Question

Why did the teacher’s wife watched them from behind the kitchen door ?

Answer 1

Kalam describes that once his teacher Sivasubramania Iyer has invited him for a meal. But when Kalam reached to his house, the teacher's wife wouldn't let Kalam enter into her 'ritually pure' kitchen as he was a Muslim and the teacher's wife was orthodox Hindu. His teacher didn't get angry on her but instead served the food to Kalam himself. Then her wife watched them behind the kitchen door. She might have been seeing the way how Kalam ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal, like any other Hindu boy. She also saw that her husband, mr. Sivasubramania Iyer sat beside Kalam and ate with him. She realised her mistake and the next time, she not only took her to the kitchen, but also served the food to him by her own hands.

Answer 2

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Abdul Kalam's science teacher, Mr. Sivasubramania Iyer once invited him to his house for a meal. His wife was an orthodox Brahmin who didn't like the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to her house. She denied entry of Kalam into her 'ritually pure kitchen'. She even refused to serve food to him. But Sivasubramania wasn't angry neither did he force his wife. He served food to Abdul with his own hands and sat beside him to have the meal. His wife was watching them from behind the kitchen door and Kalam wondered if she could identify any difference in the eating habits of the two people. The next time Abdul visited his house, Sivasubramania Iyer's wife served him food with her own hands.