NOORJAHAN

‘NOORJAHAN’
His name was Anwar. My memory does not help me in tracing the history of the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ our nicknaming him ‘Noorjahan’. Perhaps it was something to do with his cute girlish face and tender body structure and/or the ever present smile on his lips and twinkle in his eyes. Whatever.
Unlike most of us who had navigated from the junior section to the upper section in class six, he was one of the few who had come from other schools. As usual there was natural rivalry and distance with outsiders in the beginning and it takes time to make new acquaintances and friends. ‘Noorjahan’ was more at disadvantage because he came from the rural area. He was not like we town/city bred children. Nevertheless he took to the new surroundings like a fish takes to water. One thing however remained constant, our calling him by his new nickname. He however never seemed to care or mind.
He was rather below average student and therefore a target of our making fun of him on this count too. The teachers were also aware of his limitations but generally tried to help him.
In our geography class for over a week the teacher was making us familiar with the rivers of India with the help of a Map hung over the blackboard. Today he was testing our knowledge by asking any student at random to point the river he name . “Anwar, come here and tell me where is river Ganga” asked the teacher. ‘Noorjahan’ in his usual timid way, yet smile on his lips, moved closer to the map but was totally at loss to point the river. Someone shouted from the back “ arre map ke pichhe dekh” (look behind the map). Poor ‘Noorjahan’ went behind the blackboard to look for the river the whole class roared in laughter. The teacher also smiled but salvaged the situation by explaining again by pointing again the location of the river on the map.
Our English teacher was a typical example of a genus gone astray. He was rated one of the best teacher in town but his drinking habits preceded him wherever he went. He had Wren’s English Grammar in his blood, so to say, page by page, word by word. He never opened the Book but simply asked the students to open page number such and such, exercise number such and such etc. Upper class students were full of praise for him and his teaching methods. However his drinking habits were a matter of embarrassment for all, not for him. I do not know why management tolerated him. Coming back to ‘Noorjhhan’ , it was our English class and teacher gave us some work and sat on the chair closed eyes. He was perhaps a little tipsy, you know what I mean! There was some row on the back benches. The teacher opened his eyes and tried to figure out. He asked Anwar as to what was happening who got up and kept smiling. But said nothing. He asked him again, no reply but smile on lips and twinkles in eyes. “Why are you smiling” he asked again and again. After a long, tense wait ‘Noorjahan’ replied “sir, aapaki soorat dekhkar” (Sir seeing your face)’
It was like sprinkling ghee over fire. The teacher kept on slapping him for rest of the period saying “am I joker?”
We never saw ‘Noorjahan’ again in the school.