This chapter is a continuation of the previous work Dear Professor: 1.
If you read the entire chapter, I would like you to read the note at the end as well for some clarity.
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DEAR PROFESSOR: 2
It had been about 3 weeks or about 6 classes since this semester started and Sivaangi had been late to pretty much every single class of CS515- Software Security offered by Prof. Ashwin Kumar. Ashwin hadn't talked to her like he had planned to about her tardiness due to the night at library.
She was muttering "Shit, shit, shit, why does this keep happening to me. Kannalaye kolla poraan. Innikum late" as she walked to her class. It was not that she was unpunctual to all her classes. In all her 24 years, this was the only time she kept having punctuality issues over and over. Pushing open the door of the small lecture room, she looked at the 20 students of the class most of whom looked at her sympathetically. Just as she was about to enter, their Prof. Ashwin who was writing on the white board, without turning said "Sivaangi, you're late. Again! I am marking you absent for this class". She immediately piped up "but it's not ten minutes since the start of the class yet". He looked at his watch, turned around to glare at her and carried on with his class. If looks could kill! As always, her class participation was impeccable and her answers were right. After the class, Ashwin had a quick word with his TA (Teaching Assistant) who graded the homeworks for this class about Sivaangi's homework performances so far. Having heard nothing but praises, he made a decision.
He briskly walked to the library, went to the counter on the ground floor and asked to see the library head by showing his staff ID. He was escorted to a room in the ground floor. " Hi, I am AK. I work as a professor in Engineering", he introduced himself to the head who quickly introduced himself followed by a "What can I help you with?". "I am here to talk to you about one of my students who works in the 4th floor" he said. Upon the in-charge asking if he wanted to call the student in as well, Ashwin quickly responded with "That won't be necessary. Here's the thing, she's late to pretty much every class of mine. Is there anyway you could let her off a few minutes early? My classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-5 pm and the student's ID is SIN6273594". The in charge was a little taken aback. He quickly pulled up their employee records and said "that's a pretty unusual request professor. Anyway, I don't see her working on Tuesdays and Thursdays before 6pm. We are not the reason she's late to your class. Did she indicate working here was the reason she was late?". Not wanting to put her in any trouble at work, he immediately indicated that was not the case and that he was yet to talk to her on this and just wanted to be proactive. He left the library furious to say the least. He knew her other two classes were on Mondays and Wednesdays. So if it wasn't work or classes, what the hell was keeping her from being on time. He decided he'd had enough and that he was going to have a word with her on Thursday .
Sivaangi was pretty happy she almost made it on time to the Thursday's class. She was only late by a minute. The class hadn't started yet and Ashwin rolled her eyes when she entered the class. "At least it's just an eye roll, not a murderous look. Free ya vidu" she told herself. After giving the class one more minute to settle, Ashwin started the class by announcing "I am amending my previous stance on attendance. If you are continuously late to over 3 classes of mine by 5 mins, you would get the next class marked as absent. I have never had to make this change in my teaching career, but we all learn I guess. Sivaangi, stay back after the class please". She was fuming through out the class, angry at her situation and angrier at him for changing his rules. She stayed put in her seat after the class and Ashwin waited patiently for the class to clear. Once it was clear he said "The slate is clear. Make it on time to the classes going forward, if not you'd be marked absent pretty much once in every 4 class and it could bring your grade down" packing his things. She calmly replied " I don't come to classes late on purpose, but I am sure I'll make up the grade without the attendance" and walked out the classroom. At the end of they day, they both were frustrated with each other.
