The unknown has to be X. You work your way out and evaluate X. And there lies the answer. Was life as simple as that! Priya was helping her eleven year old with the newly introduced algebra. Surely it could be so simple... whatever we do not know was X and once you find out X... voila your job was done.
Ahan was solving the problem with full concentration. It gave her pleasure to look at her son, his face beaming with the thrill of learning something new, discovering X to be precise. The whole week mom and son was caught up with x, assuming x, multiplying x, dividing x and then discovering x. Like unfurling a mystery, an enigma Ahan was hell bent on assigning a value to x and Priya was enjoying every bit of Ahan's restlessness. The boy was sharp, Priya knew and she did not need hours of teaching experience she left behind to tell her that, the thrill Ahan feels looking at the numbers was enough to have fun Maths sessions with her son everyday.
Like many women in her country Priya had to quit her job after Ahan was born. She tried everything to keep her job, no they won't allow her leave and Ahan was so tiny and nor anyone was there who could look after him. She did not have the heart to put him in day care and she knew her job was not worth all 'the trouble' she would have to take, apart from a decent salary it offered nothing more, no growth, no leaves and besides as everyone advised she could again find another job when Ahan grew up. It was way difficult for Priya to settle at home, initially Ahan took all her time and she knew being a mommy gave her a joy nothing else would. Priya adjusted slowly... what they call to a stay-at-home-mum, household chores never gave her the adrenaline rush as her Maths books did... if she could have cleared NET , six months of maternity leaves and additional leaves in a college or university she would never have to be a stay-at-home-mom or whatever.
She did try for a job once when Ahan was sensible enough, but with problems galore, mismatched timings she could not make the ends meet. Frustration, managing the chores entire day... making life easier for Shubham and Ahan...Priya almost lost hope to find herself between her students again. Finally she had joined in Ahan's school as a junior teacher...the gap she had in her career no one was ready to take her for senior classes now. Priya had settled for that.It was difficult with the young kids and the easy lessons but she needed a beginning and this was it may be.
The maths lessons with Ahan reminded her of the lessons with numbers she had with her father and the fun they had. Then why she could not turn up brilliant, Priya did not know the answer. What if she tries again, Ahan was big enough, she has a responsible domestic help, may be a doctorate, may be NET... was it possible. Ah she was crazy did she imagine she could open her books again and catch up from where she left!!! Could she decipher the theorems and postulates , Laplace and Fourier, Calculus and what not! If she tried , tried real hard... where were her books and notes, which rack exactly...tears blurred her vision.
' All solved mom' Ahan gave her a hug, jubilantly.
' X am not scared of you, figured you out totally.'
I could not Ahan, figure out the X, figure out a living from what I love, I could not solve anything damn it.
'Let,s have dinner mom. Uuh this X making me hungry.'
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