TIT FOR TAT IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!!

The Competition And More

The Inter-house Drama Competition was held as scheduled, and all the four Houses--Yellow, Green, Red and Blue--participated. Each and every House performed well, but it was Ira's own yellow House that won the competition and prize for the 'Best Play'.

What's more, Ira received the 'Best Director' award, since the teachers(who were also part of the judging panel) had seen the amount of effort she had put into her near-devastated play in just the last three days--from getting a whole new bunch of actors, and that too from the junior classes(which was a highly commendable idea, from the teachers' view point, to involve children from smaller classes and allow them to showcase their talent too), to correcting the script's language without affecting the essence of the content, to supervising all the prop work and taking over the job of costume designer and wardrobe master herself when the girl in charge of it suddenly fell ill. One of her team members, who wrote the play's script herself the second time, got the second prize in the category of 'Best Scriptwriter'.

Of course, Ira, her team, and her friends were above themselves with joy and happiness on learning the results! Their hard work had paid off well, and most importantly, they had achieved what, only three days ago, seemed impossible!

On the other hand, it was the worst nightmare possible for Parul, who had spent so much of her money and time trying to lure away Ira's play's original actors from participating, and creating a number of problems along her way so that she lost the competition at all costs. All in vain. In one corner of her heart, she knew that Ira deserved what she got, but Parul's ego and pride drowned that tiny wave of an emotion, because after all, Ira had also succeeded in snatching away the crown of popularity from her head.

A week passed after the competition was over. The school was now all set to host its annual winter carnival, for which all the students were supposed to get four eatables worth Rs.10, which would be used as goodies in the game stalls. By the end of the next week, the class cupboard was overflowing with packets of chips, biscuits, fruit juice packs, etc.

On the last day of the week, all the items were taken out of the cupboard for counting. All 35 students had submitted their four things but counting revealed that 9 items were missing!

"Well, Mansi, are you sure everybody had actually submitted all four things?" the class teacher, Urmila ma'am asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Last time I counted--it was actually yesterday only, in the last period--there were total 140 items present, which is the required number. But now...I don't know where the other nine things went." Mansi, who was also the cupboard in-charge, said with certainty.

"So no one took anything out of the cupboard after you locked it yesterday, and opened it now. Am I right?"

"As a matter of fact, ma'am, I don't know for sure..." Mansi said, hesitatingly.

"Why?? You're the cupboard in-charge, then who else would know that if not you?"

"Ma'am, the cupboard keys are not only with me. One is with you, too. And if you would remember, yesterday Parul obtained permission from you to have your key as she told you she'd be coming here in the evening to keep a research project and model for today's Science Exhibition in the cupboard. Our science teacher Preeti ma'am had told her to finish the model as quickly as possible and submit it that day only so first thing this morning, before even any teacher came, she could send the model to the Exhibition hall, by obtaining your key which would be kept in the office, to open the cupboard."

"So that's the story, is it, Parul?" Urmila ma'am spun to face Parul. She was furious, and it was obvious that she suspected Parul of the theft.

The murmurs of excited conversation that had broken out after Mansi's explanation, instantly ceased.

Urmila ma'am continued, "Can you give me one good reason why disciplinary action against you for stealing what was the school's property should not be taken?"

Parul's mouth hung open in shock and confusion, and her eyes were wide open, not able to believe what her ears were hearing! A teacher had just accused her of stealing something from the school!! She couldn't find the words for an appropriate reply, and barely managed to say, "What are you saying, ma'am?! I-I can't understand!"

By now a hush had fallen over the classroom.

"You heard what I said, didn't you? Of course, it would be hilarious to even think that a teacher like Preeti ma'am could have done it, and the only other person who had access to the cupboard was you. All the evidence points to you Parul! Stop acting like you don't know what we're talking about. I've had many complaints against you lately, and it has come to light that you played some tricks on Ira and her House during the Inter-house Drama Competition. What do you have to say to that?" Urmila ma'am scolded.

"But ma'am, trust me, I didn't do this. I mean, why should I have stolen these things I could easily buy myself?" a terrified Parul said.

"Go find yourself some evidence and a witness who can confirm your innocence, and then prove yourself innocent in front of the Principal. Meet me in the Principal's office in 10 minutes. Did you hear that?"

Urmila ma'am started moving towards the door.

The teacher's words echoed in Parul's head. Now where would she find such a person who'd support her? Not even her best friends, Tanya and Aisha, were defending her! She glanced at them through tear-filled eyes, and was shocked to see that they were pretending to be nonchalant, looking away from her. What would happen now?? Would she be expelled from school for a crime she never committed?