“Shirin, clean the blackboard. Ahmed, if I catch you, once more, running around the classroom when I am not there, I’ll make you kneel outside the Principal’s office this entire term. Nitin, is there something you find amusing? Bring your essay notebook here. That will amuse the entire class.”

With that, all the students of class IV-A settled down with their essay notebooks. After ten minutes, when the school peon passed by, he peeped into the class, surprised at the silence. ‘Ah! It is Malini Madam’s class. No wonder the kids are silent!’ He told himself.

***

“He hit me.”

“No. She started it.”

“Wow! He is such a liar. Not only did he hit me, he kicked me in the stomach too.”

“And you started it. She called me a shit-eating pig. Shit! Mamma, she said that word. You told us we can’t use that word ever, but she did.”

“No, mamma. I didn’t.”

Mr. Kumar was back home early. The chaos from his neighbour’s house reached all the way till the lobby. He peeped into the open door of Flat 1501 as he passed by it. ‘Ah! Malini is back home. No wonder the kids are kicking up a ruckus,’ he thought to himself.