[Scene: School Conference Room – 2:15 PM]
Outside, the sky is drowsy with heat, and inside the teachers' room, the air is thick and tense.
The fan spins overhead, yet sweat beads on everyone's forehead.
The room is full of teachers, their eyes filled with a mix of murmurs, astonishment, and anger.
The atmosphere is stifling; some speak in hushed voices while others watch silently. Conversations buzz around the table.
The headmistress sits at one end of the table, lips pressed tight, eyes stern. Her expression is grave.
Madams and sirs sitting nearby try to control their anger, their throats clearing.
Anirban Sir stands silently, restraining his boiling anger.
Bivas Sir sits at the other end of the table, his face marked by deep discomfort but with a hint of disdain on his lips.
Shubhashree Madam (History):
"I can't even imagine hearing such things about Bivasda! I always regarded him with respect…"
Sanjay Sir (Mathematics):
"Yes, Shubhashree… but respect alone can't solve everything. The question is about a relationship that has impacted a student's mental state."
Sumana Madam (Biology):
(with surprise) "I've heard the girl tried to kill herself! A class twelve girl… If someone reaches the point of attempting suicide at this age, then this is not mere love, it's something seriously dangerous!"
Headmistress (who had been listening quietly, now speaks):
"Bivasbabu, do you realize what has happened? We stand between life and death of our student. The entire issue revolves around you. What do you have to say?"
(Bivas Sir sighs deeply and clears his throat before speaking—)
Bivas Sir (brokenly):
"Madam, I… I really didn't do anything. Rodela… she herself… she became a bit too attached to me. Maybe she had some… mental issues too."
Sumana Madam (frowning):
"So you mean to say you're completely innocent? You haven't made a single mistake?"
Bivas Sir (desperately defending himself):
"I only encouraged her to get good results. When she asked questions in class, I answered. Once she even came to me and said, 'Sir, I live for you.' What was I supposed to do? If a girl says something like that, it's not my fault!"
Anirban Sir listens silently with his head down.
His hands and feet tremble with anger. He wants to punch Bivas Sir hard but restrains himself.
Shubhashree Madam (voice shaking with anger):
"Are you really saying this, Bivasda? A class twelve student says she's pregnant by you, that she's going to commit suicide because of you, and you just dismiss it as 'not your fault'? Didn't you fulfill your duty? Shouldn't you have arranged counseling?"
Sumana Madam (Biology):
"The girls in the twelfth-grade science stream are saying—'Sir liked Rodela,' and some say, 'Rodela used to go to Sir's room alone quite often.'"
Shubhashree Madam (History):
"The girls also say, 'Rodela was Sir's favorite, she used to talk to him after class every day,' 'Sir used to stare at her,' 'He gave her tiffin.' One girl even said, 'Rodela wrote a letter to Sir herself!'"
Sanjay Sir (Mathematics):
"Are we preserving the school's reputation? If this gets out, the media will come, reporters will come. Will we stay silent or conduct an internal investigation?"
Snigdha Madam (Bengali):
"There will definitely be an investigation. But Bivasda, you know what kind of girl Rodela was. Quiet, reserved. She never even looked anyone in the eye."
Bivas Sir (clearly):
"She hid a lot behind that quiet demeanor, which you don't know. She emotionally blackmailed me. One day she said, 'Sir, I can't live without you.' Tell me, what was I supposed to do?"
Niranjana Madam (English):
"If you were a teacher, hearing that, you could have immediately informed the headmistress. Arranged counseling."
Bivas Sir (dismissively):
"You always talk theories! It's not possible in real life. If a girl wants to get close to you herself, telling you again and again, 'I like nothing without you,' then naturally there can be confusion as a human being!"
Sumana Madam (eyes wide):
"What? You're a teacher. Don't you understand what a teenager's emotions mean?"
Upadhyay Sir (English):
"If this incident goes public, our school will be branded entirely at fault. We run a respectable institution. We promise that students are safe in the hands of their teachers. Now if an experienced teacher like Bivasbabu behaves like this, then…"
Bivas Sir (angrily):
"So? Am I a rapist? Did I do anything indecent with her? You're only listening to the girl's side! She herself used to come and sit in my cabin, smiling, asking for tea! Even during class, she called me more than usual, and after going home, she sent messages!"
(The room suddenly falls silent. No one speaks for a while. Then…)
Snigdha Madam (softly):
"Are you blaming a teenage girl for this?"
Shubhashree Madam:
"She was probably lonely, seeking love, but you cannot put that burden on her shoulders. You are older, you are a teacher."
Bivas Sir (eyes heating up):
"Everyone's blaming me. Some say I got her pregnant… some say she tried to commit suicide because of me… Has anyone ever thought I might have fallen into a trap?"
Rakhi Madam lowers her voice slowly:
"I can't believe it. Bivasda, hearing how you behaved with Rodela makes me tremble inside."
Sanjay Sir leans slightly forward in his chair:
"Our relationship with the students is sacred. Have you forgotten that we are teachers? We show the way, we don't lose it…"
Suddenly, Bivas Sir straightens up in his chair and says angrily:
"Are you all blaming me? No one's saying the girl was also at fault! She used to follow me around, come to my room during tiffin for no reason, try to get close to me through words! At first, it was different. I didn't understand her tricks of the mind. I never thought of doing anything bad with her. She's a fatherless girl. I thought she called me 'father'… I was trying to build a paternal relationship! If I'm at fault, then prove it! I only wanted to stand by a broken girl."
Niranjana Madam (in a sharp voice):
"Father? If you were a father, you wouldn't have stayed alone in a classroom for an hour with the student, texted her late at night, or let her say 'I can't sleep without you.'"
Upadhyay Sir (irritated tone):
"You keep saying you did nothing, but the question is—why did the girl attempt suicide in your presence? You say you didn't do anything to her, so where did so much trust, so much vulnerability in her heart come from?"
Bivas Sir (helplessly):
"She was an emotionally sick girl. Her stepfather and mother never gave her time! She longed for someone's love! If I spoke to her a little, smiled a little… if that is a crime, then… I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to say. Have you thought that the child she's talking about might be someone else? She's trying to trap me."
Everyone was stunned by Bivas Sir's words. Anirban Sir could no longer hold back his anger.
Sumana Madam (with tears in her eyes):
"I don't think Rodela is lying. She's not that kind of girl. In her diary, she wrote—'My parents don't love me, but Bivas Sir loves me.' Do you know how deeply painful it is when a student writes something like that in her diary?"
(Bivas Sir falls silent. Chairs creak. Some sip water, some avert their eyes. Suddenly, everyone goes still—)
Anirban Sir slowly steps forward. He had been silent all this while. Lips tight, face serious. His eyes fixed with an almost terrifying steadiness on Bivas Sir. Then, suddenly, he raises his voice—
Anirban Sir (voice trembling with restrained fury):
"A girl sought refuge beside you. Knowing this, you deceived her in the name of love. You say she was sick? I say, you are sick. How can a person like you teach?"
(The room is silent. No one breathes.)
Anirban Sir (roaring):
"If she loved you and yet abandoned herself, that is not her fault. The fault lies with you. You are a teacher… you are her guardian… you were supposed to protect her, but you pushed her to the edge of death! You even denied your own child; you did not hesitate to decide to kill her—are you even human?"
(Everyone's eyes widen in shock. No one has ever heard Anirban Sir roar like this. Silence falls over the room. No one speaks anymore. Before everyone's eyes, a very different Anirban Sir stands there. Some madams are even scared. Anirban Sir does not lay a hand on Bivas Sir.)
There is clear resentment in Anirban Sir's eyes. His hands tremble, his voice shakes. Everyone looks at him in surprise.
Anirban Sir (in a firm voice):
"…A sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, who gets no time from her parents, who was seeking love… if she becomes vulnerable to you, you call that a 'trap'? Do you know what it means to lack love? What loneliness means?"
(The room is silent. No one makes a sound. Anirban Sir's voice rises.)
Anirban Sir (eyes blazing with anger):
"Because of you, she tried to kill herself! You did not utter a single word, instead you questioned her character! You have tarnished the name of a teacher!"
(Everyone is silent. Some eyes fill with tears.)
Anirban Sir (with hatred in his eyes):
"Rodela is dying thinking she loves you, and you say, 'I did nothing'? You say this with the face of a 'father'? If you saw her with a father's eyes, how could you do such a thing with her? You are not a teacher, you are a demon!"
(Shubhashree Madam covers her face with trembling hands. Niranjana Madam's eyes fill with tears. The headmistress lowers her eyes. Bivas Sir is speechless, no sound comes from his throat.)
Anirban Sir (with disgust):
"You are not a teacher, Bivas Sir. You used your power to leave a scar on a teenage girl's heart. You are dangerous… and there is no place for people like you in this school."
Saying this, Anirban Sir storms out of the meeting, furious. He could no longer bear to see Bivas Sir before his eyes. Some madams rise from their chairs and follow him.
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To be continued...