Evening would presently descend as th sun shone dimly in the rainy sky. Rain would break out any moment.

A cowboy walked hurriedly along behind a herd of buffaloes and lambs, shepherding them back home from the pasture.

Hriday sat on the bench, sipping tea from an earthen cup, frequently looking up into the skies as clouds drifted away.The tea stall was crowded.

He was tall, dark with strong features, well-dressed with a large head full of black, shiny hair bordered by a patch of greys.

Every evening, he would come from office at the tea stall and sit, gossiping with his friends over tea.

" Can you recognise me, Hriday ?", said a middle- aged man, wearing a lungi tucked above his knees, his body bare.

Hriday looked up at the man as he tried hard to remember the face. Yes! It was his childhood teacher, Mustafa.

"Yes, sir, i have doubtless recognised you!

" What do you do, Hriday?, " the man quizzed.

"Sir, I work at post-office."

"Would you treat me to tea, Hriday ?," the main said, smiling.

At this, the crowd at the tea stall fell silent, trying to size up the situation, most of them looking mystified when Hriday's teacher was heard to ask for a cup of tea.

A minute's silence fell.

In stead of offering tea directly, Hriday went into a near by confectionery stall and bought a couple of rosgullas and handed them to his teacher as if he wanted to be at his best when he served his teacher.

All the eyes were on Hriday.He felt scandalized.

Then, he treated his teacher to tea.

After drinking the tea, the man left as if discourteously.

" Hriday , your teacher behaves quite eccentrically since he had suffered a peculiar sort of brain disorder while he was working at school a couple of decades ago.He is nuts " the owner of the tea stall said, looking up sombrely at Hriday.

Hriday stood baffled and motionless as he was not aware of his teacher's predicament.

He had not been not in touch with his teacher for many years as the stream of life carried him hither and thither.

They ___ student and teacher ___ came across after a long gap of twenty years.

" He was the most industrious teacher in our school, always helping students with their studies and...He has scarified everything for his school. He was... He was very fond of me..." Hriday said, feeling chocked as he watched his teacher's bare figure receding slowly into the distance when, suddenly, it started raining heavily outside.
....