Before proceeding to her seat, quite involuntarily she looked at the place where she sat the day before and insulted by Mounika. She felt anger once again, she paused few moments with frowns on her forehead and then came to her seat on the first bench and sat in her place. Even she said so to Ragini, she could not forget the episode with Mounika.

Jasmine indeed thanked the English teacher for what she did. She always liked to sit in the first bench and listen carefully whatever teachers would say. She did not think of that she could get place in the first bench itself.

On this day the first period was mathematics. Jasmine took the mathematics text book out and searching for the chapter that was going be taught on that day.

"I am sorry."

After hearing these words, Jasmine sharply turned her head and found Mounika there. She sat beside her on the bench and looking into the eyes of Jasmine. "I should not have behaved like that on yesterday. I am very sorry for that."

Jasmine's heart leaped with joy and she immediately forgot the insult and agony suffered on the day before and was still suffering whenever she remembered that incident. A small smile embarked onto her lips. "Its alright. I want to be friendly with everyone here. I did not feel much by your behavior on yesterday" Jasmine lied "But I want everyone in the class to be friendly with me."

"Then can we both be friends from now on?" looking into the face of Jasmine, Mounika asked her.

"I already strongly made you as my friend. It is just on your part to decide what to do with me." Taking her hand into hers and squeezing it gently Jasmine said while observing her carefully. There was lot of difference from the day before to today in Mounika. Her face appeared ugly with anger on the day before but it was beautiful with a smile on her lips then. Really what Ragini said was true that this girl was suffering with a problem at her home.

"Thank you very much." Mounika nodded her head and sighed. Jasmine understood that she was still suffering with something.

"I have a weakness and I must tell you about it as we both are friends now." Leaving her hand Jasmine said. "I poke into the affairs of my friends even they are so private and personal if they are in trouble and suffering for anything. I know that you are suffering from something."

"How did you know about that?" instantly there was a troubling expression on the face of Mounika.

"Ragini told me." Jasmine said pleadingly looking into the eyes of Mounika. "Please don't get angry with her."

"I never." Mounika said. "Ragini is a very good friend to me. Why do I get angry with her?"

"Thank you." Jasmine nodded her head. "Take your time and think about it. Tell me your problem however much private and personal it is. I try to solve it. I solved some problems of my friends before, I must say."

Jasmine thought that Mounika would once again become serious and instantly regretted for whatever she said. But quite surprisingly Mounika's face lit with a broad smile. "Really, really you do try to solve my problem?"

"I don't know about your problem yet. But I try to do solve your problem my level best." Jasmine said with firm voice.

Mounika nodded her head and about to say something but then other students started entering into the classroom. "Alright, I talk to you later." Saying so Mounika went away from there to her seat.

By the time the classroom filled with most of its students, mathematics teacher Vasudevan entered into it. All of them stood up and greeted him 'good morning sir.' As mathematics also one of her interesting subjects, that class went smoothly for Jasmine. She instantly liked Vasudevan also. She acquainted with all the teachers by then and there were no complaints to her so far on any of them.

But she heard that the principal of the school was very strict and he beats the hell out of the students. Girls also felt very much fear to the principal. He goes only to the tenth class to teach mathematics and English but sometimes he would come to other classes also to see how they were studying. If he came to know that the teachers were not properly teaching to the students, he would not hesitate to scold them even before the students. There would be pin drop silence in any classroom whenever the principal was near to it. There was no necessity to tell how it would once he entered into it. No student would dare even to look sideways while he was in the classroom.

"Our principal really don't like our coming out like this and eating ice creams etc., in this way." When they both were out in the interval, Ragini said to Jasmine while they both were eating ice creams.

"What would be the problem in it?" frowns gathered on the forehead of Jasmine.

"Health would be spoiled. The ice creams and sweat-meats etc. are not good to eat."

"That much is true." Jasmine nodded her head.

Silence ensued until it was broken by Ragini.

"You know one thing? Sometimes he beats the boys in such a way, you just have to see." Ragini could not suppress her giggle.

"Is it is something to enjoy that you feel happy like this? Do you enjoy while some other one is suffering hell?" Jasmine angrily said.

"I just cannot help it." Ragini laughed. "The other interesting thing! His son is studying tenth class. He would not spare even him either. On more than one occasion we saw him beat his son like anything."

"After all he does not have partiality in beating." Jasmine said. "How he would be with girls if they are wrong or do mistakes?" she was feeling fear hearing about the principal so. Though she already came to know about him, the information Ragini was giving about him making her more uneasy.

"He scolds them a lot. But that scolding is more fierce, insulting and agonistic than that vigorous beating." Ragini said.

"You are making me feel scary." Jasmine said.

"I am sorry. I should not have made you feel scary like this. But is it is not important that you know about this in before itself?"

"Hundred percent important."Jasmine nodded her head and said. "And I know already something about him."

There was some silence between them both.

"It seems that you and that Mounika became good friends." Looking inquiringly into the face of Jasmine, Ragini said.

"Yes, now we are good friends." Jasmine nodded her head. "You may not believe but she came to me and apologized to me for her behavior on yesterday."

"No, I believe that." Ragini said. "She is that much good. But only because of ........" she stopped seeing Mounika coming near to them.

"What you both are talking?" Mounika asked them.

"Nothing very much important. That and this. This and that." Jasmine said.

"I am just telling her how cruel and disciplinary our principal is." Ragini said.

"Oh!" Mounika nodded her head helplessly. "Thinking about him itself gives me creeps."

"It seems our peon forgot to ring the interval closing bell. A long time passed. Someone should go and remind him about that." Ragini said.

Just then interval closing bell was rung. All of them hurriedly entered into their classrooms.

***

"It seems that you and Jasmine have become friends." Ragini said looking into the face of Mounika. "I saw you both were talking."

"I cannot say but I like her. She has something in her to attract people." Mounika smiled and said. "You know one thing that she offered to solve my problem."

"I cannot understand, what?" there came a surprising expression on the face of Ragini.

Then Mounika said the conversation went between her and Jasmine.

Ragini nodded her head and asked "What you are thinking to do?"

Mounika paused for a moment before saying "I am not thinking any about that."

As they both were talking like that English teacher Manorama entered into the classroom. Everyone stood up reverently and said 'good morning madam'. Manorama reciprocated with them by saying 'good morning students"

"Now I am going to teach a new lesson to you. It is a story that we all can enjoy." She opened the book in her hand and about to start teaching, then the principal Mrudanga Rao entered into the class. All the students in the classroom once again stood up but this time with more fear than reverence. They all knew about Mrudanga Rao very well. They were all feeling lot of fear then. All of them in unison have said "Good morning sir."

English teacher Manorama also stood up as soon as she saw the principal. "Good morning sir." She also said.

Mrudanga Rao straight came and sat in the teacher's chair there. "Sit down all of you." He said with a small voice but as there was complete silence it has been heard quite clearly by all of them and was obeyed immediately. Manorama also made herself room on the first bench and adjusted herself on that.

"Now I shall ask you some questions on English grammar. I see how much proficient you are all in it."

The hearts of the students started beating fast. What questions he was going to ask on grammar and who was going to be his target they could not understand. They knew very well if they could not give the answer promptly and correctly the punishment shall be severe.

'He is taking the bag' in which voice this sentence is?" looking at the whole students he asked.

"Active voice" only few students in the classroom said.

"So only few of you here know to which voice it belongs." Mrundanga Rao angrily said.

Then he looked at Jasmine and said "Stand up."

Jasmine obediently stood up.

"Can you change it into passive voice?" while looking straight at her, Mrudanga Rao asked.

"Yes sir." Jasmine's heart was beating fast.

"Then do it."

"The bag is being taken by him."

"Good, sit."

That command also was immediately obeyed.

Then he looked straight at Mounika and said "Stand up."

Despite the fact that the strict disciplinarian and cruel punisher was present in the class, Mounika fall into thinking something else.

"You girl. Stand up. Have you become deaf?" Mrudanga Rao almost yelled.

Mounika startled and at once came into this world, immediately stood up and said "Yes sir."

(..........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.)