The Arrangement by Chauhan

39) Sleep

"It is nothing a good rest and healthy diet cannot change. Although, I can suggest some exercises for the time being."

Dhwani nodded, listening to the instructions and then the video playing on the Doctor's screen. She explained to them the exercise routine.

"Thank you for your time." She shook hands with the doctor.

"Pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Chauhan." The doctor bid farewell to her and the help escorted her outside the orphanage building.

Dhwani took a seat next to Manna who sat deep in thinking.

"Are you excited to see the garden outside?" She playfully bumped her shoulder in hers.

Manna looked up with a small smile, nodding timidly.

"Come." Dhwani helped her stand, holding her shoulders and guiding her through the doors. A span of a few hours had subsided the effects of trauma on her and made her accept of changes. She was willing to walk outside the door for the instance.

"Didi." A little voice hollered behind them grabbing Dhwani's attention, she waved at the kids matching their excitement.

"I want you little minions to get back to your classes, hurry!" She jutted her chin towards the gate where there teacher stood with drooping shoulders. She smiled at her encouragingly and the kids followed her words like a prayer, running back inside to complete their classes for the day.

They were being home tutored because of the increase in bullying cases in the local schools. Dhwani had to refrain a lot many times from giving a piece of her mind to the parents of their bullies because it wasn't the young kids but the environment they were growing up in that made them prudent and act like a bully. Those kids were being taught the wrong way, something could end up destroying their bright futures.

"How many kids are here?" Manna asked nervously.

"67 in totality." Dhwani smiled at her curiosity. "17 kids are in high school and rest till class 8th get homeschooled here. Did you see that girl? She is Ishani, their teacher and there are 3 more who teach them. Ishani is the youngest of them and the most tortured soul. The poor girl is having a hard time managing a class of 50 little kids who could never sit back to learn mathematics."

That earned a genuine smile from Manna while Dhwani laughed forgetting her worries.

They entered the back garden, a small space with a canopy of trees and goalposts situated at both ends of the ground.

"This is their playing area." She filled her "The kids play here from afternoon 3 to 6 in the evening. For the morning walks, you can have this place for yourself."

She nodded, her eyes taking in the entire place. Manna watched the place like a deer, analyzing any possible threats to her.

"You will be safe here. No outsiders are allowed inside the campus." Dhwani's lips tugged into a pensive smile.

"And others?" She interrogated without missing a beat.

"Others?" She blinked in confusion.

"I mean staff members." Manna lowered her eyes bashfully. "How many are there?"

"You have met most of them." She didn't mind her questions. She heard how much this girl had suffered in the past few days and she would do anything to assure her. "Prakash Ji, the manager is the oldest here. Savitri Didi and Yamuna Kaki are matrons. There is one cook and the rest are the teachers. We take up internships and volunteers but there aren't any active programs these months. So be assured, you are safe here, Manna."