https://mouthshut.com/diary/efefpnmlr/The%20Evening%20Star%20-%206%20A
She was not mentally ready for her Parents Teacher Meeting (PTM) next day but it was very important for her. She skipped last few PTMs, as she thought, it is just a formality and she has higher priorities. But today everything has changed.
“Good Morning Madam, I am Snigdha’s mother” Meghna introduced herself to the class teacher.
“Oh good morning madam, please have a seat. I think we are meeting after a long gap”
“Yes madam” Meghna wanted to skip this part. “So how is Snigdha doing?”
Her teacher smiled and looked at her. The pause she took was killing her.
“Hmm, Snigdha is a darling. She is absolute delight for a teacher. Absolutely no complaints, when it comes to Snigdha”
Meghna’s eyes twinkled. She felt good.
“Here is something, I really want to discuss with you about her. Rather let me show it to you. And she got up to get something”
Meghna was impatient. What is it? Good? Bad? What?
She came back with a big drawing book in her hand.
“As you know, we encourage kids a lot to draw at this age. Because we think they can express their feelings the best this way. Since it is the age when their expressive power and vocabulary is not so strong, so their imagination gets wings with this exercise”
“We all are surprised to see Snigdha. Our principal feels she is extra ordinary. We don’t come across such talent very often”
Meghna was listening, but her patience was ending, what? Show me?
She finally flipped the last page, her latest drawing. A night scene. Nothing unusual about it, but instead of stars, she has drawn lines, as light is coming from a lamp.
“Can you spot the difference?” teacher asked her.
“Yes” pointing those lines.
“Even I was curious to know, why she has drawn this instead of stars and you know what she replied, she said, teacher you told me above the sky is heaven, so there is lot of light in the heaven and these are not the stars but holes in the floor of heaven, and this is the light coming from the heaven”
Meghna’s heart skipped a beat. Her girl has grown so much, when, how much she has missed?
Then she flipped another page, it was her painting with Jackie. Turban clad Jackie was coming out of a magic lamp. “When I asked her, she said, a genie brings happiness and fulfills all your dreams. My genie is my Jackie”
Teacher kept flipping pages and with every page there was a story. Her imaginations were beyond limits, the way she has expressed them, stunned her.
As teacher closed the book, she smiled and looked at Meghna. Meghna sensed something big is coming. The hesitation of teacher made her shiver.
“I have observed a little change in Snigdha. Over a period of few months, she has isolated her. Gradually she is not interested in talking to anyone, lives in her own world. She is building a wall around her. She was a very active and chirpy child, so social and co operative. There was a time not only class, but whole floor knew her. But she has changed a lot off late”
Meghna was short of words. This is all because of her. Her guilt was attacking her badly. She was feeling the deep cuts. She needed some air.
When teacher saw her expression, she patted on her hand “Don’t worry, sometimes it’s just a phase. May be she is also passing from one. I just mentioned it as we all love the chirpy playful Snigdha and we all want her to be like that, but kids grow up”
She managed a faint smile and took her leave. Oh god! What have I done to my child? I am the one to blame. I killed her childhood innocence. The thoughts were getting stronger and stronger, as she passed the passage of the school. Just before the exit, she saw notice board where many colourful paintings and drawings were displayed. She suddenly saw Snigdha’s name in one corner, and stopped. But it was all blurred. She was not able to see it clearly. The water in her eyes blocked the view. Just next to it was a poster, where some very bold words were written, she managed and it said
When god closes a door, he opens another window
https://mouthshut.com/diary/cigjlqmlr/The-Evening-Star6C
