The Physics Assignment

1984.

Raja, studying +1 at St. Pauls School, was waiting for his father to come home from 1^st shift. He wanted to go to the new film, “Paayum Puli” at Amaravathi theatr.  He had convinced his mother. His elder sister also had agreed to come. This was an advantage as it would be easier to persuade his father. Going to a movie was an adventure. First, he had to go by cycle and stand in the queue to purchase the tickets. Once the counter opened, sometimes, depending on the crowd, it would be announced that only two tickets would be issued for one person, which would make it difficult to get four tickets. He had to see if any friends would be around in the queue and ask them to get the remaining two tickets. Would there be anyone he knew? There would be a crowd. Even as he was contemplating solutions to these problems, there was the sound of the gate being opened. His father had come. He rushed to the front door. It was his father. He ran out, closed the gate after his father came in and helped his father with the office bag. His father immediately knew. Raja was going to ask for something. After his father had his lunch, he slowly cosied up to his father saying he had finished all school works in the morning. Raja had planned his strategy well. He had requested his mother to open the topic of going to the film. And his mother did. He had his sister speak up next. She too played her part, pleading with her father that they would all go to a movie.  And his father could not say NO to his daughter. OK he said, sending Raja into raptures.  And as planned, he started to the theatre by 5.15 itself.  There was a small queue already, as he feared!!! He went and stood in the line. Tickets would be issued soon. Amaravathi theatre had tickets of Rs.1.00 & 1.50 (ground level) and of Rs. 2.50 and 2.90 (Balcony). They always went to the Rs.2.50 class. The counter presently opened and tickets started being issued. Raja waited with bated breath. He counted how many people were there before him. 11 people. Would he get 4 tickets? Or would the counter close just as he reached it? It would be disappointing. Would he get the tickets or not? He was sweating as he counted the people before him again, 8, 7, 6…3, 2..now, now, now, would they give 4 tickets or say only 2 tickets? He anxiously waited. His turn came. 4 tickets, he said. The person issuing tickets took the 10 rupees and gave him 4 tickets!!! Raja was in 7^th heaven. Appada, he thought. He came out of the line and looked around to see if his parents and sister had arrived. There they were…hurray…they had come there by scooter.  Raja literally ran up the stairs in excitement. He had to find the best placed chairs for them to sit and see the film without any disturbance. Luckily for him, there were chairs at the location he liked, at the centre and the second row from the front. Their usual place. He was relieved. At last, he relaxed. The film began and Raja enjoyed every moment of it. He liked “fights” in films and being a Rajini film, there were many “fight” scenes. Interval came. This was one of the important and pleasant stages of film going. They could buy popcorn!!! He took money from his dad and ran downstairs. There was a small crowd of people around the shop in the theatre, where he could get popcorn. He took the money in his hand and jostled among the others to get his 4 popcorn packets. Each popcorn packet was Rs.1.00 and he had four rupees in his hand as he struggled to get the packets. Soon, he had the four packets in his hand and was  triumphantly making his way back. It was at this point that he saw his friend, Natraj. They smiled at each other and talked for a while. And then, Natraj dropped a bombshell when he asked, “And hey, did you finish the physics assignment which we have to submit tomorrow?” Raja was totally taken aback. He had totally forgotten about it. And of all the teachers, Physics master was the strictest. He would not stand any excuses. His hands with popcorn packets began to shake and tremble.He said bye to Natraj and went to the balcony. He became worried and pensive. It would be night 9.15 pm by the time they would go home after the movie. He could not sit up the whole night and do the assignment. Next day morning there would not be time. What would he do now? He did not enjoy the movie after this. The film ended and they went home. His sister noticed the change in him and asked him what the matter was. He simply said “Nothing”. But he was disturbed. They had dinner and went to bed. The next morning was a gloomy day for Raja. He got ready for school mechanically. He took his cycle and slowly pedalled to school. What punishment was in store for him today? Would he be caned or sent out of class or imposition given? How had he forgotten the assignment? Johny, the physics master was very particular about submission of assignments. He was sure he would be given some severe punishment. He hoped many of his classmates would have also forgotten to do the assignment. If most of the students did not do it, Johny sir would probably just shout at them and leave it at that and ask them to submit it tomorrow. He reached school. Physics class was the third period. As soon as he went inside the classroom, he asked everybody there whether they had done the physics assignment. To his horror and dismay, he found that only two of them, Andrews and he had not done the physics assignment. Everybody else had done it. He was very scared now. If it was only two of them, punishment would be severe. What to do now? He called Andrew and told him the situation. Andrews also was sure they would be given the severest torture by Johny sir. Andrews suddenly said “Raja, I have an idea. After attendance is taken in the first period, we both will go out saying PT sir called us. Then we will tell the watchman that we are going home to get notebooks which we forgot to bring. I know the watchman and he will allow us. We will go to my house and copy the assignment from Venkatesh’s which I will borrow. We can return by third period. First and second periods are languages only today, so we need not worry. Our absence will not be noticed. Come, hurry.” Raja was in two minds. It sounded sensible, but first what if it was found out that they left school unauthorisedly? And what if the watchman did not allow them to go? What if the watchman said something to some teacher? But on the whole, he did not have any choice or time. Andrews was preparing to escape and he had to follow him or he would be isolated now.  As soon as the attendance was taken by the English sir, both of them got up, went to the teacher and said “Sir, PT sir called us urgently to help him for some other work.”  “Why did he call only you both?” the English sir wondered loudly but said, “Go Go”. The relieved boys rushed out. First hurdle was crossed. Next they went to their cycles. Took them and went to the gate fast. The watchman was walking here and there, saw them and stopped them. “Where are you both going?” he asked. “Anna, urgent Anna. We forgot to bring Home work note books and teacher will shout. So we are going home to get them. Please allow us anna,” andrews pleaded. Andrews was friendly with the watchman usually and so the watchman, sympathising with their situation, reluctantly allowed them to go, saying, “Come back quickly”. “Sure, Anna” both said and cycled away fast. They were jubilant that no one saw them and that the watchman allowed them to go. They first rushed to the 9 block shop nearby and bought some white papers. Andrews’s house was on Post Office Road, Block-16 and they went there fast, past the Aalamaram, (The 10 block Banyan tree), the  Double bridge and Amaravathi road.  They kept the cycles outside and rushed in. Andrew’s father had gone for work and Andrews’ mother was surprised to see them. “Why did you come now” she asked. Andrews told her the truth. “We both did not write the physics assignment and want to finish it here as we have to submit it in the third period”, he said. Andrews mother did not say anything more as she saw the boys were in a hurry. Both of them kept the assignment written by Venkatesh in front of them and started copying fast. The assignment was of 8 pages and they had to complete by 10.20 and go to school by 10.30 in time for the third period. It was almost 9.00 now. They wrote furiously and silently as fast as they could. As they completed page after page, they became more and more pleased with themselves. Finally by 9.50 am, they completed the assignment, written badly and hurriedly but they were least bothered. They had completed it and that was all that mattered. If Johny sir felt it was badly written, he would scold them, but the assignment was completed and they felt victorious. They cycled as quickly as they could. They crossed Double bridge, the Aalamaram and were going at a fast pace, together, smiling broadly.  A few more minutes and they would be at school! As they were pedalling fast, a bus which was coming behind them, honked at them. Andrews wanted to go ahead of Raja and give way to the bus and so he pedalled faster, overtook Raja and swevered to the left. Whie doing so, his stand hit the front tyre of Raja’s cycle and Raja tumbled down. Luckily, the cycle and he fell on the left side of the road. Had he fallen on the right side, he would have been right on the path of the bus coming behind them. It was a great escape from a major accident. The driver slowed down the bus, but seeing Raja get up to the ground and observing that there was no serious injury, he drove away. Andrews stopped, got down and rushed back to Raja. “Did you get hurt?” he asked. “No, no,” Raja answered and after dusting himself, said “I am fine. Come lets go.” Though he was bit wary of a small bruise on his left ankle and there was some pain, he suppressed the pain and started pedalling again, albeit slowly.  They reached the school at just the right time. It was interval time and children were running here and there. They rushed in, parked their cycles and mingling with others, briskly walked to their class, though Raja was limping a wee bit. Venkatesh was the most relieved person in the class as Andrews had taken his assignment with him. Andrews and Raja felt jubilant and victorious. They had done it. Done the impossible. Turned the situation around. Let Johny sir come now. They had their assignment ready. Raja looked down at his wound caused by his fall from the cycle. There was pain but with his mind basking in the glory of his accomplishment, the pain was withstandable.

The bell rang.

Third period.

In walked Mr. Shanmugham, the Maths teacher.

The boys were puzzled. One of them said, “Sir, this is physics period.”

Mr. Shanmugham looked at them and said “Yes Yes, I know. Your physics teacher, Mr. Johny is on leave for two days. So I am taking maths this period.”

Andrews and Raja slowly looked at each other with helpless wrath writ large on their faces and drooped down to their desks in helpless frustration.