siesta suddenly realised that it was nearly time to bring Sonu from the school. As school was nearby so he decided to take a walk to the school. At the entrance gate of the school Mr. Malik requested Guard that he had come to get a child studying in third standard named Sonu from the school. Getting suspicious the Guard looked at the stubble grown unshaven face of Mr. Malik but still he went inside the building and after a couple of minutes came back to inform him that there was no such child named Sonu studying in the third standard of the school and he had checked it thoroughly in both the sections of the third standard. At first it occurred to Mr. Malik that he had come to wrong school but coming out of the gate he gave another look to confirm that he was in right place. Then it struck him that Sonu was the name by which his parents called him at home, in school he was registered by some other name. He tried hard to remember the other name of Sonu but in vain. Still he approached Guard and requested him by giving his introduction that he was a also recently retired teacher form government school and on the request of his neighbour Mr. Pareekh he had come to fetch his child from the school. Guard understood his situation and allowed him to enter school building and pointed towards the room where the third standard learners were accommodated.
Meanwhile in Sonu’s class, teacher asked Sonu as who will come to take him from the school as his sister was absent that day. Sonu replied that his neighbouring uncle will come to fetch him but when Madam asked him about the name of his uncle he was at loss to remember the name of the uncle as he had never cared to know about the name of the uncle. As he was unable to tell the name of the uncle so he was not allowed to move from classroom by the Madam. So Sonu was looking out of the window of the class in hope to see familiar face of uncle who will come to take him from the school as instructed by his father Mr.Pareekh. Mr. Malik came upto the entrance of the room where third standard learners were sitting and asked Madam that he had come to take Sonu pointing towards a boy sitting in the corner of the room but looking out of the window in hope to see the familiar face of uncle who would take him to his home. However his class teacher told Mr. Malik that she cannot take risk of handing over the child to a stranger as neither he knew the boy’s real name nor boy knew his name. Suddenly hearing a familiar voice with whom his Madam was conversing Sonu looked from the window towards Madam and as Sonu turned his face form the window there was a shine in his eyes and a broad smile on his face as he came towards the uncle taking his bag, lunch box and water bottle. Mr. Malik at once took bag and bottle from him and took his hand and asked the permission to take him from the school. Though Madam allowed Mr. Malik to take child but only after informing him that the child’s name in school was Sakshat and with promise from Mr. Malik that he would not forget the school name of the child in future. Mr. Malike led Sonu, sorry Sakshat from the school as in the school premises he must be known by the name of Sakshat and brought him to Sonu alias Sakshat to his home.
