Part 10 Collector's Shot

Revival Foundation members postponed the awareness program the next day and did their usual work.

Khushi came home in the evening as usual through the Dark Street that was no DARKER. She rode the bike smiling. She saw women police on duty in the street. She thought something and stopped her bike.

"Hello madam" she smiled.

The policewomen nodded their heads.

"Will you be on duty here for the whole night?"

"No, we will change duty at 10 o'clock"

"Oh... ok"

"Why are you asking?"

"I thought you would be here for the whole night. So thought to do a favor"

"What favor?"

"My friend's house is there in the next lane. It's just two minutes from here. If you want you can go to their house and use the washroom"

They smiled.

"Thank you for your concern. We won't be here. The new collector ordered not to put women police on duty at night except in the police station"

"Oh... that's nice"

"By the way, you plant trees on the roadside, right?"

"Yes, madam, we belong to Revival foundation"

"That's great. Thank you"

"See you, madam"

Khushi left the place.

The policewomen smiled at each other.

"Someone like her still exists who understands women's problem..."

"She is also a woman. That's why she understands"

"We meet many women in our lives. Many women crossed us... how many of them paid attention to us? No one. Not even our department personalities."

"You are right. We have to stand for several hours on the roads. No one understands the plight of us not being able to use the washroom" she sighed.

"This girl seems genuine"

"After all, she is a social worker"

"Unpretending social worker"

They smiled.

Khushi knew how hard it was to be a policewoman. Doing duty wearing the uniform was not a simple thing. men could open spaces but women. That was why she wanted to help them.

{If you guys see a policewoman on duty near your house, please help them.}

Khushi came to GH and sat on the sofa with a thud.

"Shall I bring coffee?" Garima asked changing the TV channel.

"Yes, Amma. I badly need a cup of strong coffee"

Garima went to the kitchen. That was when Khushi got a call from Payal. She attended it.

"Tell me, Payu"

"Check our official district page on Facebook"

"Why?"

"I said, do it"

Disconnecting the call, Khushi opened the Facebook. The post, Payal mentioned was the first post that appeared as she was following the page. She got stuck, seeing herself and Vivek in the post with Arnav.

She didn't know when the photo was taken. Neither Arnav asked her to stand for the snap nor did he ask anyone to capture the photo. Then how did the photo was taken? It was a candid photo, it looked so natural. She read the post. It was about Vivek's specs. AN ACHIEVEMENT OF A SCHOOL STUDENT was the heading. Of course, the post mentioned Khushi Gupta too. BECAUSE OF THE EFFORT OF KHUSHI GUPTA THE SOCIAL WORKER, THE COLLECTOR GOT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ACHIEVER.

What made Khushi delighted was, that the collector recommended Vivek for the YOUNG SCIENTIST award. She was so glad about Vivek as well as Arnav. She commented, THANK YOU SIR and shared the post on her page with the caption, PEOPLE'S COLLECTOR.

Khushi was so excited about the next day's program. She selected a nice dress with a mild color. After the dinner, she went to bed but didn't get sleep. She prepared the notes in her mind for the next day's program. That was when her phone rang. Taking it, she checked it. The call was from an unknown number. She looked at the clock. It was 10 o'clock. She didn't know whether she should attend the call. When she decided to attend it, it stopped. She sighed and lay down. The phone again started ringing. She attended the call.

"Hello, who is this?" she asked in the lying position. The reply from the other side made her sit jerking.

"Arnav..."

Khushi would not have believed it if she had not met Arnav before. She knew his voice. Yet, she could not believe it.

"Arrrrnaaaavvvv?"

"Yup... Arnav Singh Raizada"

"You... mean... the district collector?"

"Mmm"

"Sir... is it really you?"

"What do you think?"

"No...thing, sir"

"I want to know something. That's why I called you"

"What sir?"

"When you were supposed to say something about Vivek's teacher, Vivek stopped you by pressing your hand..."

Khushi's eyes widened. Did he notice it?

"What did you want to say?"

"Actually, Sir, his teacher didn't support him because he did the project without her consent. I was supposed to say that but he stopped me because he is scared that she may corner him in the class"

"Mmm...I guessed it... what is the teacher's name?"

"I don't know, Sir. I will tell you if you want"

"I want... Tomorrow morning, when I come to the school, let me know her name"

"Sure sir"

"By the way, Aman is on leave. He went to his village. If you have any questions about the program, you can call me"

Khushi gulped down hard. Calling the collector? Directly? Hey Devi Maiya...!

"Hello, are you there?"

"Yes, sir"

"I hope you won't have any problem if I call you"

"No sir... no no" she said hurriedly.

"That's good... good night"

"Good night, sir"

Arnav disconnected the call smiling, whereas Khushi pressed her heart which was beating at express train speed. The district collector called her on her personal number. How did he get her number? What was the big deal? He should have gotten it from Aman. She saved the number as COLLECTOR SIR.

The next morning

Khushi woke up and took her morning shower. When she came out of her room, Shashi was sitting in the living room. He smiled at her.

"It seems someone became a REAL social worker after the new collector's arrival..." he smiled.

Khushi nodded yes smilingly.

"He is really a blessing to our district. He is taking many steps to develop our district. Within a week, the road work will be started."

"Is it?" Garima came with a tea tray.

"Yeah...in a day or two the funds will be approved. Khushi is right. He is a people's collector. He meets people directly and listens to their problems. If it's justified, he passes the order to sort it out"

"He is going to come to the government school today," Garima said.

"Yeah, his driver Krish said"

"Oh... do you know that?"

"Why not? After all, it's a collector's program...! Everyone knew"

"Oh... will you be at home when he comes?"

"No. How could I be here leaving my work behind? He won't like it. He comes for an awareness program. He will do it. What I will do being here?"

Khushi and Garima sighed. Shashi was like that. he always followed protocols.

Shashi left GH and Khushi got ready. Payal, NK, and Akash reached GH at 9 o'clock. They had Garima's tea and went to the school to meet the headmaster. He raised his brows and looked at them through the gap of his executive specs.

"Yes?"

"We are from Revival Foundation, sir"

"Oh... so?"

"We are here to conduct an awareness program, sir"

"Awareness for?"

"About planting trees"

"Oh... the bell will ring in ten minutes. The classes will start. Come after the school gets over."

"Students will run away, Sir," NK said.

"I will take care of them but I can't waste the study hours. Sorry"

They looked at each other. They didn't tell him about Arnav because Arnav didn't want them to reveal it.

"Look, we are busy now. Our school students achieved something great. The collector appreciated him. You can find it on the district's official page. We are going to announce it in the assembly now. So, please leave,"

The trio looked at Khushi. The headmaster frowned, seeing Khushi.

"She is the one who took Vivek to the collector. Because of her, your school became highlighted" Payal said.

"Are you Khushi Gupta?"

"Don't you ever see her in the opposite house?" Akash asked.

"Actually, I'm new here"

They looked at Khushi who nodded yes.

"Ok, sir... we are leaving..." Khushi said.

"What about the awareness program?"

"You said you don't want to waste school hours..."

"Yeah... but..."

Before he completed the sentence, the school campus became feverish as the Collector's car entered with a siren.

The headmaster stood up from his seat horrified.

"Collector sir came" Said Khushi.

"Collector sir?"

"Yeah, he is also going to get part in our awareness program"

"Why didn't you tell me that before?"

Khushi was about to answer but she stopped as Arnav entered the headmaster's room.

"Good morning, sir" Khushi and her friends wished him.

"Good morning, guys... are you ready for the awareness program?"

They looked at the headmaster.

"Yes, sir... they are ready... we too ready..." the headmaster said.

"Good"

"Please take your seat sir" The headmaster gave his seat to Arnav as per the rule.

Arnav took the seat and asked.

"How many students are studying in this school?"

"Thousand hundred students, sir"

"How many taps and bathrooms are here?"

The headmaster gulped down.

"Two taps and..."

"And..."

"Sir, we are planning to build bathrooms, sir"

"I'm not asking what you are planning. I asked, how many bathrooms are here"

"No sufficient bathrooms and water facilities exist in this school, sir. Girls use the bathroom in Khushi's house and boys have no restrictions. They use the entire place as a bathroom" NK said.

Arnav looked at the headmaster sharply.

"Did you avail the funds given by the government?"

"I sent the proposal, sir... but they didn't approve"

Taking his phone, Arnav called the authorities.

"Within two days, the needed bathrooms should be built in the school. A tap for every twenty students and a bathroom for every hundred students... is that clear?"

He disconnected the call.

Khushi and her friends were flying of course. It was a collector's shot.

"Shall we start?" He asked Khushi.

"Yes, sir," she said smilingly.

To be continued...