‘Sir, I am scared that others might laugh at my drawing’.

Prerna was in class 2nd, joined my weekend Drawing Classes. She was very shy and won't speak, that’s what I thought. Weeks passed, so did months, she didn’t even bother to take out pencil, eraser or colors from her bag. I saw a strange type of fear on her face, something which was very new to me. Never had a student like that. I thought that I won’t take fees for her. In fact I told her Mother about that, but she insisted that I take the fees. She said that she had seen changes in her after she joined the drawing classes. I observed her from day one; even I saw a change in her attentiveness in the class. Though she won’t do a thing or say a thing, but her eyes didn’t miss anything I did in the class. Everyday she would come in time and be very nice in her manners and would leave when her mother came. She started wishing me after about 11 classes. She said ‘Sir Bye’. Oh GOD, that was an day of acceptance. I loved it. I told her mother about that. She also felt elated. This was a very small thing, a thing which never gets noticed, but I knew that it was a big step taken by her. Time passed by, it was almost 3 and half months, since she had joined my classes. Durga Pujo was very approaching; there was a Pujo, Pujo smell in the air. Bengalis will understand the feel of this smell. The feeling is almost like, Christmas or New Year coming. People are in a festive mood. Everyone seems happy, and full of patience. Your wishes come true. It was Sunday, and all my students had gone for drawing competitions, which are organized by different Pujo organizers. I was relaxed, and was sitting in my drawing room, sipping a cup of tea with Sunday morning news paper in my hand. Just got up and was going to switch on the TV, to see the live news. Suddenly the calling bell rang, I opened the door, and guess whom I saw!? Well Prerna was there for the drawing class. It is strange, that a teacher doesn’t know what to do. I told her to come in and sit. She came and took a seat. Then I told her that no one was coming that day, as they had gone for the drawing competition. I thought that she would be confused, but I was surprised to see her reaction. I started to talk to her, which was the first day we spoke. It was so different than those usual Good morning and Bye. I asked her about her school and friends. Then after sometime, she asked me if she could draw something, it was such a pleasant surprise for me. I told her to draw anything she wanted. I was in for another surprise. She announced that she was going to draw the rainbow, which I taught the class about 3 and half month back. I said yes to her. She started the drawing and stopped me when I tried to help her. This was a difficult drawing, as kids had to remember the VIBGYOR, and the angle of the Sun and Rainbow. To my surprise, she drew everything to perfection. Her drawing was the best. I asked her if she wanted to colour it. Her answer was in affirmative. I asked her that if she remembered the sequence of the colour in a rainbow. She just said, ‘VIBGYOR’. I was feeling great. I was just watching her, and her involvement. She finished the drawing pretty fast and asked for my comment. I had to say that her drawing was the best in the class. Actually it was. Then I asked her, that if she drew so well then why she didn’t do it in the class? I told her that she was the best. She just said, ‘Sir, I am scared that others might laugh at my drawing’. She was in my class for about 3 years, and then her Dad was transferred to Cairo and they left. Before she left, she gifted me a painting, it was a still life done with pencil. Her mother told me that her academic performance improved after she joined the drawing classes. She is a case study for me. It showed what confidence or lack of it can do to a person. If we really want to help someone, then we should try sincerely to boost a person’s confidence. Rest we can be assured that the person will take care of himself.