“I have come to infect you,” said Covid Nineteen.
“Why me,” I asked. “I haven’t done anything in life which deserves punishment,” I said with the confidence of an upright person, though I was trembling within. I knew well what would happen if I get infected by the virus. No one will come near me, either to give food and water or to touch me or to take me to the hospital.
On hearing me sneeze and cough and seeing my running nose, nobody will even touch my forehead to see whether I have fever or not. Some merciful well-wisher, in a hurry to protect themselves, lest the disease should not spread in the neighbourhood, may ring the helpdesk and call a medical team. After this I will be taken to the hospital and be drowned in isolation. If condition worsens, I will be put on ventilator and slowly life will be choked out of me.
These thoughts made me shiver. But I knew that teachers have always been respected in the society so I continued, “You know I am a teacher. I do my duty sincerely. If I die, many students will be bereft of my care and knowledge?” Covid started laughing, “Ha, ha, ha! You say you teach the students. Ha, ha! You impart knowledge to the students? Don’t you know that students can collect much more knowledge from the internet than you can provide? You don’t even have a nano-bite of information with you in comparison to the World Wide Web? And as far as teaching anyone is concerned, don’t you know that nobody can be taught. You can only help a person to learn and that is what you are doing. Stop eulogizing yourself."
I was dumbfounded. Years of praise from the students, parents and the authorities, which had developed confidence in me and stealthily turned into arrogance and pride, shattered. Was the way, I was carrying myself, inappropriate for a teacher? “But, for the whole life I have worked hard for my students. I have always been approachable to them. There has always been a soft corner within me for the needy. My students have performed well in the examination. Then why shouldn’t confidence develop in me?” I could feel strength gathering within.
“You sermonize among your students that parents are the living Gods on the earth, whereas you had left your parents in the village while you enjoy the lavish life of the city?” Covid spoke accusingly. It pricked my sore heart. Many a time, my conscience had lashed at me when I had bought new dress for myself, dinned in the hotel, strolled in the park or enjoyed the chill of air- conditioned room after returning home on a summer afternoon, to think how my mother and father would be in the village. How at this old age my mother would be cooking, washing and mopping? How my father would be walking in the scorching sun? Did he have an umbrella with him? Was the ‘chappal’ I gave him on my last visit to my village still sheathing his feet? But what else could I have done? They were not ready to leave the village till the time they were upright on their feet. Mother would sometimes agree to come to the city to live with her grand children but father would never agree to depend upon my earnings till he was active. And mother would never leave him.
“Do you accept that you are a hypocrite?” said Covid.
“No,” I said emphatically. “My parents were more happy living together in the village than they would have been in the self-centered city life. Rather I was sad and felt guilty living away from them. And when the evening of their life had dawned, I had brought them to the city and provided them with the best medical facilities, love and care. I had spent many sleepless nights beside their bed. They had left for heavenly abode, with me, their daughter-in-law and their grand children at their bedside. Covid, don’t you think, I can stand as an example in front of my students?" I said.
“But you don’t mix well with your colleagues and neighbours. They look down upon you as a proudy and quarrelsome person; and so does your authority,” Covid was hell-bent to make me weak within.
“Social distancing Covid, social distancing. Just as people are taking all precautionary measures so as not to get infected by you, so do I keep distance from infectious thoughts of corruption, prejudiced criticism, flattery and groupism. The Indian Constitution and our Code of Conduct gives explicit instruction to refrain from these. I am sure you will agree with me that from the time I enter my work place, till the time I leave it, I work for the students and carry out the orders of my authority,” I replied.
“Yes”, admitted Covid feebly.
“Then, wherein have I let myself down, to buy unworthy comments of a few of those around me? And, yes, those who are not true to their salt, will surely find me hostile,” I retaliated.
“I will not spare you,” said Covid with an air of finality.
“See Covid, I don’t have any regrets. I have never cheated anyone or enchased on their helplessness. I have helped everyone who asked for. If ever, I couldn’t, immediately I have informed them about my constraints, instead of pulling the wool over their eyes. I have done justice to my family. If destiny has planned to culminate my life, I stop all resistance. Fulfill your wish,” I said.
“You have agreed. But the resistance in your body is nullifying all my efforts which I have been making since long. How have you developed such immunity in your fragile body?” Covid asked.
“It’s the immunity of righteousness, my friend,” I said triumphantly.
(The writer is PGT, Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Bhubaneswar)