The bell rings, and now it’s time for the next period. All the students are excited about the next period. Some of them on the last benches started enjoying lunch. Suddenly one boy named Abhijeet came to Rahul and asked him, “Will you want to go out of class?" Rahul replied, “No, the teacher may come anytime." Abhijeet returned to his seat. Abhijeet wants to be friends with Rahul. After some time, a new teacher came into the class, and the noise turned into silence. Rahul saw the teacher, a lady with a stick in her hand. Her name was Mrs Mary. All the students used to say Mary Miss. Mary Miss was

Rahul’s mathematics teacher. Rahul loves mathematics, so he started listening to Mary Miss quietly. Although other students don’t have an interest in mathematics, they started talking to each other. Mary Miss lost her patience and punished all the students who were not attentive in the classroom. Somehow that period also ended.

Now it’s a break, a lunch break. On the campus of the school, there is an area containing some small mountains and trees. All the students used to sit on that small mountain and enjoy their meals. Rahul also came out of class for lunch and started moving towards that mountain area. Abhijeet saw Rahul and joined him. Rahul understood that Abhijeet wanted to extend the hand of friendship to him. Then, they enjoyed food sitting in the mountains. Abhijeet started talking to Rahul. He told me how he already knew him. Abhijeet told him that her sister used to take coaching classes from Rahul’s father. Now Rahul was perceived that he was a good boy and they could really be good friends. Rahul has to think that much only for making one friend. This is all because of his father’s instructions.

 

After finishing lunch and the talk about the world, they finally went back to their class. While waiting for the teacher to come Rahul saw the backbencher boys playing and fighting with each other. Rahul also wants to enjoy the way they are enjoying, playing with friends, and shouting in class. But all the time his mind stops him only because of his father, and his reputation which has to be maintained by Rahul. Rahul was busy thinking about all this and suddenly a teacher entered the class. Miss. Santi, Miss Santi was Rahul’s science teacher. But all the students were shocked to see her because she brought a packet of chips with her. The students started guessing who the packet of chips was for. Some said, “Today is the first day so she may want to share chips with us.” and some think that’s for the most disciplined boy in the class. Rahul also thinks that it may be for one of the most disciplined and smart students. Miss Santi walked around the class and saw all the students with strange eyes. Then she moved back to the front and introduced herself. One by one she started taking introductions to all the students also. When she came to Rahul, Rahul stood and started introducing him. She recognized him as soon as he said his father's name.

 

“Oh, you are the son of Mr. Prakash," she said. Rahul just moved his head yes. Miss Santi then started taking classes. She started taking classes, and after teaching for some time she gave some questions to solve and sat in a chair. Rahul and all the students started solving the questions and Miss Shanti started eating chips. Yes, she brought chips for herself, not for the students. All the small students started watching him eat chips. The students did not like this behaviour. Finally, her class is over and school is over with it. It was time to go back home. All the students started running towards the main gate. Rahul also joined them, but Miss Shanti stopped him at the class gate. She told him that her father was coming to pick her up and he was instructed to sit in the staff room till his father came.

 

Rahul silently sat on the bench in front of the staff room and started watching his batchmates and seniors running toward the main gate. At that time the main gate was like the Indo-Pak border for him, which he wanted to cross alone one day.

After a long waiting his father came to take him home. On the way, his father asked him about the first day of school and he explained all the incidents of how Miss Santi brought chips and ate in the class. His father laughed.

 

Talking like this, they both reached home. Rahul explained all the incidents to her mom too and he also told her about his new friend Abhijeet. His mother asked him if his friend was a good boy. Rahul answered, “Yes mom, he is." His mom was busy with some work so she left the conversation. Rahul ran to Krishna’s house with excitement to tell him everything.

 

But he found a lock on his house gate. He understood that Krishna hadn't come back to school until now. He returned home and started watching television. His father scolded him for this and said, "Now that he has come to senior class, he should not waste his time like this". Rahul closed the television with a sad face. He brings his book out of the bag and starts staring at the lessons taught by the teachers in today’s class. His eyes were busy staring at the notebooks but his mind was busy thinking about what was going on in his life. He stared at the notebook until his father called him to lunch.

 

At night, his father checked his notebooks and asked him what he had learned on his first day. He explained everything to his father and felt proud of himself. But, his father broke his pride and said that now always remember all this because they all are important for his further studies. Rahul also knew that he had to study hard and get good marks in his class. After talking about his studies his father came to the instructions given to Rahul. “Rahul, did you follow all my instructions?”, his father asked Rahul. Rahul replied, “Yes I followed. I didn't friend any bad boys and didn't bully anyone”.

His father: You have to focus on your studies. So always remember the set of instructions I give to you.

Rahul: Yes, I will always remember this.

His father: See, don’t think that I want to control your life. I just want to give you the correct direction.

Rahul: Yes, I know that.

 

After this conversation, Rahul was sure that his father had a lot of expectations of him. And he didn't want to see his father upset. So, he decided to obey all the instructions given by his father and get the highest marks in his class. The decision was not tough for Rahul. The next day, he started following the decisions he made.

 

One day, Abhijeet planned to play cricket. He invited all his friends including Rahul in the evening. Rahul agreed to come. As soon as he reached home, Rahul asked his father, but he flatly refused, saying that this is not the work of good boys. Rahul thought what kind of life is this in which even cricket cannot be played? But what could he do? He just sat on the bed with a sad face. His mother told him that this is his age to study and not to wander. So, Rahul started studying keeping his decision in mind.

 

Days passed like this and now the mid-term examination was just a month away. Rahul did a lot of things these days. He became the favourite of all the teachers. As the exam was getting closer, Rahul was getting lost in his studies. Rahul’s father was happy to see that Rahul was attached to his studies.

 

Soon the exam came and Rahul gave the exam very well. Rahul started waiting for the results because he knew that his father would be very happy that day. The results came after a week. That one-week Rahul kept thinking only about the result and the happiness seen on his father's face.

 

Rahul and his father reached his school on result day. At the time of getting the result, Rahul’s class teacher told them that Rahul is a hardworking student and he came second in class. The teacher congratulated Rahul for his hard work. Rahul was happy but his father was not. His father had expected Rahul to come first in class. When Rahul's father came to know that a girl had come first, he became angrier.

 

His father asked him to leave that place. Rahul could clearly see the anger on his father’s face. But he could not understand why he was angry, because of her coming second or because of a girl who came first. On the way, his father just said that he didn't expect this.

 

On reaching home, Rahul showed everyone his result, and everyone praised him, but Rahul was still looking for the reason for his father's displeasure. Rahul's father had to go out for some work. He was going to come till night, so Rahul decided that he would talk to his father about it in the night. But the question is, will his father's anger subside?

At night his father himself called him and said, I thought you would come first. And I really wanted to see you first. Rahul was saddened to hear this. He had worked very hard but did not know how he…. But he made a promise to his father that next time he would score the highest marks.