"Hey what happened?" Isha asked after coming out of trustee's cabin.

"Don't take me wrong ...... May be I am wrong but I always have this weird feeling around principal ...... I mean I don't know why but I don't feel comfortable with his gaze ..... Sometimes I feel he is staring at me or something like that" she said in a haste, trying to open up in front of Isha. Actually after breaking friendship with her best friends in past she never made any friend, she thought her love is enough, Sumit is enough, forever nd she won't need anyone else, because love is above everything.

"No ..... U r not wrong even I have sensed his intentions are not good for you that's why I accompanied you ..... U know I think u should complain about him to trustee" she pointed out.

"That won't be useful, I guess" she sighed.

"Why? ...... He seems helpful, today he took ur side too".

"He did that to maintain his image ...... Nd it was small issue but taking action against principal is big thing...... No one ever complained about him and I'm already an unofficial teacher ..... My poverty adds up as a bonus in his account, he will say I'm framing him for money or fame or just to stain his image...... Nd at the end they will simply throw me out of the school and right now I need this job ..... So I don't have any option" Nandini explained her side and even Isha couldn't disagree to it, because possible outcomes predicted by her were liable.

"Idk why life is so complicated?" She sighed in frustration.

"I guess it's our own actions or decisions which makes it complicated" Nandini said being lost in her own past world and Isha nodded remembering her decision of sacrificing love of her life.

"I hate to agree" she showed displeasure and pity.

"It's okay ...... Now let's go ...... Students might have turned classroom into war zone" they chuckled and left to their respective classes.

...................||

"Don't u think it would turn nasty if someone gets even a hint of what you are planning to do?" Adhiraj said this to Manik when they both were roaming on floors of school to find one empty room which will qualify some basic demands.

"I guess we should look for room on ground floor...... It will be easy if we plan to dig tunnel or something" ignoring his bullshit Manik talked sense.

"No way ....... Elder students study there and nowadays children are too smart for their age ..... What if someone will find ur stuff nd use it? ....... Don't play with innocent lives, please" he pleaded immediately.

"Stop folding ur hands ..... As u said children are smart asses so there's a possibility of them leaking info into media ..... So u suggest me a safe place or I will choose myself then it will be any class ...... Be quick" Manik smirked seeing the change of expression on Adhiraj's face. Now he is sure Adhiraj will take his words seriously.

"Okay come ....... There's a old computer lab which is open but unused from some months as few computers are not working properly ....... It's on ground floor and in corner, also it's not in this building ....... There's a another small nd old building for laboratories nd library ...... This way u can keep ur work away from students reach" he vomited the exact information which Manik wanted. Adhiraj deliberately kept those computers unattended since he heard Manik's great plan last month. He tried his best to avoid Manik but he also kept back up ready, because he was sure at the end Manik will get what he wants. That's what Manik nd his own father do with him since childhood. They just orders without considering his opinions or feelings.

"This is what I like about good people ...... They can't think of anything bad happening to their loved ones" and devil just teased helpless Adhiraj.

......................||

"Goooooood afternooooon teacherrrr" students wished her as soon as she got into the class, she smiled at them and asked them to sit after wishing them back.

"So u all must be very happy, right?" She asked being enthusiastic for them, she can't be selfish to not share their happiness nd excitement so keeping aside her issues she got involved with her students. Barely fifteen minutes were left for her period to end because more than half time was already wasted in Adhiraj's cabin so she thought of just conversing today and her students were happy with that decision.

They randomly started discussing about the future camp like whose parents will allow them? and what things they will bring with them?, what type of food and clothes should they pack?, etc. Also they started discussing each other's skills nd what should they perform there for basic entertainment.

"Ma'am we will also play passing the parcel or Antakshari" one girl suggested.

"These are too cliche we should organise small small competitions for each night like Indian idol or DID, lite versions of such reality show" one boy suggested and everyone agreed immediately.

"Yes ma'am ...... Trisha sings so well in our class" one girl with two braids said this.

"Yes ma'am ..... Last year she won prize in annual function too" one more student supported that girl.

"Arey waah ...... So it's final she will sing ...... But where is Trisha?" With Nandini's abrupt question Tina (frnd of Trisha) got worried.

"Don't know ma'am ....... After assembly she didn't come".

"Okay ...... Nd why that seat is empty too ? ...... Only bag is there ...... Whose bag it is?" Nandini asked little suspiciously because some students worried expressions were enough to rose doubt in her mind.

"Avdhut's ma'am" one boy said timidly.

"And Where is he?" Nandini asked little sternly.

"I don't know".

"Okay u guys sit quiet ...... Monitors mind the class ...... Ur next class will start within 5mins ...... I will just go nd check" she quitely instructed them and this time they agreed without any tantrum. Because no teacher in school will react calmly like her and they respects her for being understanding.

...............||

Nandini started looking out for her students, she was having many thoughts in her mind and she was just praying for her doubts not to turn real. Mostly she don't live in her ideal, past life anymore where rules nd way of living was different than now but she starts accepting the present, not only because she has revolutionary opinions but also cause of her own experiences in life. She knows how mistake happens unknowingly and also sometimes how hard it gets to resist unwanted things or feelings, so she don't judge people instead try to see through their views by keeping aside her own perceptions.

She couldn't ignore her suspicion and was secretly walking towards the old computer laboratory, it's not like she is entering forbidden territory but she wants to avoid meeting any teacher or peon because she don't want to expose students in front of anyone before she talks with them and also there is possibility of her being wrong too.

Manik and Adhiraj also came out of the large building and started following way to their destination, they were quite far from lab and Manik's eyes landed on baby pink saree, he scrutinized his eyes to get clear view of her hair ends dancing on her waist as she had left them half opened.

"That unofficial teacher is trespassing my territory and I won't allow that" his voice was low but it held power nd anger for that unknown poor soul.

"Manik what's wrong with you ...... Why are you getting bothered by her normal things too ...... I have never seen u like this with any woman ...... And about that lab it still belongs to school..... She might be going for some work" Adhiraj said calmly.

"Ohh yeah she must be computer repairer ....... Afterall that must be only work any human can do with defected computers ..... Or may be she is thinking of cleaning room with her saree pallu ...... Very much normal" Manik said sarcastically making Adhiraj amused. He never saw Manik speaking this much in a whole day, he is so ignorant towards the world that it's very hard to get any reaction out of him. He is sure she must have done something bad or good, or may be both to Manik.

"Okay let's follow her" he agreed.

"Without making any sound" Adhiraj rolled his eyes at Manik.

Before actually entering the room she heard some shuffling voices and when she was at doorstep her breath got stuck, it wasn't something unexpected but still it felt too wrong to be true at this moment.

"Trishaaa ...... Avdhut" she screamed their names in anger mixed with horror and they instantly broke their slow kiss. They got so scared nd embarrassed that they didn't dare to look at teacher's face, even she was embarrassed to witness her students kissing each other in school. She couldn't get rid of the image of Avdhut slowly kissing Trisha by holding her neck with one hand and other hand was everywhere possible on her body.

"Woh ...... Woh ..... Ma'am ...... Woh ...... Sorry ma'am" they stuttered very badly but she just gave them disappointed and hurt look.

"Ma'am sorry please don't tell our parents ma'am please" Trisha started crying for real.

"They will kill me please do not tell them" she cried more.

"Ma'am please it's not her mistake ..... It's my mistake...... Don't take action against her ...... Don't even leak her name please" Avdhut pleaded too, he was trying to be brave but he was kid too, just 14 yrs old. And Nandini was just surprised only kids can be true otherwise men like her husband are deceiving.

"Surely ur parents need to know that what u guys are doing in school" three of them got startled by the unexpected interruption of trustee. They turned back to look at him and anger on his face was stating that he has witnessed the scene. His expressions scared Nandini too, she lowered her gaze and slightly lifted her eyelashes to look at the person standing beside Adhiraj and her breath hitched for a second then she started breathing heavily when her eyes found him already starting at her. In the morning she literally thought he didn't recognise her and he didn't care enough to pay attention to even her talks then why he is looking at her now. May be he is glaring at her to be unreasonable teacher even in the morning and now too.

"No sir please don't do that" this time Avdhut was also crying with Trisha.

"That's not gonna happen because they will blame us if u guys behave like this in future. Also it's school's responsibility to make them aware of ur deeds" his words were making Nandini worried and with lots of gut and every ounce of confidence she spoke for first time in a while.

"Sorry to interrupt you sir but I would like to talk to you before u call their parents" she requested and Adhiraj nodded.

"U guys can go in classroom ...... Don't talk with anyone just sit at ur place nd do ur study" they looked at her with hopeful eyes and silently followed her instructions. Everyone noticed all the while both children were shivering.

....................||

"What is it Miss ....?" Adhiraj folded his arms on his chest and asked authoritatively, he didn't like when she sent away students without his permission.

"Nandini ...... Nandini Kamat" she said nervously.

"Sorry sir for sending them away but i didn't want to talk in front of them because they shouldn't take me for granted ...... Because I'm going to defend them" without looking at his face she said while staring at floor.

"Like seriously? ........ U r defending them even after seeing the scene" He gave unbelievable look.

"Try to understand please ....... See nowadays students are getting the knowledge about everything and anything that too without having maturity to deal with it ...... Nd they are experiencing things way earlier in their life because of unwanted knowledge and sources..... Whatever happened, It seems so wrong nd it is wrong ....... But we can't neglect the fact that it's happening ..... Many students are getting influenced by wrong things and in trying to be trendy with world they r doing things under peer pressure ..... So it's a wrong yet common" Manik wasn't looking at her, he was busy in his phone which made her little relax while speaking and Adhiraj was at least not angry.

"Don't u think their parents need to know? ...... In future people will blame the school if we don't take any action now ...... It will set bad impression in school and people will think our school supports adolescent romance " Adhiraj asked.

"Again sorry for speaking too much ..... But as they said their parents will kill them, they surely will not practically but they will somehow kill their liveliness ....... They will be treated like culprits as if they did sin ....... Nd we don't know what impact that will leave on students mind." She said, timidly looking at him afraid of being judged wrong.

"Sir students are changing with the world but some parents are still stuck at their old beliefs ...... They will beat them or lock them in room or won't give food for a day or two ...... But it will be purely punishment and they don't need it" she continued confidently.

"Why?" This time Adhiraj was curious to know her views because even his perspective was changing with her opinion.

"Y because no one will try to understand them but everyone will punish them ...... I feel that's where our society lacks ...... They don't give space to children to do mistakes, they directly punishes them ...... Which in a way spoils them, either they becomes more rebellious or they start feeling left out from the world" Even though Manik doesn't give thought to any of the happenings in world but today he was attentive to her words.

"So what will u suggest? ....... What solution do u have?"  He heard Adhiraj's voice.

"First let me talk to them nd try to make them understand ...... Or else I will arrange someone else to do work of making them understand ..... But till then please don't tell this to anyone not even to principal sir" Manik didn't miss nervousness in her voice at the end.

"But who will take responsibility of their future? ..... Nowadays it's very difficult to control them, they r even disrespectful to teachers ...... Don't u think u shouldn't involve urself with their responsibility?" He said being concerned about her.

"Actually instead of making them understand our view i think we should understand them ..... Because it's not only them who r in relationship, I'm sure there are many students ..... We should also adopt the changes nd we should educate them more than restraining them ...... Because eventually they will do what they want behind our back nd we can't keep watch on them for 24*7 ..... But if they will have their own knowledge then they can surely choose what's good or bad for them ..... Otherwise forbidden things makes a person more desperate" she explained her view and both the men were lost in deep thinking still one of them pretended to be busy in phone. While she spoke everything out of her personal analysis, because she knows where she went wrong and what were the things which affected her decisions nd how she let herself get ruined.

"Let me know if u need any help" his words helped her anxious mind and she sighed. Seeing him genuinely being good she for a second thought of complaining about principal but then refrained herself.

"Thank you sir ...... I will try to do right thing, hopefully" she sighed.

"Don't worry ur motive is right u will do fine" just then his ph rang showing his father's name on screen. So he excused himself and went out of the room to talk because there is no sureity that they will have good conversation.

.......................||

Nandini saw Adhiraj going out but she don't know if she should just go or wait for Adhiraj's permission. But how will she stay in the presence of supposed mafia. Then he looked harmless, he didn't even acknowledge her presence since the time they r here so she should not feel scared yet his calmness and danger aura wasn't helping her nervousness.

"So it's ur habit to live in uncomfortable situations no matter what it takes from u, right?" she heard his deep, manly voice, she looked at him but he was still engrossed in his ph.

"Only if u know what it takes to bear something just because u r powerless" at this moment she knew he had sensed her discomfort around principal in the cabin. So she too left the pretendence.

"Power is not required for simple complain ..... Implementation may need it but complain doesn't" she never thought his voice can sound this scary when in reality he didn't even show any ounce of anger or high pitch isn't involved in his voice.

"I'm not insane to complain without having problem" she don't know why she defended principal but she did, may because he didn't do anything to her and it could be just her assumption about his bad intentions. Nd what will she do if everything turns against her, she is just new teacher here, no one will believe her instead they will call her attention seeker. The worst will happen if things reaches to Sumit and without any explanation he will blame her and believe principal. Because he always thinks she will leave him for rich man.

"Done lying to me nd convincing urself with better options to hide ur coward side?" This time he was looking at her, waiting for an answer and when she looked up their eyes collided making her shuddered under his gaze.

"I don't roam with a gun in hand to shoot any person just because he is breathing around me" she don't know how she got so much courage to use such tone in front of him.

"Stop being spineless to express what u feel" he marched towards her and gritted his teeth, there was enough distance of 10inches between them still she could feel heat radiating from him.

"I'm definitely not being spineless otherwise I wouldn't have dare to say truth infront of Mafia" after gulping a lump in her throat she again spoke but this time her voice was lacking courage and her lips were quaking out of fear.

"Even 2 mins will be more than needed to finish ur chapter ..... So be in ur limits"
He grabbed her arms harshly nd threatened but when he saw her quaking lips and scared eyes, he immediately left her. He felt ashamed of himself, he never manhandled any lady.

"And u ..... Keep urself out of my life" murmuring this in audible tone nd not meeting his eyes she moved away, reducing the invisible closeness of his aura nd went out of the class. She felt guilty for not feeling disgusted by his touch, may be because she knew he was angry and wasn't taking advantage of her, so it was his normal way of expressing anger obviously he is mafia and hence proved nothing wrong happened. She don't know he is real mafia or not but he didn't deny being one so may be he is, she assumed.

Adhiraj saw her going hurriedly that too without acknowledging his presence still he just concentrated on his call. Then he saw Manik coming out too.

"Let's go" Manik came after her and spoke in attitude with hands in pocket nd eyes ahead on ground. Adhiraj cutted the call.

"Did something happened between u two ?"

"Why would u say that?" Manik was very calm nd normal as if nothing happened.

"I saw her going away in haste ..... She didn't care to tell me before leaving and no one does that ...... So". He was still little suspicious.

"May be she couldn't bear handsome aura oozing out from my dashing personality ...... And we were just alone" this answer surprised him, never in life he has seen Manik boosting his looks that too in front of lady.

"She looks too innocent nd disinterested to give any fuck about ur look" however he didn't point the surprising thing and just went with a flow.

"Ohh come on u know it's a lie" again Manik's self praising amused Adhiraj.

"And why r u so conserned? .......  Is it something more than teacher nd trustee or what?" When Adhiraj stayed silent Manik spoke curiously because Adhiraj is someone who won't leave chance to follow a beautiful girl.

"Whattt ? ...... R u nuts ?" He shouted desperately.

"Don't u try on every beautiful girl u meet ...... Not that she was very beautiful but yeah" again this was the first time Manik was judging any girl on basis of her looks because everytime he simply behaves as if another gender doesn't exists on planet. Nd his indifference felt like forewarning to Adhiraj and all of sudden without saying anything she became forbidden.

"I do but she is intelligent too ..... So not my type ...... I follow beauty with no brains so that she won't get involved in my life to find how messy it can be" Manik didn't say anything more because he knew last sentence was taunt to him, because no matter what at the end Adhiraj chooses his father nd Manik over anyone that's why he just involves himself in little flirting here nd there.

Manik directly moved out of the college he don't like to feel guilty just because someone cares for him. He is fine with people hating him but Adhiraj always behaves as a pain in ass that too without doing anything for him. Sometimes he really think it will be better to kill him nd feel pain once rather than feeling guilty everytime when he puts Manik over everything. And Adhiraj, he also loves Manik but he loves his father more and he knows only Manik can keep him alive, so even he is little selfish.

..................... End .....................||

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................. Aish ❣️................