Her Calling

She Declares the Battle

"He is quite a nutcase, you know," her best friend Meher whispered to her when they were walking to their next class, "Our Criminal Psychology instructor."

"How so?"

"He apparently teaches only for a semester in two years or so."

"I see."

"Did you see how frayed his clothes were and the cheap plastic sandals he was wearing. I wonder what he does with rest of his time. Nothing that pays well, I would think."

Rupali had some idea, but she wasn't in a mood for gossip just then. She had her own bones to pick. "And he thinks too highly of himself."

"Why would you say that?"

"Didn't you see how he was challenging us in the class? 'I must warn you, it will be a demanding project'," she mimicked him.

"Ah that! Who cares? Who is going to do the project anyway?"

"I am."

"What for?"

"To show him that he isn't some kind of untiring demigod whose standards no one can measure up to."

Meher grinned, "I will keep a semester worth of popcorns ready, then. This is going to be interesting. And he is quite an eye-candy."

--

"Come in," Paritosh said without looking up from his laptop, "Just a minute. Let me issue this printout."

She ran a critical eye around his office and noticed two suitcases lying in one corner. There was a rolled up bundle, which looked like a thin cotton mattress. What was he? Some kind of wandering ascetic? She hastily drew her eyes away from the corner when the printer started up with a clatter.

"Tell me," he turned towards her, holding the freshly printed sheets in his hand.

"I just wanted to tell you... I mean I wanted to opt for the project instead of exams."

"Ms. Banerjee, you have one week to decide. You should at least see how the classes are going..."

"I've decided. Wouldn't it be better if the work was started early? After all one semester is barely enough for a difficult, practical project."

His eyes narrowed for a second, but he kept skepticism out of his voice, "Earlier is definitely better. Especially when you are so determined. But I have to get clearance from the administration before I can put undergraduate students on a project outside the campus. I thought I had a week's time. So, I was going to get the process started only tomorrow."

"What is the project about?"

"We could discuss once I have the permission?"

"Do you even have a project in mind, or were you sure that after throwing a challenge like that nobody will take up the project option."

"What?" To her consternation, he guffawed. "Do you watch too many soaps, Ms. Banerjee? Where every trivial, day-to-day task becomes a question of life and death, of honor and prestige? Who is going to mop up the spilled milk decides the fate of the nation, or whatever? If I didn't have a project in mind, I'd have told you to wait for a week. I was not trying to prove anything to you."

Her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Anyway--" Paritosh could not continue because she fled out of his office.