"How can you say it like that? How can you say it is always I who hate him and he does not hate me? You know very little darling. Either you are imagining or he told you all lies."

"Neither I am imagining nor did dad tell me lies." Mounika sat on the bed and looked into the eyes of her mother. "If dad drops the idea of divorce are you ready to live with us both without bothering about divorce?" thinking how she would respond, Mounika asked her.

"No, that is impossible." with a firm voice, Prameela said.

"Why it is impossible?" with a questioning expression Mounika asked her. Her mother's response did not disappoint Mounika as she expected it.

"It is just impossible. I cannot say more than that at all." After saying so, Prameela went away from that place.

***

"Is it is so? It is really very much surprising to me." After hearing what Jasmine said, Malathi said.

"Yes, it is so. She loved someone before her marriage. But her parents did not approve that and performed her marriage with that Sudhakar. In the new days of their marriage itself, that other guy committed suicide. So she became like that." Once again Jasmine briefed her mother.

"My god! How terrible! What a torture for that father and daughter!" Malathi said.

"You are absolutely right. They both are indeed suffering a lot."

"So it is only that Prameela who wants divorce. If she stops craving for that there would be no problem from Sudhakar."

"You are right. He said so to Mounika also. If Mounika's mother drops the idea of divorce, there would be no problem from him at all. For his daughter's sake he is ready to bear all the torture in his wife's hands."

"What a good person he is!" Malathi said. "One thing I cannot understand. What would be the use to her by taking divorce now? That other guy whom she loved a lot is late now. What she would do after taking divorce?"

"That is what I too cannot understand."

"In my opinion she became psychologically unbalanced. If she has been taken to a psychologist things may be set right."

"But would she come to any psychologist? I don't think that she agrees herself that she is a psychological patient."

"You are absolutely right." Malathi nodded her head.

"On one hand I am feeling happy that it is only Mounika's mother wants divorce and her father is ready to live with them bearing all the trouble. But on the other hand this Mounika's mother is hell bent upon taking divorce. I just don't know how to fulfill my promise."

"You may better forget your promise and concentrate on your studies."

"Impossible! Once I gave a word like that I cannot go back on it at all." Jasmine said firmly. "I have to find a way to solve Mounika's problem permanently."

"At the same time consider about the problems you have to face because of that."

"What type of problems I do face?" looking questioningly into the face of her mother, Jasmine asked her.

"Who knows? You are going in between a wife and husband. Generally even the parents and elders also don't prefer to go in between wife and husband. They let the problems to be solved in between themselves."

"If it is only that wife and husband suffer, I would not have bothered. But here my close friend Mounika is also suffering a lot. You know my weakness. I just cannot bear if any of my friends suffer in such a way."

Malathi laughed and said. "Anyhow don't neglect your studies. Your studies are more important to you than anything else."

"One thing you tell me frankly mom, ever I neglected my studies upto now because of my problem solving nature?"

"No, of course." Malathi said.

"I am getting all the good scores in all my examinations till now, am I not?"

"You are right." Malathi nodded her head in affirmation.

"It is going to be so just like that in future also. I never neglect my studies. Don't worry about that."

"Okay dear." Malathi hugged her daughter and kissed on her cheek.

***

First unit test examinations were over and after some days, teachers distributed the corrected examinations papers to the students. As expected, Jasmine scored good marks in all subjects. Madhuri and Anupama also did better. But Mounika's marks were average.

"What happened to you? Why did not you write the examinations better?" Jasmine asked Mounika.

"I just could not concentrate and study. You know my problem very well." Mounika said with a sorrow filled tone.

"Don't talk like that" Jasmine said. "Whatever may be the situation at home, we must not neglect our studies. All these problems shall be solved. But if you neglect your studies....It shall be a great loss to you."

"I just....I can't ....I don't know....." Mounika was feeling really very much bad that she scored that less in her examinations.

"Mounika, it is just unit test. Not a very major examination. There is no problem whatsoever if you do score less in this. Concentrate and study hard for the forthcoming examinations. Aim to score high in them."

"I cannot think like that. I cannot think about anything else at all. Very soon my parents are going to take divorce." Mounika was struggling herself to stop her tears.

It was interval period and they both were out. No one was around then.

"I said to you it cannot be very soon and taking divorce needs lot of time. Moreover I promised to you that I solve your problem in all respects." Keeping her hand on Mounika's shoulder and looking assuredly into her eyes, Jasmine said.

"How you can do that? Even god also cannot do anything. Because my mom is that much adamant and stubborn."

"I am also adamant and stubborn Mounika. I am optimistic. Your parents never take divorce. You three start living happily together. It is my promise to you and just remember it always. If it does not happen like this, then ask me."

Suddenly there was happiness in the face of Mounika. "How, how you can confirm like this with it?"

"I cannot say and I don't know. I have always solved problems of my friends before with this sort of confidence. Of course this problem is little big but I am still feeling confidence in the same way."

"Thank you, thank you very much." Mounika happily said.

After few seconds silence, Mounika said again. "That Ragini....she scored terribly low in all her examinations. I think principal sure do talk about this with her mother."

"Yes, I am also shocked on seeing her lower scores like that. Is she is not studying at all?" Jasmine asked inquiringly.

"At present thoughts of that Pramod are dominating her mind, I am afraid." With a low voice Mounika said.

"What?" Jasmine shocked on hearing that. "What you are saying?"

"I think I already said that to you. She is unnecessarily mingling with that Pramod every now and then." Mounika angrily said.

"Did not you warn her? I asked you to put her into caution." Worry clouded on the face of Jasmine also. Ragini became a good friend to Jasmine also.

"I have not had a chance yet." Mounika said. "I do try."

Then the finishing interval bell rang and they both entered into the class.

***

"Jasmine my brother wants to thank you personally." Anupama said to Jasmine.

"For what?" looking surprisingly into the face of Anupama, Jasmine asked her.

"Because of you he started studying hard. He scored very good marks in the first unit examinations."

"Bullshit." Jasmine angrily said. "What I did in this at all?"

"I don't know. My parents and I always asked him to study hard. He never has listened to us. But you took a change in him with a simple little speech." With a smile Anupama said.

"Very good. Then ask him to continue the same spirit and get good marks in all his examinations. He need not thank me at all." Jasmine was still angry.

"I do try. But he is very much desperate to thank you."

"Given a chance our Jasmine can change every boy in our school with her little speeches" Madhuri, who was silent all that time said.

"Would you shut your mouth and mind your work?" Jasmine became even more angry.

"What wrong I said? Is it is not true? Do you know one thing, our principal particularly said to your parents that his son changed and started studying because of you. You changed this Anupama's brother also. Very unfortunate I don't have any brothers. If I have I sure do see that they also have little speeches from you."

"You just don't know how much I am willing to kill you both here and now." Jasmine said while trying to control her irritation. "You are irritating me that much." Then she remembered what Madhuri said in the middle and surprised. Principal said to her parents that she changed his son!

"Madhuri, is it is true that the principal particularly said so to my parents?"

"I don't know it myself. Anupama saw and heard his saying so to your parents on the day of parents meeting. She said to me." Madhuri said.

Jasmine turned her head and looked into the face of Anupama questioningly.

"Hundred percent true. If you don't believe me ask your parents and confirm yourself." Anupama said.

Jasmine suddenly felt very uneasy. Why the boys should change like that just by her saying something to them? Deep inside her, her subconscious was saying to her it was not just her words that got the change in them so.

***

It was playing hour and Jasmine wanted to relax herself after playing sometime with her friends. She went to a rock a little far away, sat on that and closed her eyes. As she was relaxing herself so, she heard footsteps and opened her eyes. Ranjan stood before her.

"Hai Ranjan, how do you do?" she greeted him. "It is your mathematics class and principal is teaching you all. If he finds you coming out like that, he beats the hell out of you."

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

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