SMARTIES: Grp made from troubles...

3. LAKSHMI

"Why..... why..... WHY!!!!" Lakshmi could feel her irritation bubbling up. "Why am I to sit beside her.??" Lakshmi again turned and looked at the newbie who sat beside her. It was all because of the teacher , she and her permanent place....Just a moment ago she was the happiest person in this world and now the straight opposite.
"Why is she always looking straight , come on turn ... turn towards me." Lakshmi told with her mind. But of no use.
She turned and saw that teacher has intentionaly changed all her friends places. Now they where sitting in totally different places. She felt happy seeing that not only she suffered.
"Okay now I will select the class monitors . They will be the leaders for the whole year." Teacher declared after arranging the class.
"Hmm... Lakshmi ,you will be the 1st monitor and Selmi you will the 2nd. Okay?".
"Yes mam." Lakshmi said with pride.
After that classes began. The mundane pattern of when one teacher exits another enters re- established. Class monitors were scolded if the class was noisy. Classes where extra bore as her friends where not with her and to add the extra cheese , the one sitting next to her , her partner, never uttered a word...
Every day that new girl came first and was dutifully seated when Lakshmi enters. They never talked , nor they looked each other, even there was a gap between their tables. It was during these days , Lakshmi learned that the newbie didnt know Hindi and was not comfortable with English. But she made a friends circle with some of the other girls in the class. She must be happy except her scores where not that good . From the way she responded, she too was unhappy with her marks.
It was a dull Wednesday afternoon. No teachers .. free period and no P.T... what a waste..
Lakshmi was sitting with her friends in the back tables when she noticed Saman going out. Suddenly an idea started brewing in her mind.
"Selmi..  let's do something". Lakshmi asked with mischievous eyes.
"Okay". Selmi responded with the same twinkling eyes.
Lakshmi told her plan to her gang and they all agreed.
After taking glue from her bag , she and Selmi moved to Saman's place.
Taking care that no one was looking she applied the glue onto the chair and they quickly moved back to their places, laughing . Without ado, Saman came and sat in her place. Seeing this they laughed and congratulated each other as their plans worked out. She was sitting when others packed their bags and was saying good bye to their friends. She was still sitting when Lakshmi and her friends exited the class. Laughing their heads off, they moved to their buses and cars...
'Okay today I will talk with her.' Lakshmi thought looking at the newbie. Nearly half of the year was  over and they never talked. What more, she didn't even know her name.
'Hmmm.. hey.. What's your name?'
The new girl jerked as if the sound came from an alien but immediately recomposed. 'Arya..' She said warily.
Then they returned to their original states as if nothing happened.
It was the first and the last communication they had for the entire year.
"Selmi ... sorry it was my mistake . Sorry." Selmi was crying . The reason behind it was none other than Lakshmi.
" Don't touch me. I never thought you will blame me."
The problem was ,Lakshmi lost her favourite pencil and to her belief she has given the pencil last to Selmi. When she asked Selmi, she said has given it back. Naturally a fight ensures and it was then Fathima was giving it back . Then Lakshmi remembered she only has given Fathima after Selmi.
'How many times I have to say sorry.' Lakshmi could feel her controlled anger and tears bubbling up.
Selmi didn't said anything and Lakshmi felt wetness in her own cheeks . She went to the nearby table and put her heads down and cried. Their friends was divided into 2 groups and was consoling both of them. It was like that ,whenever one of them cries the other also cried.
After crying for a few more minutes they talked out of their fights and became normal again.
Meanwhile the new girl , Arya became active in one of the other gang of the class. They where all average ones in studies and was extra talkatives. She even made best friends and Lakshmi noticed that she talked continuously with them.
'Oh.. so she knows how to talk.' Lakshmi thought bitterly.
Days where turned into weeks and weeks into months. In the midst there comes exams , parent teacher meetings, progress reports and still life moved on....

Changes .... everything changes... "changes for survival "that is the Nature's Law.