My friend Nandini

By Minakshi

My unforgettable days of mid 62 care free, innocent and this is a life story which I would like my readers to be a part of it. Nandini and I were students of standard V11 studying in convent of Jesus and Mary in Dehradun. Every morning we along with a few more girls used to walk up to the school.

One cold winter morning after the break our class teacher announced that one of our classmate’s fees had been stolen. Mother Superior was informed and we were under class arrest. No one was allowed to leave the class. Finally the last bell had rung and it was time to go home.

Our class teacher suddenly came forward and told Nandini, “Now you tidy up your books and pack up. You can leave for the day” Nandini was dumb-found, surprised when all the other 39 girls were asked to be on their seats why was she allowed to go home? Before she could say anything the teacher told her kindly “yes you can go home”

Nandini was feeling sad for me, but I nodded my head in silence, “you are allowed, Pl go”

Incidentally Nandini and I stayed with our families in the same compound and so when she returned home alone my mother was surprised and kept on looking perhaps I was behind when Nandini broke the silence “ Our whole class has been detained and then narrated what all happened”?

There were a hundred questions which came up in my mother’s mind, and she said to herself “If the whole class was detained why was this girl allowed to come back home?” Anyways she thought it was better to stay mum.

Later of course the girl who had stolen was caught and that was another story-------------

Today when I am alone I try to hunt for the same question again and again “What did our class teacher Miss Koylo see in Nandini, which she did not see in the other 39 students? I come to the answer she saw truth, a genuine person, honesty and integrity. Truth shines and gives an aura which catches the other’s eyes.