Ariyan never expected to see one of his students like that. He asked
"How did you.. get up first. "
Puja was a little calm now. She answered looking in another direction.
"I don't know if you will believe me or not but three girls in our class locked me in the class while I was doing after school duty."
"Ok,ok now come to my car and tell me your parents phone number."
"I don't have parents, my only guardian is my grandmother and better not call her now cause she will be panicked. "
"Oh, sorry actually...
"Can you please do me a favour? Drop me at my home or grandma will be sick tomorrow."
She described the whole story in his car and now Ariyan understands how serious the situation is.
"Hmm so what will you do tomorrow? They can do this again."
"I don't know. Will you interrogate the situation?"
"Well I can't simply do that because I am only a para and class teacher who favour those whom you are talking about."
"Even if I give proof to them?"
"What proof can you give. Even if I take the security guards statement that doesn't prove that those girls locked you and our CCTVs are just for show. So all in all they will get out with some minor corrections. Or not even that you know staff nepotism right?"
"So are you saying you can't promise anything?"
"Indeed you are my student and they are also. I don't witness any of that so if you give me any reason to get involved I can promise that I will do everything in my power."
"I am already in the corner so I am desperate enough to give you a reason."
"Okey. Good luck. Left from here?"
"Yes"
She got off and ran to the house . Indeed it was one old lady who opened the door. Ariyan was in some deep thoughts.
The next day Puja came to school but with a determination in her mind. She faced the bullies in my basketball court. The three of them were guarding her like walls. She saw someone was coming from the passage. Just then one of the untied her hair and take out a hair stick was a little sharp. She was poking in her body with it.
"You, you screamed like a goat tomorrow and let the security guards know how dare....
She can't compare her words when Puja brushed her arm into the edge of the pin and fell on the floor. A thin line of blood was flowing from her arms. She smiled in her mind. All of them were too stunned to speak. Just then Ariyan came from the passage.
"What is it ? Why are you making such a noise here?"
"Sir they are bullying me from tomorrow and she poked her hairpin into my arm."
"What are you serious....
Ariyan remembered something Puja told her . That she is desperate enough to give him a reason. He was surprised by the determination of a young girl like her.
"You go to the sick room and all three of you have to come with me in the staffroom."
"Sir she is lying. She stabbed herself."
"There is a hairpin in your hand and it has blood so it should have anything to do right. As for your information the cameras are dead right now. But I saw all of you poking the pin in her body."
Class teacher's office
"Ariyan let's discuss it later, you know they all are ace students of the class."
"It's already a big issue. The girl is injured I have seen it myself and they locked her in the classroom tomorrow. We can take the statement from security guards."
"You nasty girls have no shame at all. But still it doesn't prove that they locked her. I am not telling them to let them go but if their parents found out..
"I can though. Call your captain right now."
The class monitor was called and now Puja also came from the sick room to give her statement.
"So captains do go to the same bus with these three?"
"Yes".
"When did they board yesterday?"
"Sir I don't know but they definitely didn't come with us yesterday. Instead they stayed here late."
"What were you three doing there late? After school duties were for Puja yesterday."
"We were helping..
"And locked her all alone."
"We didn't do it on purpose."
"ENOUGH"
the class teacher said. He glared at them and Ariyan.
"As things have gone this far then this is the letter for your parents to tell them to come to school tomorrow and you are all suspended for 1 week."
Puja's eyes were filled with tears and what is this new feeling? Is it the taste of victory. She was experiencing it for the first time. Long after that day when she found the English teacher sitting alone in the slabs she came to him
"Thank you for helping me today, also for trusting me in the first place."
"It's just one of the little things that I can do with my mere power. No need to thank me."
"No it's actually the first time I ever felt victorious. No matter how hard I tried I can never be extraordinary in anything in both studies and life."
"God made everyone special in their own way. If you want to taste victory I can help you with that . Those winter leaves never last long there will be new beginnings for everything so keep trying and you will succeed this time."
"Will it really help me in studies? I mean I can't give you tuition fees."
"I already have a bunch of private tuitions so I don't need your money. I want you to succeed for both in both studies and life , and I don't break promises.
