Kindle to Rekindle

5. Hurdle Race

Peace over drama? Yes. No. Maybe?

"Hey," Nivedya greeted Nimrit as they stepped into school at the same time.

Nimrit was suddenly nervous because she wanted to reply or smile but her father was there, observing them like a hawk.

"Hey you, come here," Amber called Nivedya.

"Good morning," Nivedya greeted Amber, politely.

"Listen up boy, Nimrit is a champion and you better put your attention and time into bracing up your skills rather than focusing on less important things. I don't want my daughter's performance to be spoiled because of someone who is not dedicated. Got it?" Amber warned/explained/suggested to Nivedya in his fake calm tone.

"I appreciate your concern but..." Nivedya stopped speaking when he saw Nimrit's scared face. "Got it." was all Nivedya said and left from there because he was raging within.
"Nimrit's father is so unreasonable, dude. He and his daughter think they are from some another universe. That girl has been trying my patience since the start. It's high the time she gets a piece of my mind." Nivedya was furious and shared the details of the incident with Collin. He somewhere held Nimrit responsible for her father misunderstanding him. He gave himself brownie points for not back answering Amber.

"Yeah! You should. You both get a lot of alone time after school use. Tell her she needs to shed that damned attitude of hers. We have so many pretty girls in the school. Just see." Collin turned Nivedya's face to the left where Janice and her friends were standing but Nivedya's eyes were set on a girl who was talking to a boy with a smile on her face.
An unexplained feeling crept inside him. He wanted the earth to split and the boy to fall into its crux. The bell rang and Collin pulled Nivedya to the class before his firey eyes burnt the ground.

Nimrit sat on the corner most last seat of the class. She was abashed by the words of her father. She understood his protective attitude and she had learned to live with it. But not everyone was expected to understand it.

"Nimrit, Nimrit..." The teacher called Nimrit and she got up in haste dropping her geometry case. "Just leave the class. Take a stroll in the garden and freshen up. Whatever is in your head just clear it out. You know the school also has a qualified counsellor who could..."

"Sorry, ma'am. I am fine. It won't happen again." Nimrit was embarrassed and avoided the questioning look of her friends. She took a deep breath and finished the work before the entire class.
While submitting her notebook she explained to the teacher, "Ma'am, I am sorry for not paying attention. It's just that I have studied this topic before so..."

"I know that you are a smart girl, Nimrit. But you need to be attentive even if you have done the topic before. You might learn something new." The teacher left giving Nimrit a soft smile.

Nimrit patted herself for coming up with a valid reason to give to her friends. She was right. Her friends bought her excuse easily.

"Nimrit, can we talk?" Janice asked Nimrit and she nodded. "Do have any idea how Nivi felt after your father threatened him? You now study in a co-ed school, not some old-fashioned covenant school. Nivi is the most genuine boy we know and he would never cross any line. He is focused and committed to the tasks he does. Explain that to your father." Janice explained in a not-so-polite tone to Nimrit in front of her girl gang.

"He was just concerned as a father..." Janice showed her hand to Nimrit refraining her from speaking further and gestured the girls to leave.

"That's not how things work here Nimrit. High time you realise that." Aarfa left with everyone giving a pitiful look to Nimrit.