"Anika has always been a good student. I hope she continues being the same bright and inquisitive child in Bangalore," Sujata ma'am addressed. What is she telling? Except for good student, I didn't understand a word. I saw her giving a big sheet to Mummy to write something on it. Sujata ma'am had a look at it and gave it to Mummy.

She then gave me a small folded paper. On top of the paper was my favourite teddy bear with some alphabets that I recognized. Mummy has started teaching me to write some of these. A. . . B. . . E. . . what are these? Mummy didn't teach me this. What is written here?

When I thought of asking Mummy I saw, she gave Mummy some other sheets to write. So, I opened the folded paper and inside it was some weird shapes. Again, there were some alphabets that I managed to recognize. I only know A. What are all these?

Mummy got up to leave and she made me get down from the bench we were sitting. When we were going out, I saw a huge spread of books of different sizes. I pulled Mummy to one of the stands and picked up the most colourful book. She looked at it and informed, "How did you manage to pick up a book that's of your age?"

I nodded but I didn't understand what she wanted to tell me. But I understood she was asking what my age was. Yes, I am a smart girl. "Anu four."

"Huh?" she asked.

"Age Mummy ask. Anu four," I explained.

"Devuda! What am I telling and what you're answering? You only understood the word 'age'. I think this book should help to bridge the gap."

Bridge? I asked her, "Mummy blidge? No water for blidge."

She looked as if she were controlling her laughter. "This time you picked up 'bridge'! Wait till your Daddy hears this! If only he would have come to the meeting. He is the busiest person in the whole world!"

Daddy? I guess she is asking where Daddy is. "Daddy go office."

She started laughing. But she didn't tell anything. Why did she laugh? Mummy gave some colourful papers and the book was given to us. There we stumbled upon Anjali Aunty and Samarth. I waved at him, excitedly. Even he waved back.

Anjali Aunty and Mummy were discussing something. Both our hands were held by our respective mothers. There was no chance that we could loosen the grip and go. We both tried talking but we didn't have much to talk. I wonder what they have to talk? Again, in the evening they will talk. It was because Samarth had to still go to the meeting that we could leave.

While walking back home, Mummy said, "You've been a good girl, Anu. I hope you continue to be like this when we shift to Bangalore."

I looked at her. Mummy says I am a good girl. But after that I didn't understand anything. I gave her the card and she read out its contents to me. 'All the Best Anika! Thank you for being my student.' She turned the page and read again, 'From, Sujata Ma'am.' I didn't even tell 'thank you' to ma'am.

In next few days, we packed some of our things in big cardboard boxes. Then the next day, we ate our breakfast at Iyer Aunty's house. I didn't tell Mummy that I liked the upma better than what Mummy makes. We sat in the train. What I didn't know that I won't be in Mumbai for a year.

*

"Anu, wake up. Otherwise you'll be late for your school," Mummy woke me up. I looked at this new room. Well, it wasn't new but then this whole experience was new. Like some days ago, we went in a big building where a man and woman asked me some questions. The questions were like, 'What comes after alphabet A?', "C for?" and similar ones.

So, now I have put a new uniform, ready to go to new school. I didn't know that now my answer should have changed. Daddy asked, "What is the name of your school, Anu?"

I answered, "Adarsh Anglo Vidyalaya Public School."

He shook his head. "That's wrong Anu. It's Baby Sona High School."

Baby? Baby what? What a weird name! It took me quite a lot of time to learn Adarsh Anglo Vidyalaya. Now I have to learn this baby school. I wonder what this baby school means? To reach new school, Mummy said she will drop me. I don't know why but Mummy also takes a bag with her.

"Mummy, this no Anu bag," I point out.

"This is because Mummy is also going to office," she beamed.

"Daddy go office."

"Yes, dear."

I look at her, unsure. "Mummy and Daddy office go. Anu school go?"

"Yes, Anu. You'll go to school. Ammamma will pick you while coming back," she answered.

I turned towards Ammamma who was making dosas in the kitchen. The cool thing about this house is that even if I am sitting on the dining table, I can see what's going on in the kitchen. There's a huge rectangular hole in the wall dividing the dining room and kitchen. We have been staying in their house since we came from Mumbai. This is a big house so I have the freedom to roam around. I have roamed with Arun Mama on his bike quite a few times. Daddy is always looking lost and busy.

After some byes, we both left for school. As we walked, on a tree, I saw some squirrels running. I just stood there, not moving, watching them play. Mummy looked at me and said, "I know Anu that this is a rare sight in Mumbai but we both will be late."

Unhappily, I walked with her until she pointed out at an old looking building, "That's your school."

This is so small! Near the gate of the school, I saw an unusually large crowd of people blocking huge yellow buses and other vehicles. Unlike the previous school, this time Mummy walked with me to the classroom. She made me sit next to a terrified girl and instructed, "Make new friends, Anu."

No sooner did she left than I moved to the next bench in the front. She would have made me cry. Unlike the previous school, which had many Hindi speaking students, here I am hearing students talking in a language similar to the one I speak at home. Why can't I understand their Telugu?

Then there was sudden silence as we saw an old woman walking in a saree. Something seems off with her saree. Ammamma has better sarees. She speaks slowly, "I am your class teacher, Mayuri. You can call me Mayuri Miss."

Miss? What's miss?

She continued, "I would be happy if you all could become friends. We will be united as a class!"

What's un-unit-unit. . . never mind!

Then I saw a girl standing at the door. Mayuri ma'am introduced herself again and made her sit next to me. Mummy said to make new friends. She told I might not meet Sharvari again. I didn't tell Sharvari because she wouldn't speak to me. I introduced to her, "Hi, I am Anika."

Before she could speak, Mayuri ma'am screamed, "Hey you! Stop talking. Pay attention to what I will speak now."

I looked at her unbelievably. Didn't she ask us to make friends? I decided on giving my attempt of making friends. I will talk if they would. She continued looking at me. She ordered, "Don't give me your stares. What a temper for a small girl!"

Stares? I wonder what she means by that. But I kind of had a feeling that this 'stare' might cause some troubles. Rest of the day went past and as I got up to leave, Mayuri ma'am called me, "Oh hello! Where do you think you're going? Sit down, your parents will come."

Puzzled, I sat down. Does she mean that like the way Mummy came inside to drop me, Ammamma will come here to pick me? But how will she come-

"Anika Reddy!" Mayuri ma'am called. I stood up. I saw Ammamma smiling at me. Then I looked at sulking Mayuri ma'am. Anytime, Ammamma would beat her in elegance and smile. I forgot to include, saree choices too. I walked with Ammamma back to home, ranting about the school. She then changed my dress, fed me and made me sleep. When I got up, I saw Mummy stealthily exiting from room.

I squealed, "Mummy!"

She stood transfixed. Groggily, I ran and leapt towards her. She hugged me and asked, "How was your school? Ammamma was telling me that you've too many issues."

"Mummy, school bad and small. Mayuli ma'am bad. She shouts on Anika," I reasoned. I hope that was well put out.

"Ma'am shouted on you! You must have done something wrong."

"No," I shake my head. "She tell make fliend. I make fliend and Mayuli ma'am shout me."

She seemed to be thinking, "Oh I see. So, how many friends did you make?"

"No fliends."

"You said ma'am shouted on you when you were making friends?"

I sighed. It will take time to explain. I wonder if Ammamma understood it to help me.

*

Many days had passed since I have been going to this new school. The fact is that I still don't like it but there's nothing I can do about it. Except for the fact that I cry every time Mayuri Ma'am would scream or beat. I couldn't understand why she would do that.

Like one day, she gave a 'test' where we had to write spellings of some words. Later that day she started distributing the papers which she had scribbled with red colour pen. While returning back to my bench, Bhavani asked me, "How many words did she circle? If she has circled it, it means it is something called as 'wrong'."

I stopped next to her bench and started counting. To my shock there was only one circle. Does this mean I have only one wrong? I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Next thing I know is a strong force contacting my back. I turn back to see Mayuri ma'am glaring. She muttered, "You think this is a market?"

Even though I was on the brink of crying, I answered, "No ma'am. This is school."

She screamed, "How dare you back answer? Go and sit down."

What was wrong? She asked if this was market. I have been to Madiwala market with Mummy and it doesn't look like this. I mean there are no fruits, flowers or vegetables here. That day, I narrated Ammamma everything. She looked as if she were going to shake Mayuri ma'am.

She consoled, "I can't believe that you got a class which has such horrible class teacher. No other divisions in your standard has worst teacher. Oh, my poor child, my bangaru! I curse her that she would get a stomach ache!"

Surprisingly, the next day, Mayuri ma'am was absent. I was kind of glad because the whole day gave me a feeling of going to school the next day. There was no screaming, no beating as the other teacher who was teaching us was a sweet lady.

Along with Bhavani, I had another friend named Kanika. We both had similar names due to which I would be confused whose name was being called. Though they were good, I missed Sharvari and Nikhil. What I didn't know was that when I would meet them again, both would fail to recognize me.

***

Notes:

Madiwala Market: This place is a part of Bangalore which is mainly a market for fruits, flowers and vegetables. If I am right, it's supply comes from KR Market, which is again in Bangalore.

*

Hi guys! Hope you all are safe! I know you guys might have a doubt that why these chapters are a part of 'Anika of Mumbai' when this is taking place in Bangalore. Well, this is a small part of 'Anika of Mumbai' in Bangalore. Yes, I know it is a spoiler but yes, she will move back to Mumbai.

Thank you for reading!