Innocence

By Nitin Srivastava

“Maturity is when you stay analytical even in sensitive matter”

It was a beautiful morning after thunder shower whole night. I stepped into our balcony to enjoy

light breeze. It was a clear sunlight after two full cloudy days. After taking a round of whole

society from balcony my eye stuck on the park bench where Randhir was sitting in a deep thinking

pose. I thought he would be in washroom as he was missing from bed early morning.

It was little surprising because usually even if he wake up early he used to spend his time with

plants in our balcony. I waved hands to him and after two more tries I was able to get his attention,

he immediately stood up and started walking towards our block.

Bell rang and I opened the door, it was him only. Same smiling face and eyes full of confidence,

no sign of any problem.

Randhir : Hey darling I didn't want to disturb because you slept very late so I thought to take a

round of society till you wake up.

I : Hmm, early morning walk is good for health but not for me, I cannot wake up so early as I am

pure nocturnal you know (I threw a smile on him and moved to kitchen to prepare some tea for

ourselves).

Randhir switched on TV and sat on the dining table checking on mobile.

While working in kitchen I was casually looking at him, he saw something on mobile and became

uncomfortable as he was not happy with that stuff. This time I was little worried because I was

sure that there was something bothering him and he is trying to hide. I decided to make him

declare his problem to me but how?

I put tray on table and opened the Jar to get biscuits as usual but Randhir was still in his thoughts

and did not noticed. I knocked the table.

I : My dear Solicitor, I know you are in thoughts of some serious case but this time please spare

some time for morning tea with me.

Randhir (With heavy voice) : Where are the cases, everything is lost and God knows till when?

I realized my mistake : I am sorry I didn't mean that, please don't worry everything would be well

soon. You have managed everything so well for last many years, now it's my turn and I can support

at least for few months with little savings from my salary. Don't be so upset about that.

Randhir: No No that's not the matter, I know everything will be OK and by God's grace we will

not have any monetary issues even for next 6 months in the same condition.

I : Yea, that's what and now your online classes also picked up well, They started supporting

significantly to our home economy. But still I see something bothering you. For last few days I

am seeing that you are disturbed, I would request you to share your problem because even if I

may not be able to help but it may feel better for you.

Randhir (Thinking)

I : Is anything really serious? I have never saw you like this before.

Randhir (with hesitation) : Actually I really don't know if I have to be worried or even bothered

about this or not, I don't know how you would feel about it. I never faced such situation so not

able to understand how to react?

I : If possible tell me, I will try if I can do something.

After a silence of about 2 minutes Randhir started,

Randhir : You know since this lockdown started everything was on halt and so is our courts. After

sitting idle for about one month and assuming that this situation may go longer I decided to start

something else for both financial support and time utilization. After exploring many options, I

decided to start taking online classes for subjects like English, Math and Science. After a little

struggle I have got few students for English and Math from various standards starting from 6th to

12. As of now I have three students for Math and two for English. All Math students are of Std

6th, One English student of std 8th and other one of 10th.

I : Ok does your problem related to these students ? facing issues with them?

Randhir : Not with all but one specific. She is the student of 10th standard and taking English

classes to improve her grammar as well as spoken. . Her name is Manya, she is a single child

grown up by her mother as single parent.

I: Hmm, so she must be pampered and irritating, that happens with single child sometimes as like

our Sam.

As soon as I finished my sentence we heard a lazy hazy voice, "Papa, you didn't wake me up, you

promised me yesterday that you would take me for a cycle ride in society early morning."

Sam (our 8 year old son Samarthya) came and put his head over my lap.

I : Ohh, think of devil and devil is here (I smiled and started playing with his hair)

Randhir (To me) : Let's talk later. (To Sam) Hey, its not late yet we can still go for a ride, come

on Brush your teeth, have a glass of water and we will go down.

Sam slowly moving to washroom and we continued our tea but discontinued our talks.

Today being Saturday both Randhir and Sam had off, we spend whole day playing indoor games

and watching favorite movies of Sam, off course after their cycle ride for about 2 Hour.

It was late in night, Sam was in sound sleep, as usual I didn't had any sign of sleep and Randhir

was seems to be trying to sleep, his back was on my side.

I was waiting for him to initiate discussion which was left mid way, but after about half an hour

when there was no initiation I decided to ping.

I: Are you sleeping?

Randhir : No, not yet.

I: Ok, I was sleepless as usual so thought to check if you are also...well we were discussing about

your problem in the morning but it was interrupted.

Randhir (turned to me immediately as if he was waiting for me to start) : Yea, I was thinking

about that only.

I : Ok, then please continue.

Randhir : Hmm, I was telling you about my students and the the one who is bothering me. Her

name is "Manya", I would not say that she is pampered because she usually behave very well,

tries to learn more and more and takes interest in everything I tell her. She is eager to learn more

and more in less time.

I : Ok, that's nice. If she is taking interest in studies and want to learn, what is the issue?

Randhir : That is exactly the issue. I don't really know how to tell you? Initially I was also in

impression that she is a good scholar that's why taking interest more than normal but very soon I

realize that I was wrong she was not taking interest in what I am teaching her but she was taking

interest in me actually.

I : What rubbish, be mature see her age and yours, you are not a college going boy she look at as

her boyfriend. How can you say that? I am sure you are mistaken.

Randhir : Please try to understand me, I reached to this conclusion only After seeing and

analyzing her behaviour for last few days. She want me to speak and when I speak she

continuously staring, I ask to shut the video sometime but she want video to be on. She bring

articles related to love affairs and she ask questions like, If she is Pretty or not? How should

someone propose if the crush is older in age and like that.

I also know that she is only 15 years whereas I am 40 year old father of an 8 year old son, it's a

huge gap and I swear I have no bad intention or even thought but her acts are making me

uncomfortable.

I : Ok, now it looks serious, let me try to understand the whole story first, you said she is the only

child of a single mother so she must not have been interacted any male earlier to you, She is trying

to learn English speaking and you with a nice English accent might have become role model for

her and she developed teenager crush on you. And please you don't need to justify your character

to me I know you for more than 15 years now.

But coming to your problem, it is basically a natural process, when a girl or a boy enters in their

teenage they go through many hormonal changes and this point of time the first person who

impress or resembles to their imaginary role model becomes their crush which is actually an

infatuation only which as quickly comes as goes.

This is not her fault and we can not consider her a bad girl for that reason, because even she doesn't

know what is happening to her. We mature people can understand because we already went

through that phase of life.

But yes even though it is not her fault it does not justified to be left as it is or ignored, your

ignorance may lead to develop some other complication and there may be some unhealthy results

afterwards.

Randhir: I understand everything you said but I am not able to understand what to do now. I

cannot face this any more, I have to get rid off all this. You are saying not to leave but she has

never expressed anything directly so trying to educated her would simply be an offer from my

side.

You tell me how to tackle this?

I : Yes, you need to get rid off but properly because I do not want to spoil the life of poor child,

She is innocent. I have an idea.

Randhir (Eagerly) : What?, tell me.

I : You continue with your classes and don't let her realize that you have any idea or impact of her

feeling rather you try to become more friendly and tell her about your family and introduce me,

later I will handle, you just follow what I say.

Randhir : Think once again, are you sure that you will be able to handle this way?

I : Yes, I am quite sure about it, you do what I say.

Randhir : Ok

So we decided that on next Monday when Randhir would take classes, I would also be along with

him without getting noticed by Manya.

Next day was Sunday and Randhir was little relaxed, may be because of our discussion last night.

We spent our day enjoying an old Marvel movie on TV and some experimental food prepared by

both of us.

Monday morning Randhir and Sam settled themselves in two separate rooms to continue with

their online classes, I started working on to complete kitchen work on little faster pace so as I

could make my self free in next one hour. Randhir's Math class was from 9 to 10 and from 10:30

he had to start with English class for Manya.

At around 10:15 I finished and had a look to Sam who was busy with his classes on my mobile

and then reached to Randhir's room where he was just winded up Math class and now going

through English Slides which he had to start now. I sat down next to him.

At 10:25 Randhir logged in and as expected Manya was already there waiting for him.

A very sweet girl in her early teenage having an innocent smile on her face was on the screen.

Manya's : Good Morning Sir

Randhir : Good Morning Manya, How are you?

Manya : I am good sir, how are you? Why your video is off?

Randhir : I am doing well, there is some network problem, let me check.

Randhir asked me to set out of camera range, I moved little and kept myself at a point where I

could see the screen but camera could not be able to catch me.

As soon as camera started Manya looked too excited and happy.

Manya : Sir, you are looking great today.

Randhir : Hmm, thanks, you are also looking very fresh today.

Manya : Yea, may be because two days rest and no work, you have also finished last class very

early and not given any home work.

Randhir : Ok, let's starts today's session. We will learn past continuous tense. This tense is

applicable when we have to tell someone about a task which we were doing in past but at the

referred time task was not completed.

Manya : Ok Sir, so if I tell you that I was liking someone in class 9th, is this correct sentence?

Randhir : No, it would be "I used to like someone while I was in class 9th" because like is not a

verb it is a feeling so tenses do not apply.

Manya : Got it sir..... Sir, can I ask a question?

Randhir : Yes please.

Manya : What are your hobbies? I mean what do you like to do in your free time?

Randhir : Hmm, I like to read good articles, watch informative TV programs and yes I play with

my son, Sometime I try to sing duet with my wife.

Manya : Oh, nice, you sing as well that's great, I have read your articles online and given

comments also, I also like music, I am bad in singing but I play keyboard.

Randhir : Good, I saw your comments on my article. I am not good in music but my wife is , ok

let me introduce you with my wife.

She got scared with my name

Manya : It's Ok sir, I will meet her sometime later,

I : Hi Manya, how are you?

Manya : Yea, hi ma'am I am good, how are you? (Hesitant voice)

I : I am very good and so how is your learning going on?

Manya : It's going very good, Randhir sir is very good in English and he teaches so well.

I : yea I know, so who all are in your family?

Manya : Me and my mom.

I : Ok, I must say you are sweet and beautiful, your mom must be very pretty too, Actually Randhir

was telling be about you earlier and as he explained about you I was curious to see you.

Manya started blushing.

I: I didn't mean to embarrass you but let me tell you long back when me and Randhir met first

time, I think somewhere around 15 or 16 year back we started to like each other and very soon

we decided to get married. We used to discuss about our future life and one of the topic was our

first child, you know we both wanted to have a girl child and the picture we used to have in mind

our was almost like you only. I am telling you about the times when I think you might not have

born even. That's why may be Randhir mentioned about you and was asking me to see you once.

Ok, that was about us, over to you now, tell me about your life, you said you are staying with your

mother so where is your father then?

Manya : Actually my father is no more, we lost him about two years back in a train accident, he

was working as TTE.

I : Oh I am sorry, but don't worry life goes on and we always have challenges in life which make

ourselves stronger. Randhir is also like your father he must be of same age as him, so you can see

him as father if you don't mind, as you know he also look at you as her daughter only. We will be

happy to have you as our daughter, it would be like a dream come true for us. Would you like to

be our daughter?

Manya : It's ok ma'am, I am perfectly fine with it I am actually happy with my mom, don't be

bothered. I don't want to interfere in others life, you already have a very happy family with your

cute son, I had seen your family photo on internet.

I: It's not a botheration at all but it is absolutely on you, well I have taken lot of your time so I am

leaving now and you both carry on with your class. It was a nice talking, take care, bye.

Manya : Thank you for your time ma'am, bye.

I left the room but in another half an hour Randhir was also came out.

I: what happened? class over so early?

Randhir was smiling : I think you had shaken up her mind, she was not able to make herself

comfortable so I asked to continue tomorrow only. But I must say you have very well convince

her that the person in front of her is same as her father. I hope your trick should work.

Randhir was satisfied and happy.

Another few days Randhir told me that Manya does not want to continue with classes, and this

way without any direct discussion or embarrassment we were came out of a very difficult and

awkward situation.

We need to understand that what happened was neither a mistake nor a bad gesture but a natural

infatuation of a teenager, it can happen with any girl or boy but we need to tackle it carefully

because confronting may worsen the situation and may lead to some wrong step by poor child.

This story is purely a work of fiction, any resemblance to any living person, place or event is only

a coincidence.

By Nitin Srivastava