Back in school, we would celebrate Teacher’s Day in the coolest possible ways! All the girls from the 11^th standard would be mock teachers, and the school would send the teachers on a picnic. As mock teachers, students would ask us to dance/ sing for them, because no one really paid attention to the mock teachers.

And, that always got me thinking, would teachers ever dance and sing, the way we do? Do they really have a life away from school? What are they like when not around students? Do they make the same mistakes that they scold the children for?

Maybe. Maybe not. Only one way to find out.

On Teacher’s Day, I visited the Sadachar Public School to find out what really lied behind the disciplinary façade. A few boys tried their hand at gymnastics under the tree; it was a fun competition! Which kid could do better? They didn’t care that they were falling in the mud and dirtying their clothes, nope. They were simple children and just wanted to have fun.

The school Principal Mrs. Usha Sharma joined me. And, of course, seeing their Principal, the children got a little more disciplined than before. I felt like it was my childhood all over again.

“Is it your games period, class?” She asked the lot authoritatively.

“Yes, ma’am. It got over, though; it’s now our Hindi class.” One of the students responded.

“Go back to class, then!”

Properly, in a line, they went back to their classes. Tehehe. It was so interesting not to be on the receiving end of it.

“Usha ma’am, how are you different back at home?” I curiously asked. Of course, she was hesitant. A teacher has a certain discipline she’d have to maintain, and Usha ma’am was the Principal!

“I read books, listen to old Hindi songs that come up on the radio, spend time with my husband, and I love doing that.”

“Tell me about your grandchildren.”

“Well, whenever they come over, I forget about my joint pains and play with them endlessly. We play musical chairs, throw a ball, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders and more.”

I’d seen her serious side; I explained to her it would be time for recess when I rang the bell, and she’d be able to do whatever she would want. There was a sudden spark in her eyes, like in the eyes of a child.

I rang the bell, and it was time for her to get back to her childhood. Mrs. Usha Sharma collected her students and played a game of musical chairs with them.

They all quickly arranged the chairs and requested me to play the song “Kala Chashma.” One by one, someone or the other lost, and Usha ma’am ended up being the winner.

“Jis school me tum padhte ho, us school ke hum Principal hain.” I imagined Usha ma’am saying that as she sat on the winner’s throne!

Usha ma’am invited many other classes, and they were sincerely lined up, and walking towards the ground. I honestly chuckled a bit. Kids are so lame.

Some mysteriously giggled as if they had just planted a mischief somewhere.

Standing in a corner was a young teacher, Aman. The girl who was a teacher imparting knowledge and discipline, but enjoyed busting a move occasionally, she loved posing the way 20-year-old would pose.

While scolding children for falling asleep in the middle of the class, Aman sleeps the second she finds some time for herself. She looks stern but is still a child inside.

“I’m preparing for RAS, and I’ve never talked about it, but I love dancing to Bollywood songs. I encourage students to follow their dreams, skate, sing, scream, or do whatever they wish to achieve in life.”

I rang the bell, Recess began already for Aman, and as promised, she showed us a glimpse of her kickass dance moves.

Lata ji, on the other hand, swears that she is exactly the way she is in school. To her, fun is talking to students. Wow, Lata ma’am seems like you’re doing what you love the most.

“I’m very organized at home. I like to keep things in order. I follow a proper discipline, and that’s really my passion.”

Interesting, isn’t it?

Priyanka was not a dancer, nor did she like much to sing. As she was asking the students to stand in a proper line, I knew that if she were my teacher, I’d be scared of her! Teacher dreading points = 8/10

I asked her if she was always disciplined like Lata ji. She called a student and hugged her, played with her and said, “I love kids. And, I’m myself when I am with my daughter at home. I like playing with her. I often cheat, too! But, it’s all for fun.”

“Apart from this, my wish is to travel as much as I can!”

I remember I had a teacher in my college, who would wear high-neck blouses because she had a tattoo on her neck.

We always see the teachers who teach us, impart wisdom and education to us, but there’s always another story that we fail to see, and end up seeing only the façade that we are shown.

They are more than just disciplined teachers. I heard the recess bell ring, and watched the students and teachers leave. As Sanchit and I walked away, we saw the teachers murmuring and giggling to themselves. Guess, there was still a side of the story we weren’t able to witness.