The Lesson On Trust

Taniya a young girl of seventeen with explicit academics stood in the assembly when the Principal announced the laurels she gathered at the interstate mastermind brain contest held at Delhi Public School, Dhaulakuan. The morning assembly echoed with applauds and claps. There was a radiant glowing look on the face of Taniya as the applauds and claps took its highest pitch. Life appeared most beautiful and happiest to Taniya, at this moment.

And the admiring looks hat everyone gave as she walked through the corridor of the school.

'What a brilliant girl she is?' comments rose her to cloud nine.

'Beauty with brilliance, rare but awesome', mesmerized her all the time.

She never had achieved this much success. So, this success just was beyond her expectations and imaginations. Life appeared even more appealing to live than ever. Embracing herself within her arms as she strolled through the corridor only to listen to one more appraisal that kisses the heart one more time. She now just don't want to move out of this stardom.

Days and months passed, all filled with great admiration, upliftings, journey of honor, and all goodness one can ever think of. But with time all fades. So the stardom and approbations too evanesced with the flowing of time, leaving Taniya to be just like any other ordinary young girl of the school. This was pricking Taniya a lot, for by now she got used to all respect and venerations. But the truth of life is what is born, always approaches death. Aware of all these things yet the heart never accepts. It wants more and more, making her feel very low and depressed. However more she tried to drive those thoughts away from her mind, with the double crippling grip, it shackles back.

'If she shares her feeling with someone, no one will understand. They will only laugh,' thought Taniya within herself and refrained from everyone. The one who used to purposefully linger around to grab another bit of laudation is now craving for the quiet time away from everyone. In this process of coping all by herself, she isolated herself from everyone and even started to miss classes with lame excuses like stomachache, wry neck, exam preparation, etc. For the starting few months, all was going well, but in the later half of the day Pramila, her mother smelled it to be fishy. Now convincing her to take leaves had become more argumentative and difficult. And Taniya found it difficult to continue like this any longer. So she planned to go back to school. Life became awesome once again for Taniya and Pramila who was happy to see her daughter back on track.

A month after, on one afternoon Pramila received a call. It was from some unknown number. As she picked up the call, the voice from the other end inquired, 'Is it Mrs. Pramila Grover?.'

'Yes, Ma'am. This is Pramila Grover.'

'Madam, Good afternoon. I am Mahima, class teacher of standard eight from Sri Gugudev School. This is regarding your daughter, who is absent for the past one month. Is she doing well?'

Stunned Pramila was speechless for a second, but then coming back to senses she said, 'But she moves out of the house saying she is going to school.'

'But madam she is absent for the past month. I inquired from everyone. No one knew about her. So I called you up, thinking maybe a health issue must be there.'

Politely, she said, 'Thank you, Mrs. Mahima, for informing me. I will take care.'

As usual, joyous Taniya came back home with a broad smile and asong which she is bomblilating.

Seeing her Pramila smiled and said, 'Very happy, what's it Tanu?'

'Mumma, Life is just good,' and she enters her room closing the door.

Pramila did not mention it further to her. In the evening when Varun came, she told the whole story to him. He too was shocked by this behavior of Taniya.

The next day, early morning Varun was at the newspaper with his cup of tea, which he generally never do. As usual, Taniya walked in her school uniform towards the entrance. Pramila from the kitchen requested Varun to bring the curd from the milk parlor, she wants to give a try to a new dish. Bit grumbling, he dumps the newspaper, sips the last bit of tea, and heeds to the door. Hi, Tanu come I will drop you to the stop, see mumma doesn't like me rest.

Trying to smile a bit sheepishly she says, 'It's okay papa, I will go by myself. I am grownup now.'

'I know beta, but you know your mom she will not let me be at peace till I go to the office.'

Laughing they both walked out and Varun drove her to the stop and waited with her till the bus didn't come. Taniya could not find an escape and finally climbed the bus.

Finally picking the Misti dohi, he returned and gave a nod to Pramila.

'Did she suspect?'

'No, no.'

With a sigh of relief, they both settled on the sofa.

'I never thought our daughter will do this' uttered Pramila.

Hugging her Varun says, 'All is well that ends well.'

For a week things went good and everything was smooth. Pramila was very happy. And it was a muggy summer afternoon when the irritating bell of the phone rang. Pramila picked up and the voice said, 'Madam, Good afternoon, I am Mahima from Sri Gugudev School. Is this Mrs. Pramila?'

'Hello, Madam. Yes, this is me.'

'Madam, Still Taniya is absent. You didn't attend to my request,' quivered Mahima.

'But Taniya was going to school, Madam. Varun himself use to board her in the school bus at the stop every day without fail,' insisted Pramila.

The clock struck two and the door bell rang. Hanging down the phone she ran to the door and found Taniya at the door.

'How was the school dear?'

'Marvelous Ma,' and she moves to her room.

In the evening, at the dinner table, Varun said, 'You know Tanu, one day I and my friend bunked our biology class. It was awesome feel to bunk a class that too in a convent school. We felt like we have achieved one of the best medals of our life. And we were admiring our achievement with a broad smile on the school staircase. The Principal was right behind me when I was declaring my recently acquired achievement. My audience quickly slipped off at his sight. And I was left all alone. It gave a wired feel, why did they behave like that? Generally, they use to pat on my back and applaud, why didn't they do this time?

'And then Papa.'

The very next moment I found myself in the Principal's cabin with lashes of canes on my back. The Principal called my father at the earliest, suspended me for a month and handed me to my father. Embarrassing were those moments and I never felt to look into the eyes of my father again. Quietly I took his ride on the bike, and with heads down, I finally crept into my niche. I never came out of that place. After a weeks time, my father came to my room and we both sat on my bed and had our dinner. That was the time I really understood who my father was to me. A valiant worrier, gallant father, and my stronghold. He shared his weaknesses and his failures to me that day, and said, 'Those failures and weaknesses built me to what I am today. If that would have not happened, I would have never learned to deal with them effectively. So, for every mistake, I love myself even more because it is going to make me even brighter and brilliant.'

'That was how I learned to take everything in a positive way.'

Varun waited for a reaction to occur as he gave a hugging reaction to his father at that time. But Taniya gave no reaction. Varun was disappointed a bit but didn't give up his hope to help his daughter out of this situation.

For a few days, the drama continued. No one questioned Taniya anything, just let the things go on as it was. But after school hours, Varun started to give more time to his daughter. He played with her all that she wanted, he shared all his good and bad experiences with her, everything. She quietly listened but never opened up. But Varun was not going to give up.

One fine evening, as usual, Varun was spending time with Tanu when his phone rang. The person on the other end was crying profusely because his son ran away from home leaving a handwritten note. Varun asked why this happened? He said his child was bunking his classes and went to drug mafias.

Varun said, 'You should not have been harsh, Chris. He is still a kid. How long he is missing?'

'Past four hours.'

'Okay, go to the police, they will help you trace him within the city. I will be right there.' And he rushed to Chris's house.

After hours of laborious turmoil, Varun returned home. Taniya and Pramila eagerly inquired, 'Is Nick back home?'

'Yes, he is back finally. We found him on the highway to Chennai.'

'Thank God! He is safe,' added Pramila.

Hearing these all things, and seeing her parents concern for Nick she ran and hugged her father and cried bitterly. After half an hour of bitter wailing finally, Taniya narrated her own story and why she was running away from people.

Patting her daughter's back he said, 'Love you beta as you are. We all care for you and want the best for you. I am sorry, in the daily course of our life, I missed that you needed us both bitterly. I am always there whenever you need me. I don't want to force things on you, but I want a friendly relationship with you where you feel free to approach me anytime. I am there for you always beta.'