Barber.’
Gurpreet was seated on a bench outside Uncleji’s Tuck Shop the following afternoon. He was rolling up the sleeves of his new shirt. It had been starched and felt uncomfortable. He cursed under his breath as he saw Jatin strolling towards him. Scoundrel. Couldn’t he leavehim alone for a few minutes? He hoped Vicky hadn’t eaten in the school refectory and would come to the tuck shop.
‘Waiting for someone, Preeto?’ Jatin asked with a sheepish smile.
‘Not at all. Just enjoying the good weather. Kishangarh is beautiful in summer.’
‘You got all dressed up to admire nature?’ Jatin asked with a grin.
‘Look, I’ll give you my turban if you keep quiet for a few minutes,’ begged Gurpreet, touching his turban.
‘You didn’t shave your moustache?’
‘I shaved my beard,’ said Gurpreet, glaring at him. ‘That’s good enough.’
‘Relax, I was just curious. Keep cool, Preeto,’ he said as Gurpreet shook his fist at him.
‘Oh, she’s finally here,’ exclaimed Gurpreet.
‘And we weren’t waiting for anyone, right, Preeto?’
Gurpreet didn’t answer. He was too busy shining his shoes with the back of his trousers. Then he got up and walked over to the two girls.
‘So how are you two?’ he asked self-consciously, feeling Vicky’s eyes on him. ‘Shall we go into the tuck shop and have something?’
The girls nodded and walked into the canteen. He followed them. Vicky turned to look at him and their eyes met. She was smiling. He knew Mili and Jatin were all ears, so he refrained from saying anything and gestured with his hands instead – how do I look? Vicky pretended to push a lock of hair behind her ear and gesticulated with her fingers – perfect.
Gurpreet grinned. ‘Two minutes, I’ll just be back,’ he mumbled as he rushed out of the canteen. He jumped gleefully over the bench outside. Then he looked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Vicky and crashed into a group of students.
Chapter Ten
A few days later, Vicky stood near the fence pretending to look for something. It was the common fence between the STH playing field and MP College football field. She watched warily as Gurpreet kicked the ball hard. It bounced off the fence and Gurpreet ran towards it. As his feet shuffled the ball around, he slipped a note into Vicky’s hand before kicking the ball back to his team. Vicky looked around the field furtively. No one had noticed. Miss Agatha was busy giving instructions to the other students. She opened the crumpled piece of paper in her hand and began to read it. Everything to proceed according to plan. Will be waiting for you at the end of Hide-and-Seek Road at 4 o’clock. Don’t be late.
Vicky looked at Mili who was busy playing badminton. She pursed her lips. Coaxing Mili wasn’t going to be easy today. She gestured to Mili to stopplaying and pulled her to the edge of the field, behind a deodar tree. She showed her the note. ‘I met Gurpreet and Jatin yesterday,’ she whispered. ‘We’re going for a picnic. This evening. It’s all planned out.’
‘No, Vicky, we’re not going.’
‘Come on, Mili. Don’t be a stick-in-the-mud.’
‘If you want to go, you go, but I’m not coming.’
‘Mili, this is our last chance. To go for a picnic. The monsoons will soon be here. And after monsoons it’ll be too cold.’
‘But how can I forget Prof. Raven has given us a final warning? And if this time we get caught, he’s not going to forgive us.’
‘We won’t get caught. The plan is foolproof. We’ve worked out the details. At four o’clock we leave. After the last class.’
‘I don’t know …’ Mili answered dubiously. ‘But we have to be back in the hostel before eight,’ she added.
‘We won’t be coming back to the hostel.’
‘What?’
‘The boys have booked some rooms,’ said Vicky, pushing back her glasses. ‘In a nearby rest house.’
‘You’re crazy, Vicky. You think the warden is going to give us
Gurpreet was seated on a bench outside Uncleji’s Tuck Shop the following afternoon. He was rolling up the sleeves of his new shirt. It had been starched and felt uncomfortable. He cursed under his breath as he saw Jatin strolling towards him. Scoundrel. Couldn’t he leavehim alone for a few minutes? He hoped Vicky hadn’t eaten in the school refectory and would come to the tuck shop.
‘Waiting for someone, Preeto?’ Jatin asked with a sheepish smile.
‘Not at all. Just enjoying the good weather. Kishangarh is beautiful in summer.’
‘You got all dressed up to admire nature?’ Jatin asked with a grin.
‘Look, I’ll give you my turban if you keep quiet for a few minutes,’ begged Gurpreet, touching his turban.
‘You didn’t shave your moustache?’
‘I shaved my beard,’ said Gurpreet, glaring at him. ‘That’s good enough.’
‘Relax, I was just curious. Keep cool, Preeto,’ he said as Gurpreet shook his fist at him.
‘Oh, she’s finally here,’ exclaimed Gurpreet.
‘And we weren’t waiting for anyone, right, Preeto?’
Gurpreet didn’t answer. He was too busy shining his shoes with the back of his trousers. Then he got up and walked over to the two girls.
‘So how are you two?’ he asked self-consciously, feeling Vicky’s eyes on him. ‘Shall we go into the tuck shop and have something?’
The girls nodded and walked into the canteen. He followed them. Vicky turned to look at him and their eyes met. She was smiling. He knew Mili and Jatin were all ears, so he refrained from saying anything and gestured with his hands instead – how do I look? Vicky pretended to push a lock of hair behind her ear and gesticulated with her fingers – perfect.
Gurpreet grinned. ‘Two minutes, I’ll just be back,’ he mumbled as he rushed out of the canteen. He jumped gleefully over the bench outside. Then he looked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Vicky and crashed into a group of students.
Chapter Ten
A few days later, Vicky stood near the fence pretending to look for something. It was the common fence between the STH playing field and MP College football field. She watched warily as Gurpreet kicked the ball hard. It bounced off the fence and Gurpreet ran towards it. As his feet shuffled the ball around, he slipped a note into Vicky’s hand before kicking the ball back to his team. Vicky looked around the field furtively. No one had noticed. Miss Agatha was busy giving instructions to the other students. She opened the crumpled piece of paper in her hand and began to read it. Everything to proceed according to plan. Will be waiting for you at the end of Hide-and-Seek Road at 4 o’clock. Don’t be late.
Vicky looked at Mili who was busy playing badminton. She pursed her lips. Coaxing Mili wasn’t going to be easy today. She gestured to Mili to stopplaying and pulled her to the edge of the field, behind a deodar tree. She showed her the note. ‘I met Gurpreet and Jatin yesterday,’ she whispered. ‘We’re going for a picnic. This evening. It’s all planned out.’
‘No, Vicky, we’re not going.’
‘Come on, Mili. Don’t be a stick-in-the-mud.’
‘If you want to go, you go, but I’m not coming.’
‘Mili, this is our last chance. To go for a picnic. The monsoons will soon be here. And after monsoons it’ll be too cold.’
‘But how can I forget Prof. Raven has given us a final warning? And if this time we get caught, he’s not going to forgive us.’
‘We won’t get caught. The plan is foolproof. We’ve worked out the details. At four o’clock we leave. After the last class.’
‘I don’t know …’ Mili answered dubiously. ‘But we have to be back in the hostel before eight,’ she added.
‘We won’t be coming back to the hostel.’
‘What?’
‘The boys have booked some rooms,’ said Vicky, pushing back her glasses. ‘In a nearby rest house.’
‘You’re crazy, Vicky. You think the warden is going to give us
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