Author :
Continuing from where we left.
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• • •
In The Principal's Office 💺 :
The Principal's office was the first room on the left side of the main building which was situated in the middle of the other two buildings.
"Come sit!" He says gesturing her to sit. Nishi sits on one of the seats as the Principal takes his seat. She looks at the name plate on his desk Principal, Indra Kashyap.
"Do you need anything? Tea, coffee or anything?" He asks her with a genuine smile making her blink at him dumbly and think, 'Has he lost some pieces of his mind? Why is he treating me like a guest?'
'बड़े बाप की औलाद है तू!' A voice says and she nods in agreement muttering, "I see. . ."
[ Translation : 'You are rich kid!' ]
She smiles fakely and says, "No, thank you, Sir!"
He smiles at her gently and says taking out some papers, "You are Vihaan's sister, right?" She nods as she knows that her brother also studied here just as Bhishma told her before.
"Don't worry, no one is going to bully you from now on! You can be rest assured. I'm gonna announce that today." Indra says smiling at her.
"Sir, we are taught the power of one and are encouraged to fight for the equality, then why are you going to announce it specially for me? I'm also a student just like them. No need to do that Sir, please I request you!" Nishi requests knowing well her father told him to do this.
Indra looks at her blinking understanding her indirect words, 'That's partiality, Sir!' Indra smiles saying, "You are just like your brother. He also hated any special treatment in school. Don't worry I will not do it! But if anyone bully you, come to me, okay?"
She shakes her head in negative making him frown but then her words make him smile, "No need Sir, I can fight for myself." She says professionally smiling at him.
"Okay." He says being impressed.
Someone knocks on the door and asks for his permission, "May I come in, Sir?"
"Yes." He replies.
A woman near 48 years of age enters and Nishi greets her standing up. The teacher greets her back with a smile and asks the principal, "Sir, you asked for my presence?"
Indra nods and says, "Yes, Mrs. Asthana. Nishi, beta meet Mrs. Vimla Asthana. She is the chemistry teacher here of senior students and Mrs. Asthana, this is Nishi Khurrana, Vihaan's sister and she is new here. Can you please take her to her classroom?"
"Sure, Sir!" Mrs. Vimla says with a bright genuine smile as she gets to meet her favorite student's little sister and gives Nishi a soft smile.
He nods smiling and gives Nishi some papers and a medium sized diary and says, "Here! This is your timetable, your holidays' and programs' list which we celebrate in here with dates and other details written in there." He informs her to which she thanks him and asks, "Sir, if you don't mind may I ask you a question?"
"Off course! Go ahead!" He says smiling.
"If your teacher or parents slap you at your every mistake in front of a crowd then how will you feel?" The Principal and the teacher get taken aback at her unexpected question but it confuses too. They exchange looks and then look at the new curious student waiting for their answer.
Indra thinks for a few seconds at her question before answering and says being careful of his words, "That's absolutely wrong! I'll be upset because they are treating me like that at every mistake I make when actually they should try to teach me instead of always getting angry at me and scolding me in public because it may give me a wrong idea. I'll feel insulted more than learning from it somewhere."
Nishi smiles at him and says, "Now tell me Sir, when you said those words so harshly to my senior who is still a kid for you and is still learning, how he would be feeling right now?"
Mrs. Asthana saw the entire thing as she just came when the Principal was scolding Jay. So, she knows well what Nishi is implying at.
"Beta he is a bully, you don't know him. He bully students everyday and always gives me a headache with his deeds. In fact, every teacher is so done with him." The principal says resting his elbows on the table.
Mrs. Asthana nods agreeing with him, "Sir is right! He is a bully among the students and every student is afraid of him. Instead of complaining for his bullies, they shut their mouths which is absolutely wrong and horrible because now students fear him!"
"How do you know that, Ma'am?" She asks her.
"I'm his Homeroom teacher, that's how." The teacher replies.
Nishi becomes serious and asks politely looking at the duo, "What do you or any other teacher knows about him except the fact that he is a bully? I mean, his weaknesses or plus points?"
Nishi looks at the principal for an answer, he was going to say something but his mind doesn't come up with any valid points as he doesn't know Jay well. Then Nishi looks at Mrs. Asthana who nods in negative feeling embarrassed that even as his Homeroom teacher from last two years she has no idea about him except the fact that he is a bully.
Nishi smiles weakly and asks, "Sir, Mam, with due respect can you please tell me that if a teacher will only see mistakes, weaknesses and bad habits in his or her students then how will the student see anything good in himself?"
Her words make the duo look at her thoughtfully. The words that her mouth made shook them as they make a complete sense. It doesn't take much time for them to realize that as a teacher, they somewhere failed the exam.
The new student says further, "I accept that he must have done things which he shouldn't have done but keep telling someone what's wrong and bad in him is not gonna bring the good in him. Infact, it will only make him angry and will lead him to the wrong sides. It's just like pouring petrol in the already blazing fire. But. . . .keep thinking that he is a bully and keeping him away from the students thinking he might bully them only or will only trouble the other students instead of treating him normally will only add more petrol to his fire like nature right now." They think deeply as she takes a pause looking at them.
She looks at the duo and continues, "Include him with students normally, to prove him that the good is still in him somewhere hiding. Scold him like as if he is your own kid in private but then guide him as a parent which every student somewhere hopes to find in their teachers. Laugh with him at some of his antics so that he doesn't feel like an outsider but as if he is also a normal good student with some flaws of his own like any other student which is normal."
The duo gets stunned at the teenager's words and maturity but then Mrs. Asthana says, "I appreciate your way of thinking beta but you know it's impossible to change Jay! He is a stubborn kid!"
Nishi smiles and says gesturing at the duo with her both hands, "Mam, you, our teachers are the once who teach us students all our life that nothing is impossible. This word does not exist actually. Because of you teachers. . . . .we are able to believe in ourselves more and do what seems impossible to us without giving up and trying our best continuously. I'm sure your teachers also taught you the same thing that's where you learnt it from and we are learning it from you. And you are telling me that it's impossible?" They look at her smiling face then exchange looks with each other.
Nishi further says, "If he is being stubborn then you need to be patient with him, with them just as we 40-50 or sometimes 80 students in one classroom are patient with you teachers, understanding well that the teacher will not be able to concentrate on each and every student. But even just a little bit of your attention can change his life towards the right path. And who said we need to change him and his friends? We don't need to change him or any of his friends but we just need to bring them back by showing them that the good is still living in them. अगर खिड़की पर थोड़ी सी धूल आ जाये तो क्या हम पूरी खिड़की तोड़कर बाहर निकाल फेंकते हैं? नहीं! We just simply wipe the dust with a cloth or if there are still some tints of dust left on it, then we clean the window with a wet clothe. बस थोड़ी सी धूल आ गई है वही हटानी है." She finishes moving her right hand as if she is mopping the floor making them smile brightly at her.
She smiles at them and requests making a pleading cute face, "Please, don't give up on them."
[ Translation 1: "If a little dust comes on the window, do we break the whole window and throw it out? No!"
Translation 2: "Just a little dust has come, that has to be removed." ]
The principal and the teacher exchange looks with each other having a proud smile.
Mr. Indra Kashyap, the principal smiles at the new student sitting in front of him and says, "From now on, I'll be more careful with my words while talking to not only Jay but with every student and I'll call a meeting to make sure that all of the other teachers also follow it and understand the timing that when they should be scolding the students and when they should be gentle with them."
"And when they need to be their friend." Mrs. Asthana completes his sentence with a genuine smile making Nishi smile brightly at their words as they duo exchanges smiles
"Thank you so much Sir! Thank you so much Ma'am!" Nishi says beaming at them. She was genuinely happy that now her seniors will not be treated differently. She talked about him because she saw something in Jay's eyes which not even his teachers could see. She understands them without sharing a word with her seniors or if there is a reason she was able to understand their situation?
The duo smiles and says, "Thanks to you!"
She frowns and asks blinking at them, "Why me, Sir?"
"Because you made us realize that a teacher's role is not just in the books or their students' report card but actually on the student's mind. They write and draw on their paper like minds whatever we teach them, they remember it lifetime, weather it is right or wrong, good or bad. If we will not tell them that what is right and why something is wrong then they will only read things as a parrot and will keep nodding yes or no instead of observing things themselves and only then make a valid decision after going to every point on their own. We need to help them to learn how to analyse things, not how to repeat everything like a parrot without understanding the difference. So, Thank you, beta!" Mr. Kashyap, the principal says earning a genuine smile from the new student.
"So, no need to worry! Now you leave because I think the prayer is already done and the class is going to start in a few minutes." He says in a hurry checking his watch.
"Oh yeah! I forgot but I think it's worth getting late today!" Nishi says with a smile earning two gently nodding smiles. She thanks him adding, "I'll take my leave, Sir. Thank you so much!"
Nishi gets up from her seat and starts leaving when the principal wishes her with a smile from behind, "Have a good day, kid!" She thanks him and leaves with Mrs. Asthana.
'Our College got a gem today! I can't be more proud on her! I'll tell my PA to arrange a meeting with Dean Sir about this teacher - student responsibility.' The principal thinks with a nod.
*
Nishi walks through the corridor with Mrs. Asthana when she hears her speaking to her, "Thank you so much, dear! You made me realise that as a teacher I was making a big mistake." Nishi smiles at her when she hears her muttering with a sad face, "I think as a teacher I failed this exam."
"Exams never end Ma'am, they come one after the other till our last breath and same exams repeat until we learn the lessons properly. And this is your next exam or should I say another opportunity?" Nishi asks blabbering making the 48 years old woman stop in her tracks.
The teacher looks at the teenager who is confused thinking if she said something wrong but then Mrs. Asthana smiles at her and putting her hand on Nishi's head, she says, "I'm so proud of you and Vihaan. Thank you for encouraging me. I promise I will never give up on him or any other student." She says making Nishi smile brightly at her who thanks her genuinely grateful, "Thank you so much, Ma'am!"
They go upstairs on the third floor and walk through the corridor. They stand near a classroom's door which is full of students. The students can't see anyone as they were standing at a safe distance. "Now, go ahead! And all the best for your first day!" Mrs. Asthana wishes her luck to which Nishi smiles and thanks her, "Thank you, Mam!"
*
In Nishi's Class :
Once Mrs. Asthana leaves to attend her own classes with an encouraged smile, Nishi turns and looks at the small rectangular wooden slate just above the entrance which had Class: 11 'A' written on it.
She enters the class room grabbing all the attention. All the students look at the entrance to find a new student standing on the door way. The teacher is yet to come. She scans the room in search of any empty seats.
She notices that there were four rows at some distance from each other. Each row had 8 study tables attached with a two seater. A green board is in the place of a black board with a chair and a medium sized wooden table for the teacher's use, placed at a safe distance from the green board in front of the students. There is only one seat left with no one sitting on it, second row, last fourth table. Without looking here and there, she directly walks to the empty seat and sits on the right side placing her school bag on the left side. She sits properly making herself comfortable. As soon as she faces the green board to look ahead, she finds the entire class staring at her. She blinks first then says looking at them scanning the entire class after few seconds, "Trust me, I'm a human!" She earns some giggles in reply at her dumbly blinking expression more than her sarcasm.
Just then a 32 years old adult man enters the classroom. He is wearing a red shirt and a blue skin hugging jeans making him look handsome. Varun, the class monitor stands up saying, "Attention!"
All the students stand up straight including Nishi. She was going to greet the teacher along with her new classmates but she gets goes dumb as they greet him, "Gooooooooddd Moooorrrrnninng Siiiiiir!"
Nishi makes a face thinking, 'Hain?! Uh. . . .What was that?'
"Good morning all! Sit down!" The teacher permits making them sit down on their seats as they thank him, "Thaaaaaaaannnnkkk Yooouuuuu, Siiiirrrr!"
Nishi was just looking at the students like an alien. 'Are they thanking the teacher or rehearsing for some drama?' She wanted to facepalm but shakes off the urge and sits down while narrowing her eyes at the scene.
The teacher says further asking, "First of all, we have a new student here! Who is it? Please, stand up!" Nishi stands up with a plain face. The teacher notices her and commands, "Come outside and introduce yourself."
Nishi walks and stands in between the 4 rows facing the students and the teacher who stands near the third row's first seat folding his hands where Varun is sitting with one of his friends Rishi Verma.
"Hello everyone! Myself Nishi Khurrana!" Nishi introduces herself greeting them and then shuts her mouth and looks at the teacher and the teacher looks at her with the entire class.
*Pin drop silence with a background crickets' sound.*
"And?" The teacher asks hinting her to introduce herself further.
"And?" She asks in return and he looks at her confusedly while the students laugh finding it funny. Then after 2 seconds she asks earning some giggles, "और भी कुछ बोलना है क्या?" Her Hindi accent makes them laugh.
[ Translation : "Is there anything else to say?" ]
"Class!" He says shutting their giggling and says calmly, "Introduce yourself properly. Like, about your family? How many members are there in your family? What do they do? Your hobbies? And all those basic things."
"Oh! I thought it's enough. Okay!" She says looking at him earning a chuckle from a girl sitting near Vaani. She looks straight scanning the class and introduces herself again chirpily, "Hey everyone! Myself Nishi Khurrana! The luckiest man having me as his daughter is Mr. Vineet Khurrana." The whole class laughs at her choice of words even the teacher was smiling amusedly. "The most beautiful woman who gave me birth is Mrs. Karuna Khurrana." This makes the kids think about her as they heard these names before but are confused if she is exactly the person they are thinking about, including the teacher. She says further, "By the way I have a big family that I'm still trying to learn their names as it's not less than a locality-", a wave of laughter comes making the teacher giggle with his students but she continues, "-but in this big family it's me, my parents and my elder brother as a small family. My brother's name is Vihaan Khurrana." Some students gasp and the teacher stares at her realising who she really is.
However, she continues, "My father is a businessman, mother is a social worker, running NGOs and my brother is also a businessman. I have been living in New York, America that's why my Hindi accent may sound a bit weird to you all. I don't really have any hobbies as I enjoy everything around me except gossip. That's quite boring for me. I hope we get along well. Thank you." She finishes her intro and they all fall silent.
"Vihaan Khurrana? As in you are 'The Vihaan Khurrana's' sister?" A student from backbench asks her blinking in disbelief.
"I don't remember him adding 'THE' before his name. When did he add that?" She asks frowning being confused earning another small wave of laughter.
"She is funny!" One of the students comments.
The teacher comes forward and stands near her at a safe distance and asks shutting the class, "Class! You are Mr. Vineet Khurrana's daughter? The 7th billionaire in India?" Nishi nods earning some 'WHOAs' and 'WOWs' from the students.
"You know, your brother also studied here once when he was a kid." The teacher says.
"He is still a kid, trust me!" She says earning some chuckles including the teacher.
"By the way, myself Mitesh Agarwal. I'm your homeroom teacher and your English teacher too which I don't think that you need after listening to your English." He says introducing himself earning a chuckle from the new student who replies, "Not really Sir, if you ask me! No matter how much we learn, it always feels like we still know nothing."
He smiles at her smartness and says, "Principal Sir already told me about a new student coming but I didn't know it's going to be exactly Vihaan's sister."
"Looks like my brother is quite famous here." She says with amusement.
Mitesh Sir answers, "Oh yeah! He is! Specially among the students as he has been a brilliant student here. So, most of the students really respect him and think of him as an ideal person who motivates them."
"Looks like they have to think again!" Nishi mutters under her breath for no one to hear as she thinks of her brother's behaviour towards her which was unbelievable even without telling her that what is wrong she has done.
"Did you say something?" Mitesh asks.
"I was saying he is a genius and we should start the class because I don't want to be the reason behind the incomplete syllabus." She says casually earning a chuckle from her new homeroom teacher.
"Okay. Please take your seat and yeah, your way of introduction is interesting." He says chuckling at her earning some chuckles to which she smiles back at him and goes back to her seat.
Mitesh marks their attendance and in the end takes Nishi's name telling her, "Nishi, I marked your attendance in the end with pencil but soon after few days I'll tell you your roll number as who knows if we are going to have some more new students. Okay?" Nishi nods at his words.
"Nishi, Varun is the class monitor here and Garima is the co-monitor. Rishi and Vaani both work as a monitor if Garima and Varun both go absent which hardly happens." Mitesh informs Nishi who nods. He commands further, "And monitors, please introduce yourselves to her after the class and help her today with the time table and other things including the library."
Garima who is sitting just behind Nishi nods at her teacher while Varun says, "Sure, Sir."
"And Nishi, the college includes our school so the entire area is quite big. You will see it slowly. Just don't go anywhere alone as you are new here and might get lost because there are some places where students are not allowed but either the staff or teachers are allowed to go." Mitesh says warning her and she nods saying obediently, "Yes, Sir."
"Okay. Now sit down. Let's start the class now!" Mitesh starts the class.
Soon the second period comes which is of computer science for which they needed to go visit the lab as the class used to be taken in the computer lab itself because there were not many fans of computer science. Nishi takes out her book and a notebook and looks around for a computer science student. Garima and two more girls and some boys had computer science too as their subject.
Garima taps on Nishi's shoulder grabbing her attention. Nishi turns to her and says with a gentle smile, "I have computer science too. Shall we leave?"
Nishi nods returning the smile and they leave for their next class.
Garima introduces herself and the other two girls, "I didn't introduce you myself properly during. . . ." She trails off as Nishi nods telling her that it's okay she understands. "Anyways! Hi! Myself Garima Sharma! This is Shanaya Singh, she joined us a year back and is our good friend and this is Vaani Patel, my childhood bestie. We know each other since we were babies."
Nishi greets them, "Hi! You already know me."
"I think the entire college now! Specially after the morning scene." Shanaya says with a bit taunting tone.
Garima glares at her saying with gritted teeth, "Don't mind her! She has a habit of blabbering nonsense!" Then Garima says changing the topic turning to Nishi, "By the way, I'm sorry, I couldn't help you this morning."
Nishi shakes her head dismissing, "Naah! You tried and that's enough for me. And yeah, thank you for that!"
"By the way, this is Varun Singh Rathore, Rishi Verma and Advik Sharma. They are also our friends." Garima says introducing them.
Nishi gives them a friendly smile which none returns. Garima glares at the trio and they give the new student a tight lipped smile who smiles sarcastically thinking, 'Aish! These brats!"
"Let's go! We are getting late!" Shanaya says dragging Garima who mutters glaring at her, "Behave yourself, Shan! She is new!"
"I know. But she is not a kid who will get lost!" Shanaya says rolling her eyes making her sigh.
*
In The Computer Lab 🖥️ :
Garima smiles at Nishi nervously seeing her friends' behavior and the friends walk towards the computer lab with the new student and some classmates.
The computer lab is on the ground floor as it is a big lab for all the students including the college. If the other computer lab gets full of students, then students from college were allowed to use the computers and sometimes share them with the juniors in such cases which was rare.
There were so many computers in the lab. There were three rows; first and then the second row had computers placed on both sides, i.e., two computers facing each other with their back side on the same table and then the third row.
They enter the lab finding some 30 students already sitting there on their chairs. Divij Verma, their computer teacher was already sitting on his seat, waiting for the students to come so that he can start the class. Shanaya, Garima, Vaani take their seats in the first row, their friends take their seats with the boys and Nishi goes to the teacher.
"Good morning, Sir!" Nishi greets the teacher while he nods without looking at her. She says further introducing herself, "Sir, myself Nishi Khurrana! I'm a new student. Please mark my attendance." Her words finally makes him look up at her. He stares at her from top to bottom and then bottom to top and asks, "What name?"
She repeats herself, "Nishi Khurrana."
He nods and marks her attendance telling her to take her seat. Nishi turns back to only meet a familiar face, Arika Rawat who is already staring at her in shock as she hears her name when Nishi was introducing herself to the computer teacher. Arika is sitting with her friend Emelia Ronglow who is from South India and a Christian.
Nishi smiles at Arika like a kid in recognition but she looks down immediately ignoring her vanishing her smile. Nishi shrugs and goes to sit next to Vaani with Garima in middle and then Shanaya.
"Do you know Arika? I saw you smiling at her." Vaani asks Nishi raising an eyebrow.
"She is a family friend." Nishi says switching on the computer.
Vaani freezes hearing that and stares at Nishi and then back at Arika who was reading her book. She bites her inner cheek trying to calm herself down and not to shout at Nishi at that very moment as she turns and with a blazing stare that why didn't she tell them about it already. But she controls herself to face it later.
The class continues as the students are told to make a C++ program to print two numbers, one even and another one odd and their sum should be equals to 13. As soon as the class ends Vaani takes Garima's hand hurrying for their class.
"Arre! What's wrong with you? I can't leave her alone like that. She hardly knows our school." Says an angry Garima to Vaani, her best friend who is dragging a confused Garima to her sudden change of behavior. Shanaya is just standing behind them.
"Oh really! Then I think her family friend is there to help her. She doesn't need us anymore." Taunts an angry Vaani to her bestie making the duo confuse.
"Family friend?!" Garima repeats her words totally lost from the suject of their conversation.
"What are you talking about?" Shanaya asks Vaani with a frown.
"Do you know who is her family friend?" Vaani asks them making them exchange looks then nod in negative as a reply.
Vaani answers her own question, "Arika Rawat, the big bully of our school!"
The duo gasps getting the new information from their friend. Then Shanaya adds frowning deeply, "Da*n! Now I get it!"
"What did you get? If she is her family friend that doesn't mean she must be like her." Garima says calmly.
"Why do you think she was behaving like that with the senior Jay, the biggest bully! Laughing at him?! Because she is a bully herself, simple!" Shanaya spits frowning angrily. This little piece of information made them shocked.
Because Arika is already famous as a bully in the school and knowing that Nishi knows her closely, the new piece of information added to Vaani's dislike towards Nishi immediately. Knowing that this new student whom they were trying to help is none other than the big bully's family friend, which means trouble is coming itself to them, Vaani says sternly, "And now, no one from us is going to help her in anything! Her 'family friend' is here for her. I'm sure, she will help her in the best way possible. She doesn't need us anymore. Let's go!" She doesn't want to be friends with a bully or a bully's friend.
"I knew it that something is wrong with her. The way she was laughing was so cringe and demoniac!" Shanaya says scrunching her nose in disgust.
"But, how do you know that?" Garima asks Vaani as her heart is not believing a word of her bestie for the first time.
"I saw her smiling at Arika, so I asked her if she knows her and she told me herself that Arika is her family friend." Vaani answers.
"But if she wanted to bully us just as her then why she would tell you herself that they are family friends?" Garima asks Shanaya's unasked question.
"Because 1. She came from foreign, and we all know how they bully students there. There is no difference in here and there.
All Students are being bullied in every corner of the world, knowingly or unknowingly. And 2. Remember, how Arika behaved with you as if you will never find anyone better than her in the entire world as a friend and what she did to you after that? How she bullied you?! I don't think I need to remind you! The whole college knows that! And still you are bearing it!" Vaani says angrily looking away. When Garima stays silent, Vaani turns to her friend onky to find her upset remembering the past bad memories. A guilty feeling brushes her heart at her words as she reminded her of the bitter past mistakenly.
*End of the chapter.*
Author :
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