Part 14

A few minutes later in the library:
Naina: Sameer, hume iss assignment ke hisaab se kinhi do aisi ghatnaon ka warnan karna hai....

Sameer interrupted her: War....war... war na kya kaha tumne Naina... Hindi mein bolo na please...

A tiny smile escaped her lips and she took a deep breath and thought "Sameer and his Hindi"...

Naina: "Warnan" matlab "Describe" Hume kinhi aisi dou ghatnaon ko describe karna hai, jisne itihaas mein duniya ko badal diya... Socho, aisa kya ho sakta hai?

Sameer: Aisa toh tabhi ho sakta hai, jab kuch naya hua ho ya fir koi bahut badi ladayi...jaise World War. Kyon na hum World War pe research kare?

Naina: Hmmm...Idea toh achcha hai, par common hai, bahut saare log world war pe likhenge, hume kuch aur sochna chahiye, koi alag ghatna....Ek kaam karte hai, main yahan Hindi mein History section dekhti hoon, tum wahan English section dekho, kuch naya mile toh...

They agreed to divide the work and went in search for novel topics. A few minutes later, both came to the table excited.

Naina: Dekho mujhe kya mila...French Revolution, atharahvi shatabdi mein Louis XVI ke shasan ke dauran....
Seeing Sameer squinting at her as if she was actually speaking in French, she halted and continued to explain in English the terror reign of the king that led to French Revolution.

Sameer: Haan, yeh achcha hai, usi time period mein Industrial Revolution ne duniya ki agricultural technology hi badal di...kyon na hum iss topic pe likhe.

Naina: Haan, ek kaam karte hai, main French Revolution pe padhti hoon, tum Industrial pe padho, fir apni information milayenge, aur achcha sa essay tayyar karenge, jisme inn ghatnaon ka aapas ka samabandh aur unka duniya pe kaisa asar tha, uske baare mein describe karenge...

He nodded in excitement. They gathered more available books on the topics and armed with enough literature, sat down to read and make the necessary notes.

A few moments into the task, she saw Sameer fumbling, he was trying to write but kept on cancelling and rewriting. She understood his dilemma and spoke.

Naina: Sameer, tum English mein likh sakte ho, jab hum final essay likhenge, main Hindi mein anuvaad kar loongi...matlab translate....

She smiled at him reassuringly and buried her nose back into the books. He couldn't stop staring at her and how easily she could read his mind and gauge his difficulties. Even though she wanted to stay away from him, she was always there to help him even without asking....He fell a little more in love with her and smiled at his good fortune.

Just then as if she sensed his loving gaze on her, she looked up, narrowed her eyes at him and gestured to pay attention to the task at hand.

Sameer fumbled as if jolted out of dreamland and focused on his books. They continued to discuss and make notes about whatever they thought was important.

Sometime later, Rakesh entered the library and the sight that met his eyes raged him and without any thoughts, he marched to the table where both were deep in discussion and peering at each other's notes.
Rakesh simply marched to him and jerked him out of the chair holding him by the collar.

Rakesh: Tumhari himmat kaise hui, meri beti ke paas baithne ki, use pareshan kar rahe ho...tumhe itni baar sazaa mil chuki hai, par kutte ki punch ki tarah tedhe ke tedhe hi rahoge....Wahan tumhare Nana, trustee hone ka fayda uthakar apni manmaani karte hai aur yahan tum unke bigdail naati, awaragardi karte ho....

Sameer didn't mind that Rakesh again pounced and insulted him without any fault but didn't like Nanu's name marred for anything. He was about to say something, when Naina voiced out.

She had had enough of her Papa's malicious acts against Sameer without his faults, and although she couldn't insult him, it was important that she speak out in favor of righteousness.

She gathered courage: Sir...chod dijiye Sameer ko...uski koi galati nahi hai.
She started pulling her Papa's hand to free Sameer.

Rakesh: Chup raho Naina...iss ameerzaade ko bachane ki koshish mat karo.

Naina: Mein sahi keh rahi hoon. Interschool competitions ke liye Shanti teacher ne hamari jodi banayi hai, aur ab se hum saare projects, assignments, aur practicals jodi mein karenge taaki tayyari karne mein aasani ho.

Rakesh was flabbergasted: Kya??? Teri Jodi iss baalon ki dukaan ke saath? Nahi aisa nahi hoga....Tu chal mere saath...

He left Sameer's collar, but pulled him by the hand towards Principal's office. Everyone in the corridor was shocked that again Sameer might have messed with Naina to incur Rakesh's wrath.

Naina was embarrassed with her Papa's actions but Sameer on the other hand was overwhelmed that this time Naina had taken a stand for him, without worrying about the consequences. He didn't expect her to do that and would not have felt bad if she had remained silent because now she might have to bear the brunt of it later and he would rather get slapped from her Papa than she being even scolded because of him.

MP were coming out of the canteen and saw the scenario.
Munna headpalmed: Yaar Ponga, kahi Sameer ne bhavnaon mein behkar sabke samne Bhabhi ka haath toh nahi pakad liya....jabse uski jodi bani hai bhabhi ke saath, khushi ke maare fulkar gubbara ho gaya hai....lagta hai safari suit fir principal ke paas shikayat karne ja raha hai...

Pandit: Chal Chenu, bahar se dekhte hai....and they moved in the same direction behind them.

Principal's office:
Rakesh entered the office without asking and jerked Sameer forward.

Princicpal: Ab kya hua Rakeshji? Ab kya kiya Sameer ne?

Rakesh: Yeh meri beti ko pareshan kar raha hai...

Principal sir looked at Sameer and he gave a surprised expression and shook his head furiously.

Naina started to speak: Sir....

Rakesh: Tu chup kar...Sir yeh ladka meri beti ko pareshan kar raha tha, uski kitab mein jhaank raha tha, zabardasti uski bagalwali seat par baith gaya tha....

MP frowned and cocked their brows from outside the office.

Munna: Yaar Ponga, lagta hai, safari suit ko pataa chal gaya hai ki Naina Sameer ki jodi banayi gayi hai....

Naina again tried to talk in defense of Sameer and Rakesh again cut her in between.

Finally, Principal sir was exasperated: Aap rukiye Rakeshji. Naina tum bolo, jo bhi hua hai, sach sach batao.

Naina started to describe how Shanti teacher had paired them and directed to do all tasks together as a team to prepare for the upcoming competitions. When Rakesh sir had seen them, they were working on Kumud teacher's assignment together. And she presented the notebooks on princi's desk.

Sameer was astonished, she smiled back. She had the good sense to pick up both their notebooks as proof of Sameer's innocence.

Princi gauged at the books carefully and declared: Naina sahi keh rahi hai Rakeshji, yeh log assignment pe hi kaam kar rahe the...Aap bhool gaye, aaj subah hi toh meeting mein naye badlav ke baare mein taiyy hua tha...

Rakesh: Mein kuch bhula nahi hoon sir, lekin meri beti iss baigdail ameerzaade ke saath kaam nahi karegi, mujhe yeh jodi manzoor nahi hai... Shantiji ki himmat kaise hui mujhse puche bina meri beti ke baare mein faisla karne ki?

Now principal sir lost his patience. He banged his hands on the table and stood up. Naina and MP were scared as they had never seen this side of him., while Sameer was surprised and Rakesh shocked.

Principal: Dekhiye Rakeshji, Sabse pehle toh aap sayyam rakhe, har mamooli baat par iss tarah niyantran kho denge toh bachchon ke liye kya udaharan rakhenge? Dusri baat, aap ek teacher hokar dusre teacher ke baare mein aise beadabi se baat nahi kar sakte. Shantiji aur Lochan Sir ko jodiyan bananeki zimmedari maine hi di thi, sabke saamne. Aur mujhe yakeen hai ki unhone apna kaam theek se kiya hai. Final list mere pass aa chuki hai aur unhone mujhe bataya ki jodiyan aise banayi gayi hai taaki har team mein saare gun ho, ek agar padhayi likhayi mein aage ho, toh dusra kalaa aur khel mein, iss tarah hamare jeetne ki ummed badh jaati hai. Teesri baat, Shantiji ko school ke baare mein aur bachhcon ke baare mein faisala karne ka utna hi haq hai jitna aapko hai, unhone Naina ki shaadi ka faisla nahi kiya hai...

Naina was shocked but Sameer couldn't control his smile even in this heated situation. MP had to cover their laugh under the pretext of cough.

Princi continued: Chauthi baat, aap khud Naina ko hamesha kehte rehte hai ki yahan school mein aap uske Papa nahi, Sir hai, toh ab aap yahan use sirf apni beti nahi, student samajiye aur uske saath baaki students jaisa hi vyavhaar kijiye. Mujhe pura yakeen hai ki agar Sameer ki jodi kisi aur ke saath hoti toh aapko koi aitraaz nahi hota...

Rakesh looked at him and appeared guilty of his selfish motives but he covered it up.

Princi: Aur sabse aakhiri aur zaroori baat, yeh school hai, aur yeh mera office, aapka ghar nahi hai ki jab chahe, muh uthaye apni bachkani shikayaten lekar dandanate huye andarr ghuss aaye. Aajke baad, baaki teachers ki tarah, aap bhi Peon ke dwara mujhse permission mangkar hi andarr aayenge.

Finally, he sat down dismissing everyone: Ab aap sab log ja sakte hai.

Rakesh was shocked at the last statement, he felt extremely insulted in front of the students. He left without saying a word and marched away avoiding all eyes.

Naina looked at Sameer but couldn't meet his eyes for long, she was embarrassed by her father's behavior and she too left.

Sameer came out and MP hugged him: Yaar aaj toh principal sir cha gaye, jo PVKM ke itihaas mein aajtak nahi hua tha, aaj ho gaya, ab naya itihaas banega. They explained that this was the first time someone had actually stood up against Rakesh.

Sameer: Aaj toh Naina ne bhi mujhe apne Papa ke gusse se bachaya hai, pataa nahi ab use kya jhelna padega...

He was worried but also knew that she was coming around slowly and getting bolder after revealing the paper incident. She was always truthful but one faltering in life had brought her back, and now she stood for him. He could only hope that her act was out of love and not sympathy.
He was going to get his answer soon.....