Dharmendra Pradhan-gaaru’s name came up in the staffroom today—someone said he’ll unveil a new sports policy for Telangana. I just filled the water dispenser for the kids and watched a pair of drongos chase each other in the rain. Naaku telusu, all these announcements read grand on paper, but where is the money for our school’s broken handpump? Let them see the biryani they promise actually land on the table first.

From the staffroom window during monsoon, I watch the herons wait in the rain—still as a held kick. Naaku telusu, the electronic scorers measure speed, but they cannot capture the pause before the strike. That patience, like watching birds, is what I teach my students.