Confidence Returned: Hareshwar Roy

Confidence Returned: Hareshwar Roy

It was evening, around five-thirty. Sameer returned home from school. After changing his clothes and washing his hands and face, he went and sat on the easy chair on the balcony, as he did every day.

In the playground in front of the balcony, many children were playing. Colorful kites were flying high in the sky. Various birds were returning through the sky to their nests. The sun was also just about to set, turning the sky a deep red. Watching the evening scene, thirteen-year-old Sameer, a student of class eight, lost himself in thought.

“Only three months are left before my annual exams begin. I should throw myself wholeheartedly into preparing for the exams. I will have to work very hard to succeed.”

“But will I even be able to pass the exam this year? No, no. Passing the exam is a uphill task for me. It's impossible.” Caught in the grip of despair, he kept thinking.

“Last year too, I worked so hard. What was the result? I failed. I only scored twenty percent marks. Knowing my result, Mummy was deeply disappointed. She didn't eat food for several days. Papa gave me a severe thrashing. Ever since then, he doesn't even speak to me directly. His temper rises to the seventh sky the moment he sees me. My skin crawls just standing in front of him.”

Sameer continued to think, “At school, my teachers look at me with neglect too. My classmates tease me. They mock me by calling me 'Malukadas'.”

“Dear Sameer, if you don't pass the exam this time, the consequences will be terrifying. Papa will beat you black and blue. Mummy will break down crying.”

“But what can I even do? Everyone says that my memory is extremely weak. I am a slow-witted child.”

“And that's true as well. I can't remember anything for long. As soon as I reach the examination hall, I forget everything. My nervousness spikes, my hands and feet start trembling, and I can't write anything at all.”

Sameer kept thinking, “I can never pass an exam. I am completely incapable. I am not fit for studies at all. I should just quit studying. I can never pass... never...”

The sound of the calling bell broke Sameer's chain of thought. Right then, the sound of the door opening was heard, followed immediately by Mummy's voice, “Oh Sameer, son, see who has arrived!”

When Sameer ran to the door, a spark lit up his eyes. “Oh, Uncle (Mama)! It's you!” Sameer said as he touched his maternal uncle's feet.

“Yes, my boy, it's me. But are you and your mother going to ask me inside, or will you keep me standing at the door?” his uncle asked with a smile and entered the room to sit on the sofa.

As soon as his uncle sat down, Sameer said, “Uncle, every time you come for just two to four days and leave. This time, I will play with you to my heart's content and won't let you leave before fifteen days!”

“Why just fifteen days, nephew? Now I will be staying here permanently. I've been transferred to this city. Ha ha ha!” his uncle boomed with laughter.

Hearing this was enough to make Sameer beam with delight. Waving his hands in the air, he loudly began chanting slogans, “Long live Uncle!”

Sameer's maternal uncle's name was Upendra Babu. He was around fifty years old and worked as a clerk in the Health Department. He had no children. Many years ago, his wife had passed away, and he had not remarried, living completely alone.

Upendra Babu was a jovial, lively person. He was never sad. He was so humorous that he would laugh whole-heartedly at the slightest thing. He possessed such a rich treasure trove of jokes that he was constantly showering people with bursts of humor.

While Sameer and Upendra Babu were chatting, Sameer's father, Jitu Babu, arrived. As soon as his eyes fell on Upendra Babu, he was overjoyed. Both greeted each other and inquired about each other's well-being. Upon his father's arrival, Sameer quietly slipped away on tiptoe.

Jitu Babu was a well-known advocate at the Patna High Court. He had a deep affection for Upendra Babu and addressed him as 'Bhai Saheb' (elder brother). Learning about Upendra Babu's transfer felt to him as if he had stumbled upon a treasure.

After dinner, both began conversing. A little while later, their conversation shifted to Sameer. Jitu Babu began, “Bhai Saheb, I am deeply worried about Sameer's future. The surprising thing is that when he was in the sixth grade, he secured first rank. I don't know what happened to him as soon as he reached seventh grade. He has just been sliding downward.”

“Your nephew has failed once in the seventh and once in the eighth grade. The chances of him passing this year are low too. I arranged every possible facility for him. I taught him myself, hired a tutor, but everything was in vain,” he said.

Jitu Babu continued, “His school teachers say that his memory is extremely weak. During class, he either sits silently or keeps looking here and there. Sometimes, he even laughs without any reason.”

“Otherwise, Sameer is extremely obedient. He goes to school on time and hardly causes any trouble. He dedicates plenty of time to his studies too, but he just can't retain anything,” Jitu Babu shared his anguish.

Reassuring him, Upendra Babu said, “Oh dear brother-in-law, everything will be fine. Now that I am here, Sameer will top his class once again.”

From the next day, the uncle and nephew started living joyfully together. Their fun and games began morning and evening. Every morning before taking a bath, the two would engage in a playful wrestling match. Ultimately, his uncle had to accept defeat and get pinned down. In the evening, when they had a running race, his uncle would lag behind every time, and Sameer would emerge victorious. Upendra Babu found the true joy of victory in losing to Sameer.

Sameer thoroughly enjoyed defeating his uncle and winning. It infused him with confidence and gave him a sense of pride.

After playtime, study sessions would begin. In the beginning, Upendra Babu started telling Sameer entertaining stories. After that, he began asking Sameer questions about the characters and events of those stories. Sameer would answer every question correctly.

When Sameer answered correctly, Upendra Babu would praise him immensely and pat his back.

Gradually, the conversation moved from stories to Sameer's school syllabus. At first, Sameer was scared, but within a few days, his fear vanished. Whatever his uncle taught him, he understood effortlessly. Whatever questions were given to him, he would write down the correct answers and show them immediately. In return, he earned loud praise from his uncle. Sameer's lost self-confidence had now fully returned.

Three months later, when the exam results were declared, Sameer secured first rank. When Upendra Babu, twirling his clean-shaven mustache, delivered this news to Jitu Babu, Jitu Babu picked Sameer up in his arms and started dancing with joy.