Hullo! A good weekend to you all. This is the fifth video on the fifth chapter of ‘Ripples Roping Memories’.
At home, Rani reads the Marathi lessons aloud. She tries to imitate the pronunciation of her teacher, Mrs. Apte. She memorizes the answers. Hindi , she thinks is a subject which she can easily imbibe. But Rani does not score marks in Hindi. The Hindi teacher Mrs. Saxena is asked to coach her free of cost. Mrs. Saxena lives in the Railway quarters near the Vanavli railway station. Rani walks to her house for tuitions. Teacher makes her read some lessons and teaches her some Hindi grammar. Teacher wants to visit Nada, her native place in North India. Rani helps her in making puris. She rolls out some puris for her. Rani learns the technique that the dough for puris should be hard so that the dough will not absorb more oil. After some years Rani encounters Mrs. Saxena once while travelling to Thepi. Rani learns from her that she has left her job in school and has started her own school at Nada in North India.
Rani is in no mood to go to school. She tells her mother she has stomach ache. Mother gives her some medicine and asks her to take rest. At twelve noon, mom tells her, ‘Now your stomach is alright. You can go to school.’ Rani cannot avoid going to school. Once during play hour, Rani stands under the tree all alone. Her classmate comes running towards her. She sees a green snake overhead. The snake has its face towards the central part of Rani’s head. The classmate screams. Frightened Rani moves away from the tree meekly.
Rani cannot understand Chemistry. She memorizes definitions by splitting the sentences into phrases and clauses. Miss Oak is particular about her appearance. She wears a one piece dress. The dress is too short. When she sits on the chair, her knees can be seen. She sits on the chair, swabs her face and lips and applies lipstick while students have all the time in the world to go under the benches and see whether she has worn her inner wear. Rabina Dantes wears short skirts. When she smiles, she has dimples on her cheeks. Sister Sharon punishes Rabina for wearing short skirts. Sister announces during the assembly that girls must wear skirts up to the knee. Girls with short skirts and one plaited hair are punished. Similarly, bindis, ear rings, nose rings, neckalaces, bangles, mehendi designs and anklets are not allowed because it distracts students from studies. A Sindhi woman teaches needle work to students. Rani is not interested in needlework. She gives a lukewarm response to the cloth material she has bought for stitching. She decides to do it when she has time. Soon the disaster day of needlework examination dawns. Rani keeps her cool even when she scores a zero. Priscilla, Rani’s class teacher is worried and infuriated. She asks Rani, ‘What will you do if your clothes are torn. Are you going to join the two ends of the torn cloth.’ Rani remains silent.
So much for this video, see you again, goodbye!
( Video can be viewed on You tube by typing, ‘Ripples Roping Memories’)
