Malika's History Project

Vacations

It was that time of the year when teachers were preparing for holidays homework and Kids were excited for their holidays. On the other hand, It was going to be a tough time for parents, especially for mothers.

It was the last day of school and Students were impatiently waiting for this day to end. While the Whole school was excited about their last day, 9th B Students seemed underwater. They all were sitting silently, listening to their history teacher.

' Note your History assignment. You have to make a presentation on a personality who is not mentioned in your textbooks, not widely known but made a great impact in their times.' The person closes his textbook and stands in the center of the class and he continues,' I hope you will not copy-paste each other. Otherwise, I won't accept both assignments no matter who copied from whom and that will impact upon your internal marks.' He looks at his watch and says,' Enjoy your summer holidays!'

~ Bell rings

All students start packing and some students start leaving the class. The teacher also picks up the book and goes from there. In the end, Two girls were left in the class. They both go outside together.

The girl speaks,' It will be easy for you!' Another girl frowns and asks,' What!?' She answers,' I mean, Malika. He is your father, he will help you make your assignment.' Malika speaks in disappointment,' You know How strict he is! You really think he will help me and moreover, I like to do my work on my own.' She takes a pause and again speaks,' This is disappointing! You are saying this...' She doesn't complete the sentence as they reached the parking. She ignores her and without wishing her for holidays, she goes and sits in the car on the passenger seat.

His father starts the engine and notices his daughter's grumpy face. She throws her bag on the backseat without looking back. He nodes his head sideways and speaks,' Malika say hi to Karishma.'

Malika who was leaning on the window, gets confused and immediately looks back. She sees a small girl sitting there with two braids. Her grumpy face turns into a smile and she gets lost in her thoughts.

Malika was sitting on the bench during her PT period. She was completing her work, side by side, she was looking towards her friend playing basketball and boys playing volleyball. A few small girls were playing badminton and boys were playing football. Many others were sitting on the bench, gossiping and doing their work.

She gets completely engrossed in her work that she doesn't notice football coming towards her at full speed. Her senses hit and she looks up, she gets stunned as the ball was going to hit on her face. She closes her eyes and makes a face, mentally preparing herself to get hit by a ball.

She open her eyes after a few seconds and looks at the girl who catches the ball and was about to kick the ball to the ground towards them. Malika smiles and wanted to thank that little angel but that girl doesn't even look toward her even once, goes and sits back at her place and starts doing her work again. She was sitting alone unlike her classmates who were sitting together and gossiping.

Malika speaks,' Hi!' But she doesn't get a reply back. She shifts her gaze towards her dad and asks,' Why she is coming with us and how do you know her name? Do you teach, her class also?' She starts bombarding her father with questions. His father smiles at her curiosity and speaks,' You should have come with us yesterday!' She cuts in between,' On that boring neighbor welcome dinner! NO WAY.'

She gets a glare from her father and she stops talking and doesn't ask any questions. She keep guessing the possibilities and again looks at back toward the girl who had a flat expression on her face. She asks,' Konsi class mai ho tum?' Karishma looks towards the annoying stranger and speaks in a low tone,' Seventh!'

She again turns and waits for the girl stop! But they didn't stop anywhere, which makes her more curious about her. She keeps her mouth shut but her mind was traveling a long way. They reached home and her dad parked the car in front of their house.

She gets out with an unbothered expression and starts going towards the front door with elegance. The moment she closes the door, she runs to her room and goes to the room window. Her gaze follows her father who was going towards the neighbor with that little girl. She keeps observing them as they keep talking and at the end, her dad patted the girl's head and starts moving back to the house.

She moves away from the window and jumps back to bed as if doing a trust fall. She was tired of people thinking that being a teacher's kid is easy, that they are naturally talented or their parents helped them that's why they scored that much, and many more assumptions. No matter how hard she worked on her assignment, for her exams, credit was never given to her and nobody truly praised her. Her mind was worn out from people's mentality, she fall asleep.

'Malika!' A faint voice she hears that keeps getting loud and clear with the passing seconds. A door opens and a woman enters shouting,' Malika!' She immediately sits up and speaks,' Yes!' Her mother continues,' You slept in your uniform! How many times do I have to tell you to change your uniform first?' Her mother keep shouting and picking up her clothes which were thrown here and there. She gets up from bed and stands near window. She looks outside and her gaze fell at the person watering the plants in the evening.

She keeps staring and suddenly that person looks back. She immediately covers the window with a curtain. Her mother comes and looks outside the window. While Malika goes toward her wardrobe to take her clothes. Her mother speaks,' Be responsible like Karishma, she is younger than you and she is watering the plant!' Malika ignores her mother's statement and goes toward the bathroom to change her clothes.

After wearing a night suit, she sits in the living room and starts watching TV. She looks at the time which was almost dinner time and she goes to Kitchen. She starts helping her mother but stops as her mother speaks,' No need, just go and call your father for dinner.' She dejectedly moves out of the kitchen and goes to study where her father was working.

They all were sitting at the dining table. She was going to have her dinner but her father stops her,' I wanted to tell you something!' She looks toward her father and he continues, 'This summer we won't be going for vacation.' The spoon falls from Malika's hold and she looks towards her mother. Her father continues,' I am having my lecture tour and I will be giving lectures in different states. So, I had to cancel our vacation.'

Malika's day just hit rock bottom she runs from there and starts crying in her room. She shouts, ' THIS IS NOT HOW MY HOLIDAYS SUPPOSE TO START!' She throws something in anger and hides her face in the pillow.