Realisation And Nurture (BOOK #2) ✔

Chapter 43 (Part 2)

Chapter 43 (Part 2)

     The exact replica of the training camp that Shalini had flawlessly depicted on the paper had mesmerized everyone, including the trainers. The swift skills that she possessed in drawing and painting were excellent, at least nobody could deny now. They were also full of praises for Aarohi's dance performance and were also of the view that defeating them in the third round would be difficult for the rest of the teams.

"After a speechless performance by Shalini and Aarohi, we have the second rank holder coming to take the stage with her team." The host announced from the podium. "Please welcome Prachi and Dhairya with a big round of applause."

A waft of brief silence spread across the auditorium as Prachi took the stage. Having been dressed up in a petalled frock and room slippers, she plopped down on the floor and the curls of her open black hair swayed with the breeze.

Uncontrollable tears began rolling down her eyes, staining her cheeks and wetting her nape. She fixated her eyes on her laptop screen and began sobbing, shaking her head vigorously.

"They rejec-ted me—" she murmured as she ran her eyes through the mail on the screen. "Just beca-use I stammer!"

Her eyes remained glued to the screen for she was unable to bear the results of her hard work. Having grown up with a dream of joining the police force someday, she was kicked out of the medical procedures simply with an apologetic mail.

***The recruitment process requires every candidate to qualify the test by having his/her speech with no impediment. We are sorry to inform you that your candidature has been rejected on inevitable grounds. Our department will make sure that your dossier is forwarded to different branches where the compulsory criteria are overruled.***

Dhairya appeared on the stage simultaneously and knelt beside Prachi. He was wearing a regular shirt and cotton trousers and held a book in his hand.

"Pihu, what makes you cry?" He lent her a hand as she reclined into his palm. "I have a surprise for you."

"I am left with no sur-prise, bhai." She cried into his palm. "All my hard work got dum-ped into the drain. Despite scoring the high-est marks and a couple of marks more than the finally sele-cted topper, after having cleared all the medi-cal tests— from running to high jumps, and faring well in the inter-view, the police commission rejected my candi-dature."

"Oh!" He straightened himself and smiled a little. "Your world doesn't stop here, my sis. It was their required criteria and they couldn't have included you by ignoring their legal restrictions."

"But it was my dre-am to get into the police force and follow the foot-steps of our father, the one who always wis-hed to see either of his chil-dren becoming police officers."

"But our father will also be happy if you choose the other way too." He held up the book before her. "Can you see this? It is an autobiography of a girl who also had the issue of stuttering like you but she was a fighter."

Tugging her knees to her bosom, she began flipping the pages of a book— 'The Girl Who Spoke In Broken English' —

"The title seems intere-sting, bhai." Prachi stared at the cover page as she wiped her tears. "Can I read it?"

"You will but not in this way." Dhairya opened a drawer from the side table on the stage and pulled out a tape recorder. "While I visited the public library last week, I happened to discover this book from the new arrivals' section. It instantly interested me as I found it had some close connection with you. As I finished reading it, the advertisement page, in the end, captured my attention."