Part 3 - "Monday"

The school bell rang, prompting every kid in vicinity to rearrange themselves in a queue. It was the time for our morning school assembly. I was however, not at ease and very disturbed. I had prepared my report on him, the case file was complete and I had to present it to the principal before he addressed the school in the morning assembly. The decision on the rustication of the most hated boy in the school was to be announced then.

I gathered my thoughts and knocked at the principal’s office door. The report was in my hands and the decision in my mind, I had to save him. The principal needed to know a clear account of what had happened and why. I knew he was a rational man, a man who would do what was correct given the time and circumstances.

I presented my report to him and narrated the entire story, things I had learnt about the most hated guy in the school, things I did not want to share. I told the principal everything. He sat there with an abject expression on his face.

‘The report says the guy has a sustained a permanent damage on his right hand , a finger that has been cut, while your report gives no explanation for it, what happened there ?’ I shivered; it was a question I had dreaded before coming to this meeting. It was a question I knew the answer to, but I did not have the patience or wit to put it delicately, I didn’t know how to explain it to anyone.

I cleared my throat and replied “Sir, The guy was born with six fingers. His right hand had a deformity , every kid in our school used to make fun of it” My mind gazed back to yesterday night when he had told me the truth about this , his voice echoed through my throat “ He chopped it off Sir , he chopped it off himself. The finger had made him weak, so weak that he was picked on by every kid in the school, so weak that he was beaten every other day, so weak that his father and mother fought because of it. It was his weak link; he liberated himself from his weakness”

The principal took a while to digest the information and said “Thank you. You have fulfilled every bit of duty a school counselor is supposed to. This has been an eye opening case for me, I shall make a few phone calls and announce the decision, and this guy can’t be punished. He has done nothing wrong”

I was at peace. I had learnt a lot from this experience. This had been a break through case in my professional life.

The morning assembly had been delayed “Our principal is very busy over the phone” I said and smiled to myself.

Finally the procession began; my heart was already heavy with anticipation. The principal appeared on the stage and his voice filled every nook and corner of the school playground “As you know our school has faced a unique bout of violence. The school condemns any sort of violence what so ever in our premises. With an immediate effect, ‘Vikrant mohair’ is rusticated from our school”

I was taken aback, and then I realized the highly influential father had done the trick. Vikrant had been rusticated and I had prepared myself for this very moment. I found my way into the principal’s office and slipped in my resignation on his desk. With one subtle motion i chopped off my weakness, I chopped it off myself. This job had made me weak, so weak that i ignored everything till i was at ease and peace, so weak that I couldn't help someone who needed me, so weak that I could not differentiate right from wrong because of it. It was my weak link; I liberated myself from my weakness. I left the school campus in a hurry to avoid any questions, with the principal’s voice still amplifying from the speakers “Remember, when in moral doubt you should always talk to our school counselor. He shall give you the perfect advice. And the gym class for today has been suspended, get back to your books and work hard, don’t forget, it’s a Monday"