Precap: The challenge between the army gang and the civilian gang have started. Everyone completed the first step, exam and started preparing for the second step, the fair. Suman and Shravan meets at shop while shopping for the fair.
Shravan with his few friends comes in front of teachers room. Anish, Devika and Suman was already standing there. Shravan was coming while chatting loudly with his friends. He stops seeing them there and smiles at Suman. She smiles too. Anish notices and gets irritated.
Anish: Smile as much as you like, cause later when your ideas won’t get permission for stalls you won’t be able to smile at all. And when the exam results comes tomorrow all the smiles that left will be too erased from your face.
Shravan’s smiles disappear as he looks at Anish.
Shravan: Don’t worry dhumketu, my smile is already gone by looking at your face. Now I have to wait for the permission and results to smile again.
Anish: Which will never come.
Shravan: We will see about that.
Suman: Guys we are standing outside the teachers room. If you don’t want the teacher to find out about your challenge then keep your voice down.
Both of them stays silent, a few students came out from the teachers room. They are juniors from both the gang. Both the parties go to their respective leaders and showsl their permits. Shravan’s gang high fives while Anish gives a bit lecture to the juniors. Then both of them again give each other death stares while Suman shakes her head in disappointment seeing their behavior. Both the team gets called inside. While entering the room they does a bit pushing each other in front of the door by trying to enter first. From one side Devik, Anish and Suman and from other side Shravan’s friends, Sahib and Shravan. Shravan and Suman gets squeezed in the middle in this pushing competetion. But after entering the room they start behaving like the most disciplined students in the history of the school. They submits their project ideas and presentation with models if it’s a part of it. Then they are asked to wait at a side while the teacher talks about it. Sakshi ma’am was coming from outside. She stops seeing the students, the students greet her, she greets them back and keeps her bag on a table. Suman was standing close to her.
Suman: Ma’am finally you are back. We all missed your class.
Shakshi ma’am: Even I missed you guys Suman. I’m glad to be back after this long break. Sorry I left just before the prom. Did everything turned out OK?
Suman remembers all the drama that happened and forges a smile.
Suman: Yeah ma’am, everything was fine.
Shakshi ma’am looks at Shravan who is standing at the other side of the room, talking with his friends.
Shakshi ma’am: How was Shravan? How did he do?
Suman looks at Shravan being a bit confused.
Suman: Shravan?
Shakshi ma’am: Yeah, he took extra classes everyday to catch up with you guys.
Suman: Really?
Shakshi ma’am: Yeah, I have to appreciate his dedication, he had just returned and still had problem walking. Yet he kept working hard. And he is a fast learner too.
Suman: I had no idea.
Shakshi ma’am: Well he is actually one of the best students of the class Suman. I’ve never found any student doing this much good result after joining my class late. He is a good dancer. Oh, I have another class, I’ll go now. All the best for your project.
Shakshi ma’am leaves. Another teacher asks the students to come close. Suman goes towards there looking at Shravan. When they are standing side by side Shravan notices her looking at him. He asks her in sign what is it. She smiles and nods her head that it’s nothing. He points her at the teacher to give attention there. She turns at the teacher but keeps smiling. Shravan notices and wonders what it could be that Suman was smiling at him like that. He couldn’t help but smiles too and blushes. The teacher gives them their presentation back and gives permission. Shravan and Anish gives a smirk at each other and leaves the room with the others.
Shravan’s team gathers to discuss further plans.
Sahib: Shravan the points have been started counting on the website. We are one point behind the army gang. We got permission for one stall less than them.
Shravan: No worries. If we make our stalls better and manage to make it a hit then we can overpower them. After all the more people visits our stalls and buys stuff the more points we get. So let’s divide our works. And if anyone has any problem to finish their project or need help to complete their stall don’t hesitate to ask for help. We will help each other and win this.
They distribute the works among themselves and starts working. The next days the stall starts building in the field, everyone’s busy working. Shravan and Suman both comes in a room to take some boxes. They takes the box one by one and passes them to another team member who passes it to another. Shravan and Suman both looks at each other while working.
Shravan: Hi.
Suman: Hi!
Shravan: Nowadays we hardly meet huh?
Suman: We meet everyday Shravan, we just don’t get much time to talk like usual.
Shravan: What’s the difference.
Suman: What?
Shravan: Nothing. Tell me one thing, why were you smiling looking at me yesterday?
Suman: When?
Shravan: At teacher’s room. When we went to submit our plans.
Suman: Nothing, I just….
Suman doesn’t answer and smiles again.
Shravan: Just what? You are not making fun of me in your mind, are you? I asked you to laugh at me directly if you want to that day, remember?
Suman: Shravan I wasn’t making fun of you.
Shravan’s eyes lit up. He asks excitedly.
Shravan: Then why were you smiling?
Being over excited Shravan triples and the box he was holding was about to fall from his hand but Suman holds it in time. Their hands touches. Shravan looks at their hand and then at Suman.
Suman: What are you doing? Do it properly or the box would have fallen right now.
Shravan: Yeah, it’s got some fragile stuff. It would have been bad if it fell. Thanks Sumo.
Suman: Just that? And what if you got hurt?
Shravan nods and smiles seeing Suman’s worry for him.
Shravan: And that too. Thanks again Sumo.
The students comes and takes the box.
Suman: Take it carefully.
She then turns at Shravan.
Suman: So Shravan the result of exam is going to be published today.
Shravan: Yeah.
Suman: Nervous?
Shravan: Who? Me? Not at all. In my old school all my friends used to worry. I used to be the only guy who could stay calm. I don’t understand the point of being nervous. It won’t change what I have written on the paper or what marks teacher have already gave me. Neither it would make all my wrong answers to correct ones.
Suman smiles.
Suman: So we think the same then.
Shravan: Really? Even you don’t worry?
Suman: Just like you said. What’s the point of worrying, it won’t change anything that have already happened. And I don’t wanna brag but your buddy always comes top.
Shravan: Then I must say sorry Sumo. Cause this time you must have lost your top position to your buddy.
Suman: Oh ho, so much overconfidence!
Shravan: Not overconfidence, facts. When this Shravan Malhotra gives his hundred percent no one stands a chance. And this time I had to give my hundred percent because of the challenge. Nothing personal so no offense.
Suman: Then we will see in the results then.
Shravan: We will.
A students comes by the door.
: Guys the results have been published.
Suman and Shravan looks at each other, they run outside together. A lot of students are standing in front of the notice board where the results of the top ten students of each class have been published. Shravan and Suman gets inside and takes a look at the list. Suman came first, Shravan 2nd, Anish 3rd, Devika 10th, Sahib didn’t make it in the list. Suman looks at Shravan with a smile.
Suman: You were saying Shravan?
Shravan looks at her and gives her a dam care look.
Shravan: What? I said I would be on top position. I’m in top 10.
Suman: You said you would beat me for the top position.
Shravan: Did you studied alone or taught your juniors too?
Suman: Alone of course.
Shravan: Well I was doing study session for a bunch of my juniors. Who won now?
Before Suman answers someone else speaks.
Anish: Definitely not you. When the result is before you there’s no point in giving excuses.
Shravan looks at Anish who is trying his best to hide his displeasure.
Shravan: Are you blind? Can’t you see your name down mine. Still think you won?
Anish: It’s you who is blind, you can’t see that the name above you is one of us. Did you forget its a competition that involves everyone?
Shravan: Dhumketu it seems you are the one who thinks it’s just involves us. Look there, can you see those over excited happy students, do you know who they are?
Everyone looks and sees a few students are jumping in joy.
Anish: Who are those clowns?
Shravan: Those clowns are our new years, juniors. They are happy because all the top position in their class is taken by them. Ugh..hmm… and they are all civilians, the very students I spent time doing study sessions with.
Anish angrily checks the other results.
Shravan: You see Anish they are new here like me. So they didn’t knew that they were supposed to do bad in the exams.
Anish: It doesn’t matter much. Having the top position only gives a few extra points. The bigger picture involving everyone’s results is the real deal.
Shravan mocks him.
Shravan: If you say so.
Devika: But how are we going to count the points?
Shravan: Why, we have Mayank right here. He topped in Math with full marks.
Anish: No, Shefan will do it, he topped in math with full marks.
Shravan: Fine, both of them topped together, how about they do it together. One guy from your team, one guy from your team.
Shefan and Mayank looks at each other.
Shravan: Now don’t tell me you guys have problems working together. We are giving you guys tasks that you love, math.
Anish: Fine with me.
Shefan and Mayank both sighs and shakes their hands.
Shravan: Perfect. Now you two start working with Kanchan, she is the one who is updating the points on website.
Devika: Guys all this is fine but I asked how are we gonna count the points. Here is only the results of the toppers. How we will count everyonelse’s? It’s not like everyone will just hand their results to us.
Shravan: I knew you are gonna get stuck at this point. But I had already planned ahead of you. Come with me.
Shravan takes them with him, but Suman doesn’t go. She wents to work on her stall. Shravan takes them at a corner of the school. Bhopali was waiting there.
Bhopali: Where were you? I have been waiting here for you leaving all my work pending.
Shravan: I know I am sorry. But even we are busy with tasks. The fair will start tomorrow. We have to finish our work by today. Did you brought what I asked you to?
Bhopali secretly passes some paper to Shravan.
Bhopali: Be careful. No body should know that I gave you these.
Shravan: Don’t worry, no one will know.
Bhopali leaves, Shravan checks the paper, then gives it to the two mathematicians.
Shravan: There you go. Full results of all the students of this school. Total 479 students. Now you already know how to give the points we decided earlier so I will leave difficult maths to you guys.
Shefan and Mayank looks at each other holding the papers. Shravan smiles.
It’s night, the students are still working to complete everything. All the stalls have been already build. Everyone is checking last minute details. Shravan completes his work and goes to the open field. He sees everyone working. He sits down on the field, keeps his blazer beside him, puts on earphone and listens to music. Someone comes from behind and keeps their blazer over his and sits down by his side. Shravan turns and sees it’s Suman. He takes out his earphones. Both of them are surprised seeing each other.
Shravan: Your work is also complete?
Suman: Yeah. You?
Shravan: Same.
Both of them smiles. Then sighs together and looks in front of them.
Shravan: It looks different right? The whole field with so many stalls and lights at the night?
Before Suman could answer suddenly the power goes away, the whole place becomes dark. Everyone starts calling each other. Some goes to check what’s wrong. Shravan was standing up too but Suman stops her.
Suman: Shravan look.
Shravan stops and looks at where Suman is pointing, at the sky. The clear night sky is full with twinkling stars. Shravan gets amazed by the view. He looks at Suman who is also looking at this being mesmerized. She looks at Shravan.
Suman: It’s so beautiful right.
Suman again looks at the night sky. Shravan keeps looking at her.
Shravan: Yeah it’s very beautiful.
He forowards one earphone towards Suman.
Shravan: Do you want to listen to music?
Suman smiles and takes the earphone. Both of them starts listening to music while looking at the sky.
Next: The count of the points for the exam and the fair goes on side by side.