Paradigm of courage and hope

Paradigm of Courage and Hope – Suchetan Reddy

She cribbed and felt repugnance towards the idea of going for invigilation duty to the school on SUNDAY when everyone else was relaxing. With continuous impassivity she reached school. She was allocated to be a scribe for a blind. It would be a novel experience for her!

She never knew what would it teach her.

UGC NET Exam for Political Science. Everything set. Anxious students buzzing in the premises. Examiners, Centre Managers everyone on the toes. She was handed over a student who was BLIND. She held his hand and took him inside the examination room. With a lot of sympathy in heart and zest to help him she asked him his name. Checked his documents. She introduced herself to him as he asked .She doubted he could see partially.

Fifteen minutes for the exam to start.

His eyes were scarlet red .She wanted to know how it had happened?

(Its rude .Its inhuman and rough. How would he react? Should she ask or let go?)

She gathered every ion of courage and asked him “Is it by birth?”

It was a doctors mistake he suffered he told .He was given an antiallergy which reacted to the worst and he lost his vision at the age of three.

Bell buzzed in the corridors and the resonating sound set everyone to work. There was silence everywhere. She tore open the seal of the question paper for him. Filled his details on the OMR sheet on being instructed by him. There were three papers in all. He asked her to read the questions slowly and started attempting them. He had the braille script for reference but he trusted her he told and attempted one question after the other as she read it for him till finally through. Braille was something she had only heard about or read in the novel ‘ The Story of My Life – Hellen Keller.’

Ten minutes were left but they revised, rechecked and marked the answers. It was time to talk again .He wanted to talk but her heart was in the script that was kept aside on the one end of the table. She asked him if she could touch the Braille Booklet. On getting affirmative response and a smile she picked it up, closed her eyes and felt the embossed dots. It was a moment of appreciation for vision she had. She never thought how precious it was. Just the touch on those perforated yellow sheets gave her chills in the spine.

How ungrateful was she for everything she had!

He told her he wanted for pursue M.Phil. in Political Science and was giving NET exam just to be on the safer side. He was a JNU student who hailed from Telangana.The flow of conversation was putting them at ease. Sensing her curiosity he himself gave her the liberty to ask anything that she wanted to. Like a kid she banged every possible question that struck her mind. She asked him how he managed to reach from JNU Hostel to the Examination Centre .He gave a sweet smile and replied “Of course on my own in METRO “ .It was difficult for her to believe how he managed .She could not imagine closing her eyes and reaching unknown destination unless she was diving in the pool of imagination!

Before she could have asked anything more went the second bell for the next exam.

She read questions for him and he told which answers were to be marked .She admired his skills to do really long oral calculations in mind .He could retain the options for the question in his mind in exact sequence as narrated by her. It was just amazing and out of the world.

Second paper through. 

He talked and poured his heart out. He told her that in some centers where he gave papers scribes were from administrative staff and did not possess the qualification to be the one!!!He told her about his anxiety before entering examination hall but was happy with her as scribe.

(Already in turmoil of life. Weren’t the authorities playing with them ?

She thought. Indeed, it was not a fair game.)

He was sure he would clear this exam . He told her with a radiant smile on his face .She was happy for him. She was curious to know now that how does he survives to go without computer in this age of booming technology? When asked he giggled and told her about the softwares that convert any script on screen to audio formats. Answer was so obvious.            J

She chuckled at the thought that she was a techno fool!

TRINNNNNNNNN   went the third bell.

 Last exam for the day.She was not cribbing a bit now. There was so much to learn from him. Same series of reading out and attempting questions went on and he was through fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled time.

Revised with her and marked answers.

Happiness that brimmed on his face was a witness to the result that would come in a few weeks.

He shaked hands with her. Gave her a chocolate as appreciation J

She asked him what’s next on his list?

He told her that he was in the process of making a girlfriend!!!!

They both laughed a lot.

At sharp five he took an exit from the examination center.

He left a question mark for her, a trigger to her thoughts.

With umpteen resources around how much do we utilize and appreciate?

Being blessed with all sensory organs how grateful do we feel?

With technology at hands how much do we actually utilize?

How grateful are we towards whatever we have?

With completeness in life who was actually incomplete and who lacked zest?

We have the answer that who is actually BLIND? Don't we?

She could not forget the name – SUCHETAN REDDY . An unsung hero and champion of life.