Innocent or not???

4

Everyone gets shocked and shouts: What???? !!!!

Sudha (puts palms on her ears): Why are you guys shouting???

There is silence for a few minutes, everyone is staring at each other, shock is written on their faces.

Arjuna looks at Aadya with anger in his eyes while Aadya gives him a cold shoulder with a disinterested look in his eyes. Sudha is now moving her head from Fearsome to Aadya and then towards Fearsome. The silence finally ends when Aadya speaks.

Aadya: Ma'am, I'm sorry but I can't teach them and…

Arjun: Oh yes, as if we are dying to take tuition from you. (Cutting Aadya in the middle.)

Emir (trying to control the situation): Ma'am, your view of private tutor is acceptable, but Aadya being our teacher is not acceptable. I mean, she is younger than us, how can she teach us?

Misha: Exactly ma'am, and we also don't get along well, so it's impossible for her to teach us.

Diya: And madam just look at her, how will it look if the fearsome takes tuition from this Miss Handsome!!

Mehul: Actually madam, what we mean is that she is a student herself, and if she teaches us she will not be able to study herself. So please we suggest that you change our personal tutor.

All this when Arjun is looking at Aadya, her indifference and her calmness is bothering him, when suddenly he says..

Arjun: One min, have you done all this? Is this your way of getting back to us? If so then I swear, you'll have to face my wrath and trust me, you won't want to see that happen.

Aadya (calmly): People with dark glare find the whole world black, but that doesn't mean the world is really black. Just because you always find ways to get back to me doesn't mean I do the same. And besides, I have more important and better things to do, rather than thinking about how to get back at people who r so much into themselves.

Arjun: Yeah, why not.. you'll be pretty busy getting yourself into this "Miss Handsome" look. (Smirking)

Aadya: Well, this is also a very important and better job for me.

Arjun: Just shut up. You are crossing your limits now.

Aadya: I set my own limits, and I don't care what you people say about it.

Sudha: You two stop it.

Arjun: Tell her, Mom..

And then a silence. In the heat of argument, Arjun spoke directly to his mother, called her MOM after 2 years!!! After realizing what he said, he looks around to avoid his mother's piercing eyes.

Aadya sees Arjun and Sudha and gets confused, what is the big deal if a son calls his mother a mother? Yes, they're in the office, but well, what it have to do with me?

Sudha: Fearsomes, I want you to wait for me outside. I have to talk to Aadya alone. 

Arjun, as if finding the right opportunity, walks out of the cabin without waiting for his friends. The Fearsomes follows him, leaving Sudha and Aadya behind.

Aadya: Ma'am, will I have a say in this decision?

Sudha : Absolutely Aadya , you will take the final decision on this. But before taking the decision, I want you to listen to me. Will you ?

Aadya just shakes her head in yes.

Sudha: Sit down.

Both Sudha and Aadya sit side by side in the visitor's chair. Aadya looks into Sudha's eyes and finds them moist. Apart from the untold tears, there is untold and not shared pain, anguish, satisfaction, joy and sorrow in his eyes. She gets confused seeing so many expressions at once. Not able to hold back her curiosity, Aadya asks Sudha.

Aadya: Ma'am, is something wrong?

Sudha: You know Aadya, when a couple holds their child for the first time, that joy, that glee, that pride, that sense of satisfaction, that never-ending smile on your face, that wants to give the best to your child. The best things, are the things that you can never describe in words. It is a pure emotion that can only be felt. But with that spirit comes a sense of many responsibilities. A responsibility to give your child the best upbringing of your child, the responsibility of giving him the best schooling, the responsibility of giving him a positive and good environment, the responsibility of checking what kind of friends he is with is involved. Their children's dreams matter more than their own, their pain hurts them as much as the child really does. Watching their child suffer due to illness kills them every moment, yet they are patient and do everything possible to make their child feel better. When the child stumbles or falls in the path of life, parents become their strength and give them a new enthusiasm and strength, a much needed confidence and encouragement, not only because the child needs it , but also because of the will of his parents. To be proud to see your child at the top, to be known as your children, to watch your child soar, to see him reach heights in whatever he finds interesting. Parents go out of their comfort zone to take on responsibilities, not because they are forced to fulfill them, but because they love their child more than themselves, more than anything. And in return, they only want their child's happiness, their child's settlement, their child to be able to stand on their own feet, fight this world and create a stronger place for themselves, to be able to fulfill all their dreams. want. And all this can be achieved only with good education and hard work. Is it wrong to expect this in return from the parent's side? Is the expectation too high??

All this while, Sudha was seeing nowhere at particular , sometimes with a smile playing on her lips, reminiscing her old motherhood days, and sometimes pain and tears in her eyes, remembering the sour relationship she now shares with her son, Arjun. After preparing herself, she turns to Aadya to get her answer, but finds Aadya lost in some thoughts. She calls out her name several times, but it falls on deaf ears. She could only see the unbearable pain in Aadya's eyes, but her face was not giving any emotion. It felt like she have trained herself to put on a mask to hide all her feelings.

Finding no other way out, she shakes Aadya a bit to get her attention.

Sudha: What happened Aadya? Is everything OK ? where are you lost?

Aadya was still in her gaze, listening to Sudha, she was drawing a scene of a mother, father and their child.

Flashback

A mother is running after her daughter and asking her to finish the glass of milk which she was holding and was following along.

Mother: Pari, please son, come and finish your glass. You are my good girl no..plzz

Girl: No mom, you know I hate milk..Then you always give me this yucky milk. ( making faces )

Mother: (sternly): Angel! How many times have I told you not to say yuck to eat. By saying that, you are disrespecting your food.

Girl: (holding ear and patting softly) : Sorry no mommy. I will not do it again. I will also say sorry to God. But please no milk. please pretty please.

Mother: Okay, do as you wish. But mark my words, a day will come when you will remember me and my words, and at that time you will remember me and wish that I would run after you with this milk. But I won't be there.

Aadya comes out of the flashback with Sudha constantly shaking.

Sudha: (concerned): Aadya, are you alright dear?

Aadya: (Looking around to control myself) : Mam..ehhmm..Sorry wo ..I .. Yeah just zoned out. 

Sudha: Do you miss your parents? R they….

Before she could finish her question and ask her whether her parents were alive or not, Aadya immediately changed the subject.

Aadya: No ma'am! This is not wrong, nor is it too much to be expected. In fact, it is the duty of every child to at least feel what their parents have done for them and are still doing. They should not take them lightly. But ma'am, for the first time I am also convinced by Fearsomes. They won't be comfortable with me around them, so they won't be able to concentrate on studies either. I think you should arrange special classes for them in the college itself.

Sudha: With the same professors? and what will be the result? The same has been with regular classes till now. I knew they wouldn't be comfortable around you but I also know it's only u who can handle them. It is only u who can tame them. And in return u will also benefit. (with a smile at the end)

Aadya gets confused.. Sorry I didn't understand you ma'am?

Sudha: I know what you are hiding right now.

This one statement was enough to shake Aadya to the core. !!

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Note:

Hello People this is from your author, if you are liking it then please give your precious  comments. This is my first try, and I don't  know how its going.

Thanks for Reading.