The Punishment

Disha hurried to get soaked poha as tadka danced frantically in the pan. When poha approached the tadka, the uproar subdued. It was then she realized Parth had come home from school. Right on time, she smiled. Just as she was going to tell him to go and wash his hands before eating, she saw him leaning on the dining table, drawing patterns on its wooden border. Now, that was unusual. Usually, he is quite jumpy and chatty after coming home from school. That's when she saw it. He quietly wiped a lone tear that escaped from his eyes. For a moment, she couldn't fathom what must have happened. She feared the worst. Then she remembered it. His teacher, Naik Miss, called in the morning. Parth, with other two boys in his class, had spilled water on her notes that she had prepared for the morning class. She couldn't complete that topic without notes. She added that it was not expected from Parth. So, that's what the matter was. At first, she heaved a sigh of relief. But immediately she realized this needed to be handled carefully as she saw his watery eyes.

She quickly served hot poha in a plate, garnished it with coriander and went to sit beside him.

Disha- "Parth, did you wash your hands?"

Parth nodded yes in response. 

D- "great! Have garama garam pohe then, just the way you like."

He seemed reluctant.

D- "hey, come on now. Eat fast. You will feel better and then we have to talk about something."

He knew his mother wanted to talk about what he did back in school. He was on the verge of crying. Plus, he never really understood his mother's logic about feeling better after eating. But while munching on the first bite itself, he started feeling better. Fear of being scolded was exhausting. He couldn't understand how his mother knows the solution to everything. Barely 2-3 spoons of pohe reduced the strain a little bit and he started talking, just what Disha wanted.

Parth- "mom, I made a mistake."

D- "why do you think you made a mistake?"

P- "because you are going to scold me" 

His voice muffled, due to held-up tears.

D- (calmly) "that can't be the reason. Tell me what happened that made you think, you made a mistake."

P- "but you are going to scold me, right?"

D- "no, I am just asking like you ask me when I am sad."

Now, Parth seemed a bit relieved. 

P- "I troubled Naik miss today"

D- "why?"

P- " we thought it would be fun"

D- "was it?"

P- "everyone laughed"

D - "but what about you?" 

He looked confused. He started thinking hard, searching for his own thoughts on the morning incident.

P- "I don't know. I may not have thought it through."

D- "you know...one day I was talking to your Naik miss. She was telling me how she manages so many kids including two of her own. You know she wakes up at 5 am. Two hours before we do. She prepares notes for your morning class. Then she cooks for her family, gets her kids ready for school. Finally, she drops them at their school before coming to your school. She gets very little time for herself. Sometimes when she can't complete the syllabus for some (emphasizing on 'some') reason, she has to take extra lectures to compensate. That means, no free time at all."

Reading his expressions, Disha continued-

"I don't know how she does it. Working day and night. Getting up at 5. No break, no excuse."

P- "and I ruined her morning lecture because of my silliness. Even her morning preparations."

(Suddenly his face lighted up a bit.) 

P- "what if I learn that topic myself so she doesn't have to teach it again"

D- "but you are not the only one in the class, right? She will have to teach it to everyone else anyway."

His excitement immediately shrunk down.

D- "don't feel bad. It happens. Sometimes we don't think about the consequences of our actions and then we regret. It still happens to me. But I always take away a lesson so that I don't repeat the same mistake. You should also remember this next time."

P- "I won't do it again."

D - "I know. You are so clever."

P- "Naik miss will be sad now."

D- "don't worry about that. Just say sorry tomorrow. "

P- "saying sorry will solve everything?" (Parth was a bit happy with this newly found shortcut.)

D- "of course not. She will have to prepare notes again. Plus, she may have to conduct one extra lecture. But she will feel better if she knows that you feel bad because of what you did."

"You know what...do one more thing...ask her if there is any punishment. And if there is...accept it with a smile"

P- "punishment?? Is it really needed?"

D- "it's not needed. But it removes grudges from our mind. Miss Naik will get to know that you regret what you did and you are willing to correct it. Plus, you will be able to let go all the guilt from your mind. See it's a WIN-WIN situation."

P- "win-win?"

D-"WIN-WIN is a situation where no one feels bad. No one loses."

P- "does that mean if I ask for punishment, we both will win?

D- "yes"

P- "that is very easy. I just have to accept my mistake, say sorry and ask for punishment, right?"

D- "it's easy for you because you are strong. It’s the hardest part for most people. "

Finally, Parth was happy. Relieved, to be precise.

Disha thought her job here is done. She got up from the dining table saying,

D- "now before you go and play, put your plate in the sink, wash your hands and drink water"

P- "I am not going to go out to play today"

Disha sat back down.

D- "why? Parth, I already told you, you don't have to feel bad."

P- "no mom, I am not sad anymore. I am not going to play because I am angry with my friends today"

D- "why?"

P- "they all lied. They scared me by saying you will scold me, even beat me. They said parents never listen, it's really hard to talk to them."

Disha smiled weakly. 

D- "Parth, how did you decide they are wrong? Based on what happens at home, right? (He nodded). Similarly, what they said was based on what they see. As simple as that."

(Parth didn't really understand what she meant. But he had understood by now that for his mother, everything and everyone was right. It's the situation which is to blame like mom always says. He never really understood that also.)

P- (seeing there is no point in arguing)"alright..."

"but I am still not going to go to play today."

D-"Now what?"

P- "I am going make a sorry card for Naik miss"

Disha kissed him on his cheek and said,

D- "that's my boy! And now, I am going to make your favorite chocolate milkshake"

Parth ran away shouting ‘thank you’ and Disha got back to the kitchen.