Sumona
Agartala, Tripura
Sumona's schooling began when she was just four years old. She studies at Anand Niketan. She is in KG One, Section B, Roll Number Twenty-Five. School is in the morning, from six to nine. Her father takes her to school on a bicycle and brings her back. On the way, Sumona counts the water tanks on the roofs every day. Sometimes she counts ten, sometimes twelve. When the route changes, the count sometimes decreases or increases.
This routine continues for a while. Then, for some time, she counts how many houses and gates there are. Sometimes it’s red flowers, blue flowers. Other times it’s birds like sparrows, mynas, and bulbuls.
In their school, there is an Angry Auntie, a Sweet Auntie, and a Friend Auntie. Sumona is very scared when Angry Auntie comes to class. She is afraid of forgetting her lessons. Angry Auntie is the Headmistress. She is very strict, and Sumona is terrified of her stern, round eyes. It seems like she is always very angry. At home and in the neighborhood, when her elder friends are mischievous, Sumona threatens to tell Angry Auntie everything.
One day, during Angry Auntie's class, at the end of the lesson, during the introduction session...
- Where do you live, Sumona?
- Ramnagar, Ma'am.
- Who teaches you at home?
- Grandma, Dad, Mom, Raj Da, and Shubhra Da come sometimes to teach math.
- How many brothers and sisters do you have?
- Thirteen, Ma'am.
- Thirteen means thirteen?
- Yes.
Ma'am, Raj Da, Mom Da, Shubhra Da, Deep
- So, you must have a lot of fun.
- Yes Ma'am, we play together, and it’s a lot of fun during birthdays and festivals.
- For the first time, Angry Auntie smiled a little and affectionately blessed Sumona.
This is how Sumona grows up. She moves from class five to class six. Class six means a bigger school, from eleven in the morning to four in the afternoon.
There is a big road next to their house. She commutes to school by bus now. She has many friends. There’s a window garden, a large field, a river, boats, and fast-moving trains, besides the chirping of birds and many other things. The only thing is, when it rains heavily, the bus driver closes all the windows.
The school has given a stipend form. Students must fill out the entire form by themselves and submit it to the school.
One night, Sumona’s father is sitting with her to fill out the form. Sumona writes her name, date, address, and the marks obtained in the annual exam. When she starts writing “thirteen” in the siblings’ column, her father stops her and says that thirteen isn’t acceptable here.
- Thirteen isn’t acceptable, Dad? Raj Da, Shubhra Da, Guriya Didi, Deep Da...
- You need to write here as a single girl child.
- Single!
- Yes, dear, single, single girl child.
Sumona’s smiling face suddenly turns somber. She stares at her father for a long time and then writes “single girl child.”