Rina and the Unusual Teacher - Rina's Childhood Mysteries - Part: 1

Acknowledgement
This book series is dedicated first to Almighty God for His love, providence, encouragement and guidance and next to my family, friends and well-wishers for their encouragement, love, support, for inspiring me to read even as a child, and much more. I also dedicate this novel to my grandfather, Mr. S.M. Kulandhaiswamy (a renowned fiction author who has written for publications such as Tinkle, Champak, and more) for the inspiration he gave me to write, even when I was a child, by making me read his stories and narrating his stories to me.
Chapter: 1
It is the first day for Rina, a pretty and smart girl with wavy hair and the fourth standard kids of her class in Bharat Primary school in the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. Their classroom is in the first floor and is larger than their third standard classroom and contains different and new learning materials. They are exploring the materials and waiting for their teacher to come to class. At the same time, they are also chattering away happily with their friends about their summer vacation.
Swathi (a short and cute girl with large eyes, who is P's friend): Hey Rina, how was your Kerala trip?
Rina: Awesome. Did you enjoy your time with your cousins from abroad?
Swathi: Yeah, we had such a wonderful time together. Only yesterday, they left for London. My brother and I were crying at the airport as we saw them off. They also cried a lot. (Sadly) The next time we can see them is only next year.
Their class teacher, Miss. Neema arrives and gives them their roll numbers and makes the seating arrangement.
The kids leave for PT class, followed by the other kids. They learn high jump for the first time and are super excited about it. Their PT master is Mr. Vineeth, a tall man with a thick beard and a hoarse voice.
Mr. Vineeth (after the PT period): All of you try to practice on your own too. They had plenty of fun in their PT class and enjoyed the new sport very much.
After the PT period gets over, the kids begin walking towards their classroom for the next period and when they cross the Principal's office, they hear a loud banging noise and they look into their Principal's office and see their Principal banging on the table with her fist and talking to someone furiously on the phone. They get shocked as their Principal is a person who is always calm and composed and they have never seen her get so angry before. They hear her shouting, 'I want you to send the money immediately.' This also surprises the children as their Principal has never acted in a way that showed greed or extensive love for money.
Swathi: I wonder what happened to our Principal. I've never seen her so angry and I've never seen her get so upset with money matters.
Rina: Yeah, I've never seen her act this way before too.
At this moment, some of their seniors walk past them and they also seemed to have noticed the strange behaviour of their Principal and they murmur among themselves.
A tall girl wearing a Leader badge and a proud look: What's wrong with our Principal ma'am? I've never seen her this angry before.
A boy with a spike on his head and a serious expression: Didn't you hear? An FIR was filed against our Principal for supporting a crime.
The girl: A crime? No way. You know how soft-natured she is. I can never imagine her being involved in any kind of crime.
James (with his mouth wide open in shock): What on earth is this? Can you think of our Principal being involved in a crime?
Ajay: People are sometimes different from how they appear on the outside, bro.
Reshmi: An F-I-what?
Ajay: FIR. I know what it means. It is a complaint made against a person by the police. My uncle is a policeman and he often talks about it.
Swathi: What will happen to our school if she gets arrested?
Reshmi: They will appoint another Principal for sure.
James: But she is the owner of the school too , not only the Principal. So, they might even close the school completely.
Rina: Oh no, what if something like that happens? We would all be separated and will go to different schools. We also will have to study third standard a second time in another school.
All the friends agree to her point sadly.
Chapter: 2
A few days later…
On the way to the classroom…
Swathi: I am going for shopping today. What are you guys doing this evening?
Prarthana: (a clever and beautiful girl who has big and expressive eyes and who is another friend of Rina and Swathi) I am also going out this evening, but, for tuition, not shopping. Boring.
Rina: Same pinch! I have my dance class today and then have to go for tuition. I wish my tuition miss will give a holiday for us today.
Prarthana: But for me, there is no holiday or anything. My tuition ma'am is going to Ooty next week so this week, we have tuition till Saturday.
Their first period, Science, starts. Their Science teacher is Miss. Hema, a chubby woman with a cheerful character. All the students love her for her joyful attitude and sense of humour and also for the interesting facts that she teaches them apart from their subject.
Miss. Hema: Now, who knows about the planets in our Milkyway galaxy? Please raise your hand and you can come and write the answer on the board.
Kiran (a talkative and friendly girl who is another friend in the Rina-Swathi-Vidhu gang) raises her hand.
Miss. Hema doesn't notice her as she is in the last bench and goes on to give the chance to another student.
Kiran: Ma'am, give me a chance.
Miss. Hema (with a disapproving look): Kiran, I will surely give you a chance but only if you raise your hands.
Kiran raises her hands.
Miss. Hema: Good. Come and write the answer on the board.
Kiran writes 'Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune' in cursive letters on the blackboard.
The teacher continues the class and the kids go on to learn about planet Earth in detail. At the end of the lesson…
Miss. Hema (after erasing the answer): Hope you all understood the lesson you just learnt. Who can tell me about the shape of the earth?
The kids usually fight among themselves to answer whenever the teacher poses a question related to amazing facts that she teaches outside of the subject as it usually accompanies a gift. Many kids raise their hands and quarrel among themselves to answer the question.
Swathi (shouts): Call me, ma'am.
Miss. Hema: I will definitely give you a chance Swathi but in your hurry to answer, I think you did not notice that you just shouted.
Swathi (In a soft tone and hurriedly, eager to get the gift): Sorry ma'am. Call my name.
Miss. Neema: Good, Nisha. That's the right way to ask. You can answer after Swathi.
In their Maths period…
Miss. Neema (she also handles Maths classes for them): Who can give me the answer to the question on the board?
All the students shout (and a mixture of loud voices are heard, saying): Ma'am, ma'am, ma'am, I will give the answer, I will tell you ma'am, call me ma'am (and so on).
Miss. Neema: One at a time please.
The students continue to shout in a chorus.
Miss. Neema: Rina, can you tell us the answer?
Rina: Ma'am, four times eight is 32.
Miss. Neema: You're right. The answer is thirty-two, good.
Since we completed the eighth and ninth tables in our previous class, we'll learn the tenth table today.
Someone shouts: Ma'am, I know the tenth table. It is easy: one tens are ten, two tens are twenty, three tens are …
Miss. Neema's facial expression changes.
Another voice shouts: Hey, don't answer out of turn.
It is Asha, one of the students in the first row who after saying so, stands up with her hands on her hip, imitating the teacher.
Miss. Neema bursts out laughing and all her students laugh with her.
Miss. Neema: (Controlling her laughter) Alright, that's enough. Show me your homework, everyone. (Going around the classroom): Good job, Anita. You need to draw margins Tara. Only then your notebook will look neat. Good work, Lakmini.
Are you doing your homework only now Prem?
No ma'am, I finished but I had a doubt so Vikram offered to teach me.
Miss. Neema: That's really kind of you Vikram. Keep it up.
Why didn't you do your homework Nikhil?
Nikhil: Ma'am, dad is a famous businessman, you know right? He had invited his business partners to our house yesterday and we had to give them company. They are going to open a new business center in Chennai. One of the guests was Mr. Hitesh who is a big politician. You know ma'am, he has got permission from our Principal to convert this school building into a multiplex center in the future. Not now, ma'am, but after many years, after all of us leave this school.
Miss. Neema: You should learn when you should use your dad's name as reference and when you shouldn't, Nikhil. Do you expect me to excuse you for not doing homework since your father is famous? This is not good attitude. And don't spread unnecessary rumours about our Principal. Everyone in the school knows she is a gem and an extremely kindhearted person. She would have never agreed to such a thing. I wonder why your father's friends speak business things before you kids. At this age, you can't understand business. You must have surely misunderstood what they spoke about.
Nikhil: But ma'am, I heard them when I crossed their room to go to the kitchen and drink water.
The teacher: That's enough, Nikhil. Stop. What you think you heard is not what you heard. You have misunderstood things and are now wasting our time and yours.
Nikhil: Sorry ma'am.
Okay, kids, listen up. You might get a new class teacher as our Principal might shift me to another class.
All together: No, ma'am. You're a great teacher. We don't want someone else ma'am.
Miss. Neema: Let us wait and see what happens.
The bell rings and she leaves the classroom.
Prarthana goes up to Nikhil and her friends follow her.
Prarthana: Hey Nikhil. Did you really hear your father's business partners talking about our school building going to be sold?
Nikhil: I'm a hundred percent sure that I heard them say so. I have to go to the 8th standard classroom now. Bye.
Prarthana: Do you think what Nikhil overheard has something to do with our Principal being angry with someone on the phone today?
Ajay: It could have.
Rina: In that case, could the money she mentioned be bribe money?
James: It's highly possible.
All the kids get shocked at the thought that their Principal might have a different face that she has never shown out.
Chapter: 3
After class, the students proceed to the school auditorium for their next period which is dance and Swathi shows off her brand-new toy superhero pictured mirror given by Miss. Hema as her gift. Suddenly, she loses grip over the mirror and drops it and it gets shattered to pieces.
Swathi (clapping her forehead): Oh, no! My gift is gone.
Tina: Seems to be a bad day for you, Swathi. In the morning, you were complaining about leaving your holiday homework at home. Whose face did you gaze at first today?
Gowri (laughing): Probably the mirror.
Swathi: Stop it! You are always ready to tease me.
Chapter: 4
After a few months…
Rina: Botany was fun. What an interesting plant! You saw how it shrunk when we touched it?
Vidhu: Yeah, wish I could buy one for my room!
Swathi: Ha, ha! It's not a decorative plant my dear. Aunty would complain to us saying you are making your room a forest.
Rina: So, what's all the fuss about the new teacher? She looks unreal and always seems to be in a world of her own. Someone also told me that she is going to be our new class teacher. Why is this sudden change?
Kiran: Yes, she is going to be our class teacher, and they are shifting Miss. Neema to another class, don't know why. We'll miss Miss. Neema, right? She's really sweet. I wonder what the new teacher is going to be like. (In a hushed tone) I overheard the teachers talking among themselves about her as a 'specially talented but a strange person'. But they also said she looked mysterious when she came for the interview and behaved oddly.
They were also talking among themselves that they don't like her much and that she might have got the job through some deceitful means as she doesn't have many of the necessary qualifications of a teacher.
Rina: Interesting, but a what a strange description! I wonder if she will be good. But, we'll miss Miss. Neema.
Kiran (also sadly): Hmm, yeah, we'll all miss her.
Rina (sadly): Maybe. What's the new teacher's name?
Kiran: Who knows? I would call her 'Miss. Strange', whatever her name is!
Chapter: 5
Here is why Kiran called the new teacher 'Miss. Strange'…
Miss. Strange walks into their classroom for her introductory period with them. She is a tall lady dressed in a floral bright yellow gown and wearing coolers, an appearance in stark contrast to the sarees and salwars and formal hair buns of most of the other teachers. Her slippers have heels which seem as sharp as Mount Everest and her long earrings seem to touch her shoulders the same way her free hair did. She looks like someone who strolls about on a beach and not standing in a classroom as a teacher.
Monica: Is she really here to teach? Did you look at her dress?
Swathi (looking at Miss. Strange with her mouth opened wide): I think so.
Miss. Strange (in an extremely sweet voice): Good morning everyone! I am Wini, your new class teacher to replace Miss. Neema who has been shifted to class 6 as class teacher. Do introduce yourselves.
At the end of the introduction…
Miss. Wini: We'll talk something in general today and start our lessons from tomorrow. I will first give a brief introduction of myself. I am from Tanjore and I have taught many smart and intelligent children like all of you before. I expect all of you to perform your duties well and I will also perform my teaching and other duties well. The Principal has given me some extra duties too and I have to take care of them too.
A student from the last bench: What extra duties, ma'am?
Miss. Wini: I have to set certain things right.
All the students look at each other shocked and perplexed.
Miss. Wini (Clearing her throat and clearly changing the topic): Okay, enough about me. Now I would like to know about all of you. All of you introduce yourselves.
After the introduction is done…
Miss. Wini: Rina, give us a talk on any interesting topic of your choice.
Rina: I went to Kerala last vacation and enjoyed visiting the beautiful beaches and churches there ma'am… (goes on talking for a few minutes about her experience in Kerala)
At the end of her speech…
Miss. Wini: Great speech Rina. Kerala seems to be a great place and I think I will plan my next trip there. I haven't visited Kerala yet. Rina smiles and sits. Miss. Wini (turning towards Swathi who is still gazing at her with a widely opened mouth): Now it's your turn Swathi.
While Swathi drools over her imaginary pet puppy (shock evident in her voice as well)…
Somebody shouts.
When all eyes turn to the back row from where the noise had come, Karthick stutters, 'She was rude to me and then something happened to her!'
Karthick points to Nikita who shifts in her seat anxiously and tries to frantically scare something away from her hair. Suddenly, she screams.
(When Miss. Wini goes towards Nikita) Nikita: There's an insect in my hair and it is not going away how much ever I try to shoo it away. I'm scared, ma'am.
The teacher asks her friend Sonal to help her remove it from her hair and Sonal tries to do it but is not able to. Many other friends of hers try to remove it as well but are unable to do it as the insect seems to have been glued to her hair and appears as if it doesn't want to leave the spot. The teacher then asks her to get up from her seat and removes the insect from her hair with ease and lets it fly. Nikita and the students look at each other with shock since the teacher alone was able to get rid of the insect when the others couldn't.
Then, the insect hovers above Miss. Wini's head as if she commanded it to stay there. The students stare at the insect with shock and amazement as it did not seem to move from the spot. They have never seen an insect behave that way before.
All: Ma'am…
James: Ma'am, look at that insect. It's still here. It's above your head only, and it's not moving from there.
Ms. Wini (becomes a little tensed, and without looking up or trying to chase the insect away, says): It'll go away. (suddenly turns to Karthick and changes the topic): Okay, you tell me. Why did Nikita fight with you?
Karthick (also staring at the insect, doesn't reply for a few seconds): Hmm, well… I… sorry? Hmm, well, she grabbed my pen from me without asking me for it. I told her that she should have requested me for it first. She said that she will not ask permission before taking others' things. She fought with me and even hit me. God punished her by scaring her with that insect, serves her right. (Staring at the insect again) Don't know why it's not moving now. Strange.
Miss. Wini (becoming slightly nervous again and quickly recovering herself): Leave it. It will go away. Karthick, if you do me wrong, will you feel good if I wished harm for you just like how you wished for Nikita? Or, will you change your behaviour if I forgive you?
Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked away from the classroom.
Karthick (puzzled); What wrong did she do me? What is she talking about?
Tenny: Hey, that story is to advice you not to wish harm for even those who do you wrong. If you forgive them, they might change their behaviour.
Karthick: Wow, was that advice? It sounded like a story and was nice to listen to. I wish all the teachers advice us like that. It doesn't feel like advice at all. She's not so bad, after all. I miss Miss. Neema, but I think we'll survive with this new teacher. The insect thing is weird though.
Ajay: You know something, many students swear they saw the insect following her to the staff room.
Rina: Like Mary and the lamb, huh? Ha ha.
Ajay: Did you hear what she said in her introductory speech? She has come to set things right it seems. She doesn't talk like a teacher but like a Spy Woman who is on a secretive mission.
Prarthana: Yeah, when she said that, it felt creepy. Don't know what is happening in this school. One suspicious thing after the other seems to take place.
The students gradually forget about the insect incident and their doubt about the new teacher being up to something that is not good.
A few days later…
The students of class three are playing in the school ground with class four students, during a free period common to both the classes…
Miss. Wini passes by the ground on the way to her staff room.
Mano runs breathlessly to her.
Mano: Ma'am, Sunil is bullying Aarthi, calling her 'dullhead'.
Miss. Wini goes with him to where Aarthi and Sunil are.
Miss. Wini: What did he do, Aarthi?
Aarthi (sobbing): He keeps calling me 'dullhead' ma'am, since I got lesser marks than him in the Science test.
Miss. Wini: Okay, and what did you do?
Aarthi: Nothing, ma'am. (bursts into tears again)
Miss. Wini: Stop crying. Now, do something that will scare him away from bullying you in the future.
Aarthi (shocked at the teacher's words): Ma'am???
Miss. Wini: I said, give him back.
Aarthi (wiping her tears and rapidly speaking to Sunil in one breath): Who is dullheaded? Don't think I don't know what happened in Science class. You copied the test and got higher marks than me. I wrote on my own and got lesser marks. So, the marks are not yours. Don't show your bullying behaviour to me. Only those who have no other job to do bully others. Don't you dare bully me again. I'll complain to the Principal.
Aarthi (breathlessly, after scolding Sunil): Ma'am, I feel much better now.
Miss. Wini: Good, always defend yourself when someone ill-treats you, bullies you or tries to harm you. You are not a coward. (Turning to Sunil): You are in big trouble now. By your bullying behaviour, you are the one who is caught. Why did you copy the test? Come to the staff room. I want to have a word with your Science teacher. Also, if I ever hear you bullying any student again, you'll face the consequences.
After a few days…
Rina is standing is front of their newly built basketball court which is large and spectacular and painted a deep blue and contains an immensely huge gallery and thinking about her brother's birthday party the previous day evening and smiling to herself happily thinking about the wonderful time she had had at the party with her friends and family. She longingly thought of playing basketball in the new court once it is ready, as Basketball was her favourite sport. But she is allowed to join the team only in the next year.
At that time, Monit, a short and plumpy boy with a childlike face comes running towards her.
Monit (panting): Hey, Rina, did you hear what happened to our Aditi since she did not apologize to Miss. Wini for not doing her homework?
Rina: No, what happened?
Monit: Ma'am gave her some writing assignment it seems and she was sitting in the staff room with ma'am and writing it and as she was about to finish it, ma'am suddenly changed the writing assignment and asked her to write on another topic. Aditi burst into tears and asked ma'am why she changed the topic suddenly. She then reminded her that she didn't apologise to her earlier for not doing her assignment and she changed the assignment topic to make her realize her error. Then, Aditi understood her fault and apologised to ma'am. Aditi wondered to me why ma'am didn't correct her mistake in the first place but waited for a future chance to remind her of her mistake. She said it hurt her feelings. I mean, why didn't she correct Aditi directly?
Rina: Then, what happened? Did she withdraw the punishment or not?
Monit: Yeah, she did, but only after Aditi apologised, and then she smiled and walked away.
There's something else and it will shock you even more. Similar incidents have happened to Praneeth, Vidhya, Asma and James as well, do you know, all in different contexts and different places and each time, no one else was around except Miss. Wini and the boy or girl concerned and the ways in which she corrected them were strange.
She has scared the wits out of many of our friends, do you know? She actually hid Kunal's ball since he played with it in the classroom when she was on leave. Only after Kunal searched for it everywhere, complained to the Principal and cried so much about it did she give the ball back to him and tell him about the mistake he had done.
But, in some situations, she behaved sweetly and gently. She called James' dad to complain about his 'improper' behaviour and as James waited with shock for the worst reaction from his dad, she didn't complain but she spoke to his father about a personal medical help she needed, as he is a doctor and hung up.
Rina: What medical help?
Monit: She had undergone an operation on her hand in May.
Rina: What? She had told my mother in the parent-teacher meet that she had undergone an operation on her leg in May. She did not have any operation done on her hand. Why should she lie to James' dad or to my mom? To whom did she tell the truth or are both lies? Is she real, first of all? What is her plan?
Monit: What are you saying, Rina? I'm shocked to know this. There is obviously something wrong with her.
Rina: What happened to our other friends?
Monit: I am not sure about what happened to Praneeth and Vidhya but you know what happened to Asma?
Sometimes, ma'am is so gentle and understanding. Yesterday, she enquired with Asma about her participation in the inter-school drama finals and gently told her that she saw her fighting with Reenu and politely corrected her and told her not to do so. Since Asma was famous in the drama club and mostly played the role of heroine, Miss. Wini also told her that all the younger students will look up to her as role model. This made Asma very happy. You know something, she also appreciated Asma before the younger drama students.
Rina: Oh! I didn't know any of this and yes, I can't understand Miss. Wini either. Sometimes, she's too sweet and gentle and sometimes, she's a bit weird and mysterious. Maybe she wants to teach us certain things without directly advising or punishing us. Do you remember how Karthick was impressed with her story about forgiveness and how only at the end of the story did he realize that he was a character in the story she told him. That was a nice way to advise.
Monit: Yeah, correct. That was a good one, ha ha. She also encouraged many of us to be assertive and defend ourselves when someone wrongs us or bullies us. But why should she lie about many things.
Rina: Who knows? Do you know something g Monit? Another sweet and funny incident happened. She called Neena to her desk and chatted with her casually about her and asked her to share the previous week's happenings with her. Confused Neena didn't even remember what she had for breakfast that morning.
Monit: Ha, ha, ha…This is so funny. Then?
She rambled something about her week and then Miss. Wini just smiled and asked her to go to class.
When Neena told this to her friend, her friend reminded her that she lied to Miss. Wini about being late for class, but they both have no idea how ma'am found out the truth till now.
There is no way the teacher could have found out about the lie until she had spied on Neena. But the kids knew that it was impossible for her to keep tabs on every student.
Sometimes, she acts in an unusual and suspicious way but most of the time she is sweet.
During the evening break…
The class kids meet secretly and talk about Miss. Wini and her weird-sweet behaviour.
Chapter: 6
Rina and her classmates meet the Principal the next day after she calls them to her office to ask them about how things were going with their new teacher. They tell her that they love her and that she is a great inspiration.
The Principal says that she is happy to know about the teacher's impact on their lives.
The students also tell her that they miss her old class teacher and ask her why she changed their class teacher.
The Principal: That was for a particular reason.
All the students together: What reason, ma'am?
The Principal (suddenly gets a little nervous and hesitates for a while) and then says (with a slight stammer), n-nothing. I-I changed Miss. Neema to a higher class just for job rotation which I usually do for all the teachers.
Looking at their Principal's tensed reaction, the students suspect that the Principal is hiding something from them.
Suddenly, Reshmi gasps aloud and points to something inside a bottle in the Principal's shelf. What is that ma'am? (to her classmates) Hey, it is the same insect.
The students turn and stare at it in astonishment as they recognize it as the same insect which had caused havoc in the classroom one day and scared the wits out of them.
The Principal becomes more tensed and is silent for a few seconds before saying to them, 'What happened?'
Danny: Ma'am, one day, an insect got into Nikita's hair and nobody could remove it but Miss. Wini took it out easily and the insect was just hovering around her like it was her pet. We found it really odd, but she didn't react at all.
The Principal (this time, her nervousness is more obvious): This is not a real insect so there is nothing to be concerned about. Come closer and have a look at it. This is actually a camera which I had given to her for official purposes and she came to me and complained a few days back that it was missing. Then, the day you speak of is the exact day when she found it flying around in your classroom and then settling on Nikita's hair and scaring you all.
The children continue to stare at her in astonishment and shock. Then, slowly, they go near her and see the object and find out that it resembles an insect but is not one. It is just an insect-shaped camera which makes a very mild buzzing noise when kept close to the ear and which is operated by a remote control device which the Principal shows them.
The Principal (pointing to the insect-camera): She then gave this to me and asked me to keep it my custody. Don't doubt Miss. Wini's intentions as she really loves you all and wants to teach you people all that are as important as academics in your lives, both now as well as in the future. This is why I recruited her for the job as she is a Child Psychology specialist as well as a teacher, so she would know how to guide you in the right way.
The Principal (still tensed, but hiding it): So, don't bother about the camera. It has nothing to do with you.
All the students (in a chorus): Okay, ma'am.
In the following days, the students bond more with their new teacher and learn plenty of things along with their academics and begin to look up to their new teacher as their role model. They also begin to love her and stop calling her nicknames. Slowly, they forget the doubts they had about her.
A few months later…
Their school wins an award for being the most well-disciplined school in the city and they all study there happily ever after. Do they?
The day before the award ceremony…
Prashant: Hey, give me the balloons.
Swathi: Here they are, Prashant. Give me the cello tape. I will cut it to strips and give you.
Rina and her classmates help their seniors and teachers to decorate their school for the ceremony. Rina hears a noise and turns behind and she witnesses a weird incident backstage. Miss. Wini points at the ceremony poster and tells a man something secretively and then gives him a suitcase.
There is something wrong about the man's appearance as it doesn't fit the school scenario by any chance, but would rather fit into a gang of criminals. His beard is unshaven and he has a cunning expression on his face and talks to the teacher in a tensed way and keeps looking around him with panic. He then leaves the place after a few minutes.
Rina suspects their teacher for a second but then changes her mind and thinks it must be something to do with the ceremony preparation perhaps. She might have spoken softly since she didn't want to distract the students practising for their cultural events the next day.
On the day of the award ceremony,
The school is filled with lights, decoration, singing, dancing, drama, fun, and a lot of stalls with food and other things.
Rina's mom, Shanti (to Nikita's mom, Jennifer who is also a friend of hers): This school really deserves this honorable award as our children are surely the most well-disciplined in the city. I can attest to that.
Jennifer: Yes, you're right Shanti. I am proud of the teachers and Principal of this school who really act as the second parents of our kids and train them in the best manner possible.
Prarthana: Yes, but an insect is also to be thanked (turns and smiles at her friends with her large eyes widening more in excitement).
Rina and her friends laugh out loud at their little secret while their parents look on in confusion. Later that day, at her house, Rina tells her mom about what happened at her school, about Nikita and the other kids, about the unique teacher and about the changes that happened in her life and in the lives of everyone in her class and in her whole school!
After her mom bids goodbye to her and leaves her room, Rina closes the door and in a moment, her face changes and she begins sweating, and her mind goes a few hours back. During the middle of the award ceremony when Rina was taking her mom's bag from their car which was parked in the parking spot, she looked at Ms. Wini receiving an award on the stage and her gut feeling told her that the teacher was hiding something from them even though their Principal assured them that she wasn't. Some other strange incidents had happened to her also personally with the teacher, and not just the teaching and mentoring part. Yet, she liked her all the same. As if to confirm her suspicion, something happened next. She saw a tall, thick-bearded man with a secretive expression who was among the chief guests of the programme seated on the stage and a sponsor of the school walk away from the fiesta towards her.
He told her something in secret and her face turned pale and she turned and looked at her friends with a mixture of shock, sadness and fear. She could not imagine herself and her friends who haven't experienced much apart from their happy-go-lucky school life facing something strange and unknown in the actual world outside, that could possibly put them in danger! She looked in shock at Ms. Wini talking humbly about her award (she received an award for being the most favourite new teacher) to a parent, since the stranger had also given her a new and unpleasant revelation about the teacher's life before she joined the school, the same teacher who was held in such high regard by their Principal and them. She also thought of the incident that happened backstage and some other incidents in the past which made them doubt the teacher, and her suspicion came back to her. She made up her mind that she would follow the things she taught even if the accusations against her were true. She would follow them not for her sake but for her own sake and for the sake of their beloved Principal and other teachers who wanted all of them to be successful in life. Or could the man be the culprit and could their teacher be innocent? She had guided them and helped them in many ways, after all! She also thought about the camera that their Principal had given to their teacher and about the Principal's strange behaviour during some situations. Could it be a spy camera and was it possible that their beloved Principal had a part in this mystery? As far as she knew, their Principal was a good, kind and experienced person. She had also begun to develop a good impression about her new teacher and begun to look up to her as a source of inspiration. She was in fact in her favourite teachers list now.
She became confused and then her thoughts went back again to the threatening things that the man had told her and her body shook, trembling at the memory. She lay down in bed but her thoughts about the possible interruptions to the otherwise normal life o her friends and her in the ensuing days kept her awake for a long time and after some minutes, she dozed off.
THE END (Read the activity below.)
Follow-up Activity
All of you intelligent kids who enjoyed Part: 1 of 'Rina's Childhood Mysteries' series, pick up your pen (or keyboard mouse) and write about what you liked in the story in 100–150 words and post your write-up as a comment here. Only one entry can be submitted per person. Those of you with the best three write-ups would win exciting prizes. Membership to the author's 'Aspiring and Talented Young Writers Global Group', a social media community, which provides useful tips and activities for you to pursue your writing passion in the future, is open for all young writers. The link will be shared soon.