Sidharth bent down and picked up the paper from the floor. Meanwhile Shehnaaz just kept staring at him.
He saw the paper where Shehnaaz made the cartoon sketch of new math teacher.
"Did you make this?" He asked sternly.
Shehnaaz gulped her saliva and looked down.
"Bolo!" Said Sidharth loudly.
Shehnaaz nodded in yes.
"Main aisa dikhta hoon?" He asked to which Shehnaaz nodded in no.
"Woh.... Maine socha tha ki..... Sayad.... Aap aise dikhte hoge..... Sorry....." She said in a low voice.
Sidharth found her very cute and chuckled but the next moment he made a poker face.
"It's ok. Take it and go to your seat." He said giving her the paper.
Shehnaaz took the paper and started going towards her seat.
Suddenly Sidharth said, "Suno!"
Shehnaaz stopped and turned to him.
"Naam kya hai tumhara?" He asked.
"Shehnaaz." She turned.
"Iss ka matlab?"
"Proud..of a... King."
"You mean pride?"
"Haan haan woh hi."
"Shehnaaz!" Murmured Sidharth with a smile.
Then he said, "Nice name."
Shehnaaz smiled and sat on her seat.
"So students I'm your new math teacher. Today is my first class so let's start with introduction...."
Saying that Sidharth started introduction with each students one by one.
"Mujhe toh yakeen hi nahi ho raha ki yeh humare math teacher hai. Itna handsome teacher ho toh koi bhi student iski classes miss na kare." Whispered the girl who was sitting beside Shehnaaz.
Shehnaaz didn't reply but thought looking at Sidharth, "Handsome toh hai."
After the introduction, Sidharth said, "Ok so I'm not starting any new chapter. Let's revise the previous chapters first. I'll write some problems on the board and you all will come one by one and solve them."
Sidharth started writing math problems on the board while Shehnaaz stood up and started leaving.
Sidharth noticed it and asked, "Kaha jaa rahi ho tum?"
"Humesha ki tarah mujhse toh ek bhi problem solve hoga nahi. Phir aap khud hi mujhe class se bahar nikaal doge. Iss se behtar main pehle hi bahar nikal jaau." She said.
The students started laughing.
"Silence!" Said Sidharth stopping them. "Listen, jab tak koi student bohut zyada indisciplined behaviour nahi karta, main usse class se bahar nahi nikal ta. Agar aaj prepration nahi hai toh koi baat nahi. But agle din zaroor prepare hoke aana. Now get back to your seat."
"Ok. Jaisa aap kaho."
Saying that Shehnaaz returned to her seat.
"Ajeeb ladki hai! Bolne se pehle sochti bhi nahi." Thought Sidharth and smiled.
After School...
"Tere class mein toh naya math teacher aaya hai na?" Asked Pinky while walking.
"Haan yaar. Bada handsome hai. Aur padhaya bhi bohut acche se. Matlab mainu kuch samajh mein nahi aaya lekin dusro ne kaha mast padhate hai Sir." Said Shehnaaz.
"Maine bhi bohut students ke muh se unki tarif suni... Khas kar ke ladkiyon ke muh se. Kaash 12th standard ke bhi math classes woh lete. Maza hi aa jaata. You are so lucky."
"Lucky toh hoon. Lagta hai humare pehle wale math teacher se yeh thode kam khadoos hai. Chalo mere liye accha hai. Daant kam padegi."
After sometime she stopped near Nakul's college. He was leaving alone.
"Pinky! Woh dekh Nakul." She said pointing her finger towards him. "Lagta hai aaj uske saath koi nahi hai. Aaj toh baat kar ke rahungi."
"Sana phir se?" Said Pinky getting irritated.
"Bas baat kar ke chali aaungi. I promise." Said Sana.
Pinky nodded her head in disbelief and said, "Thik hai phir. Jaa."
Sana went towards him happily.
"Nakul!" She said and he looked at her. Shehnaaz smiled as she finally got a chance to speak to him.
"Hi! Kaise ho?" She asked.
"Good. What about you?"
"Main toh mast hoon." Said Shehnaaz laughing extra. Then she stopped laughing and said, "Bas.... Tumhare jaane ke baad se kabhi kabhi thoda sa dukhi rehti hoon...."
Nakul knew what she would say next. So he said, "Actually Shehnaaz... Aaj na mujhe zaldi ghar jaana hai. We will talk later."
He was about to leave when she blocked his way and said, "Kam se kam aaj toh mainu ignore na karo."
Nakul sighed knowing that she wouldn't leave her easily now.
"Jab se tumne college mein admission liya hai, tum mujhe bhool hi chuke ho. Har jagah tumne mujhe block kar diya hai. Kabhi raaste mein milte hai toh bhi ignore karte ho. Break-up karna tha toh ik vaari seedhe seedhe baata dete. Main samajh jaati."
"Ab samajh gayi na? Toh phir jaane do."
He tried to leave but she didn't let him.
"Mainu wajah jaan na si. Humare bich kabhi koi ladai nahi hui thi. Phir tumne aise mujhse break-up kyu kiya? Mujhe clarify chahiye." Said Shehnaaz.
"Clarification?"
"Haan woh hi."
Nakul sighed and said, "Fine. Maine tumse break-up kiya kyu ki ek 10th fail ladki kabhi meri girlfriend nahi ho sakti. Pehli baar tumne fail kiya but I understood. Mujhe laga sayad agli baar mehnat kar ke pass ho jaogi. But no. You failed again. Aur mera college mein admission ho gaya. Naye friends bane. Unn se kya kehta? Meri girlfriend do saal se ek hi class mein padh rahi hai. Ek gawar, out-dated ladki, jo English ke char shabd thik se nahi bol paati, main usse date kar raha hoon? Kya izzat reh jaati meri? Dekho Shehnaaz, tum no doubt ek acchi ladki ho but mere circle mein fit nahi aati. That's why I broke up with you."
Shehnaaz felt very bad.
"Agar aisa hi tha toh pyaar kyu kiya?" She asked sadly with teary eyes.
"Galti hogayi thi. Happy? Now please let me leave."
Saying that he left from there.
"Huh! Aaya bada! Angrez ki aulad!" She murmured wiping her tears cutely.
But she didn't know that there was someone who was watching them. It was Sidharth who was leaving from the school but stopped seeing Shehnaaz with Nakul.
After Nakul left, Sidharth also left from there.
Shehnaaz again joined Pinky and they started walking together.
"Kuch baat hui Nakul se?" Asked Pinky.
"Haan. Clear kar diya usne sab kuch. Hun doobara nahi jaaungi uske paas. Hogaya sab khatam." Replied Shehnaaz. She paused for a while and said, "Pinky ik gal das mainu. Kya main acchi girlfriend nahi hoon?"
Pinky frowned and asked, "Yeh sab kisne kaha tujhse?"
"Nakul ki kuch baaton se laga. Sahi keh raha tha, main gawar hoon, mainu angrezi nahi aati, upar se 10th fail. Kya mainu kabhi koi accha ladka sacchi mein pasand karega?"
"Dusro ki chhor. Kya tu khud ko pasand karti hai?"
Shehnaaz immediately smiled and said, "lo, yeh bhi koi puchne wali baat hai? Main apni favourite hoon."
"Phir dusre jaaye bhad mein. Tu khud ko pasand karti rahe. Kabhi self-doubt mat kar. Aur uss lafandar ki baat ko dil pe mat laga."
"Dil pe kaun laga raha hai? Haan abhi mera mood thoda sa kharab hai. Lekin zyada der nahi. Thode gol gappe, ice cream wagera khaungi, ghar jaa ke mast gaana sunungi, do chaar reels banaungi, mood apne aap thik ho jayega."
Pinky laughed hearing her childish talk.
"Accha ghar jaa ke toh banayegi. Abhi ek reel mere saath ho jaaye?" Asked Pinky.
Shehnaaz got excited and said, "Oye!Neki aur puch puch?"
After that they started making reels.
At Night...
Sidharth was working on Laptop but he was thinking about Shehnaaz.
"Kya woh ladka uska boyfriend tha? Ho sakta hai. Iss umar mein yeh sab common hai. Even mere bhi the....But wait, why am I thinking about her? I have lot of work to do."
Thinking that, he started concentrating on his work.
"Kaisa raha? First day as a teacher." Said Rita Ji, his mother, entering the room.
Sidharth smiled looking at her and said, "Great. Kabhi socha nahi tha ki main humare hi school mein as a teacher job karunga. But I must say, it's a tough job."
"Tired hai?"
"Thoda sa."
"Then take rest. Kab se laptop mein ghusa hua hai."
Sidharth chuckled. He kept the laptop aside and rested his head on Rita Ji's lap. Then he himself kept her hand on his head. Rita Ji smiled and started caressing his hair. Maybe he is 27, but still a Mamma's Boy.
After sometime Sidharth said, "Mom aap ko paata hai, humare school mein ek ladki hai, Shehnaaz. She is in class 10 but harkatein na bilkool baccho wali hai."
"Class 10? Phir bacchi hi toh hai." Said Rita Ji.
"Yeah but zyada tar students iss umar mein mature ho jaate hai. She is not like them. Matlab bindaas rehti hai, kuch bhi bolne se darti nahi hai, bilkool jhalli si hai, you know what I mean....."
"Haan haan main samajh gayi." Said Rita Ji laughing.
"Paata hai usse dekh kar na mujhe apna bachpan yaad aa jaata hai. Lekin ek problem hai. Mujhe lagta hai woh apne life mein bilkool bhi serious nahi hai, studies ko leke bhi. She takes everything very lightly."
"Toh tu try kar. Usse sudhar ne ki."
"Main?"
"Haan. Dekh tu ek saal ke liye hi sahi, unka teacher hai. Matlab class ke har ek student ki zimmedari teri hui. Ab agar koi thoda kamzor hai, yaa padhai ko seriously nahi leta toh tujhe hi figure out karna hoga na ki woh student kaise accha kar sakta hai? Tabhi toh tu ek accha teacher ban payega, hai na?"
Sidharth smiled and nodded in yes.
After few days...
Sidharth entered the class and said, "Yesterday I told you to revise the last chapter. Hope you did that. Today I'm going to take a surprise test."
As soon as Sidharth announced that, Shehnaaz widened her eyes.
"Yeh toh ek ke baad ek surprises deta jaa raha hai. Pehle achanak se join kar liya. Phir kuch hi din mein inne chapters khatam kar diye. Aur ab surprise test? Maine toh kuch bhi nahi padha. Kya kar sakte hai? Jo hoga dekha jayega." Thought Shehnaaz.
Sidharth wrote the questions on the board and the students started writing. After sometime he took their copies and started checking it.
Soon he called Shehnaaz and she came to him.
"You got 1 out of 20." Said Sidharth sternly giving her the copy.
But Shehnaaz became happy and said, "Pura ek number? Sacchi? Mainu toh yakeen hi nahi ho raha si?"
"Tum khush ho rahi ho?" Asked Sidharth getting confused. "Pure class mein sabse lowest marks hai yeh."
"Highest marks ke sapne dekhta bhi kaun hai Sir? Maine toh bachpan se sikha hai, jinna mile unne mein khush rehna chahiye. Maine toh zero socha tha lekin mujhe ek number mil gaya. Iss ek number ki keemat aap kaise samjhenge Sir? Mere liye yeh bohut hai. Thank you Sir." She said smiling.
Sidharth lost words to say. He wondered how someone could be so carefree.
"Hun main jaau?" Asked Shehnaaz breaking his thoughts.
"Yeah please." Said Sidharth.
Shehnaaz went to her seat.
Sidharth nodded his head in disbelief. He already heard that Shehnaaz has failed two years back to back. He started worrying about her.
"Yeh ladki bohut galat direction mein jaa rahi hai. Aise hi chalta raha toh iss baar bhi fail ho jayegi. Kuch toh karna padega." Thought Sidharth.
______________________________________
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