The Sketch

The clouds had covered the deep blue sky all over. It was with effort, the sunlight was peeping from behind the curtain, strikingly clear. Wind was blowing mildly, the clouds had no destination but for the pity of wind.

“Chirrup, chirrup!
Chirrup, chirrup!”

The sound attracted me towards the source. Two little sparrows were playing on the roof beyond the window. For some of us solace is so easy…I was jealous of the birds.

Someone coughed and brought me back to life…I realized. Professor had already entered the room. Everyone had their sheets opened on their drawing tables, their drafters and drawing stuff on their tables. I fumbled with my things. By the time, ‘Sir’ was on my table passing instructions; I had my things propped up too. Back benching gains…

“Based on the details that you have crammed up in the last Hydraulic Machines Class, you’ll today draw the schematic diagram of water flow from a river water reservoir to the Pelton Wheel. Mention the dimensional and constructional details accurately…”

I had twisted my eraser to its maximum torque absorbing capability. Unable to absorb any more stress, it flew out of my hand to ground. When I looked up after picking it back, the Professor was glaring at me.

I snailed back two steps to my table.

‘Sir’ had gone back to his chair. “Be quick everyone, you better submit you sheets within 1 and ½ an hour, or be prepared to lose your internals”, he barked and went out of the room.

Relieved, I quickly turned around to look out of the window…the sparrows were gone.
I had lost them…

I would better do my work, I thought. Scribbling started on the sheet. The river reservoir and the tail stock were easy to draw. The wheel was easy to sketch too. The water shall have a clean flow in this figure, I laughed in my mind.

But there was something missing in the sheet.

Five minutes later, the Professor walked back in the room. Almost everyone had completed the sheet. He walked on inspecting everyone’s chart. He paused at my table, cruelly scanning my drawing.

“What is this, Mr. Gupta?”

“A pair of sparrows playing on the reservoir wall, sir.”

“Do you think they are a part of this mechanism?”

Before I could reply he ordered me to obliterate them and walked to the other row. Reluctantly, I erased the birds. But I was unable to put them out of my mind and out of the sheet. Man had, after all, encroached nature’s riches.

On the second round, the Professor made it a priority to visit my table. The sparrows were flying in the sky this time.

“It seems, Mr. Gupta, that you are hell bent on flunking this semester. I told you, I want to see those birds out of the sketch. Do it now!”

15 minutes later we were asked to submit our sheets on his table. I waited for my turn. He was watching me furiously, as I walked to his table. I turned my eyes down. He asked me to spread the chart in front of him.

I did…

An enraged slap met my face…

The sparrows had died alongside the river reservoir…