"Yes, you are right." Some of the parents there said to him then.

"Tell me if there are any problems. Tell me if your children are not progressing well. This meeting is purported to solve if there are any problems." Mrudanga Rao said

Then the parents started asking questions to the teachers about their children and teachers were answering their questions patiently.

"I want to ask something straight to you." One parent among them said to Mrudanga Rao.

"You may feel free to ask." Murdanga Rao smiled.

"We came to know that you are beating children too much. Is it is a right thing in your opinion?"

On hearing that Mrudanga Rao's face became serious. "You have to think why I am doing it like that. Only to put children into discipline and make them study well I beat them like that. There is no other selfish motive in that."

"Still" one other parent among them said. "We don't like our children are beaten like that."

"If you don't like it to be so" Mrudanga Rao paused for a moment and then said "If you don't want it like that you may change your children from here to any other school. But I cannot stop keeping children in discipline."

After hearing that none of the parents said anything. They knew that school was producing best results and they did not want to change their children from that school. That parents-teachers meeting continued like that for some one hour or so. Sundar also has an important work and could not come to the meeting. Only Malathi and Jasmine came. Malathi has received a very favourable report from teachers about Jasmine. After the completion of parents-teachers meeting, when the parents were about to go to their homes, Jasmine and Malathi came across Mounika and her mother.

"Mom, Mounika's mother" introducing Mounika's mother to her mother, Jasmine said.

Mounika introduced Malathi to her mother as Jasmine's mother.

Malathi looked curiously into the face of Prameela. "I am feeling very happy to meet you."

"I too." Prameela said. "It's a pleasure to me to meet you like this."

"My daughter told me a lot about you. She said that you keep your home quite neat and in order." Malathi said with a smile on her lips.

"Its just an exaggeration. I don't do that much better." With a smile Prameela said. "My daughter quite often tells me about your daughter. They both are very good friends indeed."

"Yes, they are" Malathi nodded her head. "They made us also as friends, are not they?"

"You are right. We both are now friends of course. Why don't you come to my home then? It is not far from here at all." Prameela said.

"My house is also not far from here. First you and your daughter come to our home and then we come to yours." Malathi said.

Mounika and Jasmine were just observing with smiles on their lips what their mothers were talking.

"Mom, why don't we go to Malathi aunt's home? Anyhow holiday has been given to our school due to this parents-teachers meeting." Mounika said.

Instantly there was some troubling expression on the face of Prameela but she smiled and said. "Alright, we are ready to come to your home."

***

"Your house is also very neat and in order. Why your daughter particularly praised me like that I cannot understand" looking curiously around once she entered into Jasmine's home, Prameela said.

"You kept paintings on the walls and dolls in the glass cupboards. That is the reason why my daughter particularly liked your house maintenance. I am not having much artistic interest and knowledge." Malathi said.

"That does not matter much." Prameela said.

"My husband is the manager of Canara Bank. I heard that your husband is also working in a bank." Looking into the face of Prameela, Malathi said.

"Yes, my husband is working in a private bank ICICI and I am working as a commerce lecturer in government junior college." Prameela said.

"You are indeed great managing your family while doing a job. Sometimes I feel work in the home heavy even I am not doing any job at all." They all were sat in the chairs in the hall.

"Mounika helps me in the work. That is why I don't feel much heavy with my household work." Prameela said.

"That is the reason." Malathi said. "Jasmine very seldom comes forward to help me in household chores."

"Mom, this is indeed a very serious accusation." Jasmine angrily said. "It is you who do not let me to do any work in the home. Now you are saying I never help you in your household work."

"Its alright dear. I said so just for fun." Malathi said laughing.

"I am feeling really very happy that you have come to our home. I am feeling quite good in your company. Yes, our children made us also good friends." Malathi said again

"I am also feeling and thinking in the same way. Now you owe a visit to our house with your daughter. Till now she saw only how I maintained my house. Now she is going to see how I cook also." Prameela said.

"When I came there last time you gave me something you cooked to eat. Those snacks are very nice and I can say that you are a wonderful cook also." Jasmine said.

"Those were not much. You have to have something heavier to certify me like that" with a smile Prameela said.

"Alright, we sure do come. We just wait for the chance to come to your home and taste your dishes." Malathi stood up and said "I go into kitchen and take coffee and snacks for you."

"That is absolutely not necessary," Prameela protested. "I just want you to sit and talk with us."

"I do that anyhow after giving coffee and tiffins to you people. In between you three continue your talking." Going into the kitchen Malathi said. Just in minutes she prepared some coffee and served it in cups along with some snacks in plates also. Mounika and her mother indeed enjoyed the tea and snacks there. After that also they talked some more time with Malathi and Jasmine.

"Don't forget. You people do owe a visit to our home." While going away from that place Mounika's mother reminded again.

"She is appearing very nice to me. I just cannot understand why she is thinking to take divorce from her husband. What type of person he is?" when Mounika and her mother went away from that place, Malathi said.

"He is a gentleman. So nice a person. He appears even more mild and good." Jasmine said.

"Then what is the problem in between them both?" frowns gathered on Malathi's forehead.

"Mom, cannot you try to know about that?" looking into the face of her mother, Jasmine said.

"Me, how can I do that?"

"It is true that you both have become friends. She has invited you to her house also. Better go to her home and develop intimacy with her. Try to know what the real dispute between her husband and her is." Jasmine said.

"Why should I do that? Why do I bother that much?"

"For me. For your daughter."

"For you? What do you mean?" Malathi surprisingly asked her.

"I made a promise to Mounika that I do see that her parents never take divorce and be together all the time. I have to keep my promise. You have to help me in this regard."

Malathi hissed out heavily.

"Mom, just think about that Mounika. How innocent she is! Just think about her how she would be after her parents take divorce."

"You are right. It is indeed pathetic. I just cannot imagine that girl's plight after her parents' divorce. But why her parents not think about that?"

"That is the thousand dollars question here. They both love her a lot but don't think about that." Jasmine said. "But is it is not better that we do see whether we may stop her parents from taking divorce?"

"Indeed it is better." Malathi said. "I sure shall help you."

Jasmine felt happy hearing her mother like that.

***

"My parents went to a lawyer." Mounika's face was clouded with worry.

"How did you know about that?" Jasmine felt a pang in her heart after hearing that.

"My mom herself told me about that. My mom and dad went together to the lawyer. They never agreed on anything except this. So far I know, this is the only thing they did together without disagreement." There were tears ready in the corners of Mounika's eyes.

"Did she tell the lawyer's name to you?"

"She has shown me his visiting card also. His office is not far from our school."

"Then it is better that we both meet him and know how the proceedings are going."

"Is it is better? Would he say anything to us at all?" Mounika asked her.

"He may not. We try to persuade him. There is no loss in trying."

"But what new we can know about? Is there a necessity to tell the reasons why the couple is preferring divorce?"

"Yes, they have to tell why they want to take divorce. Court easily would not give divorce to anyone. Even both husband and wife are ready to take divorce, court would not grant it easily. If they are having children also, it shall be even more difficult."

"If I want can I stop them from taking divorce?" Mounika hopefully asked

"You cannot. If the parents are hell bent upon taking divorce, their children cannot stop them from taking it. But children shall be given choice to choose to live either with the mother or the father."

"Choosing between mother and father is indeed a hardest thing to do. No child shall ever face such type of a situation." Mounika said.

"But most of the children are facing such type of a situation now a day." Jasmine said.

"So you are thinking there may be some use in meeting that lawyer." With a frown Mounika asked her.

"Yes, but not immediately. When your parents met him?"

"Just yesterday."

"Then in three or four days the lawyer sees the necessary papers to be prepared to file in the court. Then we can ask him to give a copy of those papers and read. There may be a possibility that we can know the reasons why your parents want to take divorce."

"Is it is not better that we do meet the lawyer in before itself? We may stop him from preparing any such type of papers." Mounika said.

(..........to be continued)

(I hope you enjoyedit so far. Please don't forget to rate and review it. I update the next chapteras early as possible.)