Jasmine remained silent but it was troubling to her to listen from her mother like that.

"Yes dear. Sometimes there shall be a strong urge in your body to have it. But if you disregard that concentrating your mind on something else it goes away. You terribly feel to be kissed, hugged and do more, when a boy, especially you liked or interested touched you. If you strongly decided in yourself not to do any mistake that feeling also goes away. All depends how strong you stand on your ground."

Malathi paused for few seconds and continued. "But if you have given yourself to those urges, to those feelings and have that sexual intercourse...."

"Mom, please don't talk like that. I said to you it never happens in such a way." With a firm voice Jasmine said again.

"Please listen to me in full. If you give yourself to that urge and have that unholy, unethical and unhygienic sexual intercourse, it leads to so many unwanted consequences. You may become pregnant. You may be contacted with dangerous diseases. You shall be trapped in unwanted feelings like premature love, etc. You cannot study properly. Your whole life will be spoiled."

There was some silence. It was broken by Jasmine. "Thank you mom. Even I don't like hearing you so, you did something good. Now I understood those urges and feelings are natural. I always stand on my ground firm mom. However much the urges and feelings may be, I never give myself. I never shall have those unholy, unethical and unhygienic sexual intercourses." Jasmine made it clear to her mother.

"Oh, I am feeling so happy now." Malathi said relaxing herself. "Never forget to share any of your feelings and experiences so far with me if you think it is important."

"You are such a good mother." Jasmine hugged her mother and kissed on her cheek. "How can I remain without sharing them with you?"

***

"August 15 is just twenty days away. Very soon games and competitions are going to be started. Would you participate in any?" looking at Jasmine, Madhuri asked her.

"Almost in all." Jasmine laughed. "I won prizes in long jump, high jump and running also in my previous school. I participated in debate and essay writing also and won prizes in them too."

"You are really marvelous! I cannot participate in that many. What I knew very well is caram board. I participate only in that game. If the other side is not so much bright, I may win a prize also." Madhuri said.

"What you both are talking now?" coming near to them both Anupama asked.

Madhuri told her what they both were talking.

"I have expected that Jasmine is that much intelligent and would participate in that many games." After hearing fully Anupama said.

"Oh, don't praise me unnecessarily." Jasmine was irritated.

"I am not praising anyone. I am just saying the facts." Anupama said.

"Alright. In what games you are going to participate now?" Jasmine asked Anupama.

"I am good at drawing pictures. I have won some prizes also. So I am going to participate in drawing." Anupama said.

"You draw pictures? I just don't know about it until this moment." Jasmine really surprised very much on hearing that. She did not know that Anupama drew pictures.

"I draw pictures only at the time of competition times. Not at any other time as such you don't know about my talent till now." Anupama said.

There was some silence and then Anupama said with a small voice only to be heard to Jasmine. "I gave a very strong warning to my brother not to behave in such a way at any time with you in future. I scolded him like that he really hurt. I can say that he never would behave in such a way with any other girl not just you."

She did not know why but Jasmine felt a pang in her heart. But she said "Its alright. We forget about that."

"Here comes the teacher." Seeing the social teacher Pradhan coming into their class Anupama said and stood up "Good morning sir".

Everyone in the classroom stood up and said "Good morning sir".

"Good morning, please sit all of you." Pradhan said. When all of them sat he also sat in the chair there and said.

"We are going to held games, sports and other competitions for the forthcoming eve August 15. If any of you want to give your names to participate in those, come forward. I think many among you come forward to give your names. First I tell you what competitions we are going to conduct." He paused for a moment and took a sheet of paper from his pocket which had been given by the principal to him. The principal handed over the copies of that paper to all the teachers also.

"Long jump, high jump, throw ball, running, kabaddi, essay competition, debate, drawing..." he read some more before coming to a stop. "You can participate in any number of games, sports and competitions. But each of you has to pay fifty rupees to participate in each competition."

He put the paper back into his pocket and eyed the whole class with keen interest. "Now come forward and give your names. If we finish it fast we have to start our new lesson."

Then a girl stood up and went near to Pradhan. She wrote her name in the book Pradhan gave to her, the sport she wanted to participate in and paid fifty rupees also.

"You can pay the money later if you don't have it now. But you cannot participate in the sports, games and competitions unless you pay the money." He said to the whole class.

Then one after one the girls and boys went near to the table at Pradhan, gave their names while specifying in writing in which games, sports and competitions they want to participate. Few of them paid the money and the rest of them were given a chance to pay the money later. But it had been made quite clear to them that they could not participate in those games, sports and competitions unless they would pay the money.

Madhuri and Anupama also gave their names to participate in the games caram board and drawing respectively and they paid the money. Then Jasmine stood up and went near to the table and wrote the sports and competitions she wanted to participate in, long jump, high jump, running, debate and essay writing.

"You are going to participate in these many numbers of things?" Pradhan felt lot of surprise.

"Yes sir, I participated like this in my previous schools also." Jasmine said and paid money for all those. Malathi always saw that Jasmine keep some four hundred or so with her.

"I feel surprise. I wish you to win prizes in all these."

Games, sports and other competitions were conducted in a smooth and peaceful environment. Pradhan's wish did not go in vain. Except in high jump, Jasmine won prizes in all the others. She won consolation prize in long jump, second prize in running and first prize in debate and essay writing.

"I thought I do get first prizes in all these but it has been turned out like this." Jasmine said. In fact she was happy that she could get first prizes in essay writing and debate.

"But you got first prizes in debate and essay writing. It is indeed wonderful" Anupama said.

"Moreover, the topics have not been given until that moment. Still you could secure first prizes in them both. It is indeed a great achievement." Madhuri said.

"Congratulations! You got second prize in your drawing competition." Looking at Anupama, Jasmine said. "Flower vase on the table. You drew it indeed better."

"Flower vase on the table is a very easy object to draw. But I could not concentrate much. If I have, I would have got first prize." Anupama said.

"What happened to your concentration? Why could not you concentrate more on that?" Madhuri asked her.

"I don't know. I was pre-occupied with some thought." Anupama said.

"Not just then. You are preoccupied like that most of the times. What is really worrying you now?" looking at Anupama, Jasmine asked her. "After your brother's problem solved so, I thought that there is no problem to you to worry about."

"What Jasmine said is true. You are worrying too much recently. You cannot concentrate much on your studies and anything. You may better out with your problem. You have friends here to share and help you in solving that." Madhuri said.

"Thank you very much for your support. Indeed I have a problem and I share it with you people later. Our Hindi teacher may come at any moment." Anupama said.

***

"We are going to have a picnic. Coming Sunday we all go to the garden of our principal and celebrate this picnic as we are celebrating every year." English teacher Manorama said after signing the related notice and send the peon away from there.

There were instant cheers from the students.

"Last Sunday tenth class students have celebrated picnic. This Sunday we are going to celebrate it. The next Sunday eighth class .... And so on. We are celebrating picnics like that in that garden for the last five years or so."

After few seconds pause, English teacher Manoram said again, "You people have to pay two hundred rupees each for this purpose. If any of you cannot afford that let me know. I contribute myself for them. We are going to enjoy a lot in that garden. There shall be games and sports."

Once again there were cheers all over.

"Is it would be that much enjoyable?" Jasmine asked Madhuri with a small voice.

"It is more and more enjoyable. I have been going to that picnic for the last two years. I just cannot say how much I enjoyed. There are so many big trees in the garden and there is a big palace also. A vast crop land. That is all our principal's own. Every year he let us celebrate like that in his garden." Madhuri said.

"So our principal is not bad in all the ways." Jasmine thoughtfully said.

"Yes, he is bad in only one thing. That is he beats the children like that. In all other matters he is a very good person." Madhuri 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.)