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City 12 - The Burden of Responsibility

"I want him to get educated that's all", he almost shouted fighting back a tear in his eye. "He's my younger brother and it is my responsibility to make him successful. But he has not come to school for 2 months now. What do I do?", questioned someone who looked quite young to be speaking like this to the principal of a government school.

"Madam, you ask him. He comes home at 10pm everyday. When I ask him where he was and why he was late he rudely asks me who I was to question him. Last month I had come to ask for TC so I can put him in some hostel but due to some problem I couldn't follow up." The principal was assessing the situation with the class teacher standing behind the irregular student whose elder brother was angry, saddened and determined all at once. She looked at the student and said, "What is your problem? Why aren't you coming to school? Would you rather be in a hostel?", the student nodded. He didn't really seem to care much.

"Madam, I'm ready to do anything. Just make him study. See, I'm the only one in the family now. I have to take care of everything. There's a grandmother at home who too is my responsibility. And if he starts acting like this I don't know what to do.", he continued with his right arm tucked behind and the left hanging to his side. "All the books that your school gave him, he has gone and sold it at the shop for petty cash. I thrashed him that day but he says the same thing over and over again, who are you to ask me to do this and that? It is not even your book, school gave it." I was sitting at the corner of the room watching the event unfold. I had many questions but I knew I had to wait.

"Okay, sir you take responsibility of this student. Follow up on his attendance everyday." the principal said turning to the class teacher who agreed immediately. "And you, you better come everyday to school. Otherwise I'm going to report you to police and then you'll have to go to jail. Do you want that?" she said in a very stern voice to the student who by now was in tears and slowly walked away to the classroom with his teacher.

"What have you studied, child?", she now turned her concerned eye towards the elder brother who still looked a little emotional. "I left school after 9th.", he replied. "How old are you?" "I will be 18 in a month." "You do know that is wrong, yes? You can't work like this without going to school.", the principal said as a matter a fact.

"What should I do madam? My mother died when I was a child and then my father died too, both of them of TB. I now have a grandmother who is on her deathbed and then there's my younger brother here. Who will feed us? I had to quit school to ensure my family survives, nothing more, just survives.", he said as a matter of fact too. "I thought he will study well and make me forget the pains and burden but look at him. He has started stealing money from home. Just last week he stole ₹500 and bought food for all his friends. He's still in 5th, I don't know what will happen when he grows up."

"Shouldn't you try and finish your studies? It'll help you get a better paying job and you can do more than just help your family survive.", another teacher who was sitting close by spoke. "I wanted to apply for my 11th this year but what can I do, I have to work full day. My owner is really good though. He gives this boy food, books, clothes and ₹100 everyday and look at what he does. I have spoken to him nicely, beaten him and what not but there has been no change.", the teenager replied with utmost sincerity. He then wrote in his own crystal clear beautiful handwriting a letter addressed to the principal promising that he would visit school once a week to check up on his brother. The principal asked him to try and talk to the younger one with a little more love since he was still a child and would probably be fighting the whole situation in his head too.

"Please take care of him madam because I have to take care of the entire family.", he said as he turned to leave. I stood up to get a good look at him but I think it was more out of the respect I had for this mere boy of 18 who was walking with his head held high though his body was bruised. His right hand still tucked behind him but the left one now resting very lightly so on his hip, he glanced at me. I couldn't even muster a smile as he stared into my helpless or maybe even hopeless eyes for what felt like eternity!

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