Rina and a Secret Game  - Rina's Childhood Mysteries  -  Part: 3  - To be Continued

All the characters and incidents in this novel are fictitious.
Acknowledgements
This book series is dedicated first to Almighty God for His love, providence, encouragement and guidance and next to my family, friends and well-wishers for their encouragement, love, support, for inspiring me to read even as a child, and much more. I also dedicate this novel to my grandfather, Mr. S.M. Kulandhaiswamy (a renowned fiction author who has written for publications such as Tinkle, Champak, and more) for the inspiration he gave me to write, even when I was a child, by making me read his stories and narrating his stories to me.
Chapter: 1
The kids in the Gang (Rina, Ajay, Reshmi, Swathi, James and Rina, are good friends and are fifth standard students of Bharat Public school in the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. They are lovingly and teasingly called as 'the Gang' by their classmates (this is because they are always seen sticking together and talking in private). Sitting on a bench in their school garden, they are discussing among themselves about the man they had seen in Goa during their last excursion. He looked like a criminal and seemed to be performing an illegal act. But, this time, how can they find out who he is and what he is up to? They cannot certainly persuade their teacher to take them to Goa for the excursion every year! Excursions don't work like that. Each year, the teachers and students select different places to visit.
Swathi: There is no point even discussing this. Those officers did not tell us that we would be helping them every year. They just needed help with one of their missions and we helped them, and it is over. Swathi is a cute girl with large eyes and she is a responsible, mature, intelligent, caring, simple, and proactive girl.
Riya: She's right. Why should we keep talking about it? Riya is a beautiful girl with expressive eyes, who is quiet, mature, soft, intelligent, and a deep-thinker.
Ajay: It's nothing. I'm just curious about that man, that's all. Ajay is a smart boy with a pleasant face and he is responsible and acts like an elder brother to his friends though they are all of the same age group. He is smart, mature, intelligent, and enthusiastic.
Reshmi: You seem to be more than just curious, Ajay. Better drop the matter or you will voluntarily go in search of adventures next. We are not detectives but just normal school kids. Remember that. Reshmi is fun-loving, humourous, smart, mischievous, and affectionate.
Ajay: Last year also, we were just normal school children, but I don't have to remind you of everything that happened.
Reshmi: Enough. I'm going to class. You guys listen to his wild imaginations.
Ajay: Hey, Reshmi, wait. Hey, look, there is an adventure for us so soon. Oh my goodness! There is a spaceship outside our school gate. Turn and look, Reshmi. An alien is getting down from it, and hey, she looks just like you, Reshmi, with two ponytails.
Reshmi turns around and bursts into laughter. The other kids begin laughing too.
It is their first period on the first day of their fifth standard academic year.
Ajay: I wonder who our subject teachers will be this year. I really hope they assign good teachers for us.
James: Who cares? I'm thinking about the Basketball team selection. Do you have any idea when it would be? James is tall and smart-looking and he is a quick-witted, mischievous, fun-loving, caring, humourous, and curious boy, quick to take action.
Rina (rolling her eyes): Ajay, it is only our first day in this class. Our seniors have not left a trace for us about the activities we would do this year. See, there are no charts or materials left in the classroom for us to refer to. How unhelpful! We would have to do everything ourselves from scratch. Rina is a pretty and smart girl with beautiful, medium-length wavy hair and she is a sensible, quick-witted and caring girl, more mature than most kids of her age.
Their classroom this year is on the first floor, near the staff room.
Their Science teacher for this year, Ms. Rinanka arrives. She has already taught the kids Science in their second grade and they have grown to love her ever since. She is humorous and tells them a lot of stories and facts related to Science, which they eagerly look forward to.
As usual, since it is their first day at school, they persuade all their teachers to not teach lessons and chat with all of them and have fun. From the second day, routine school life begins for them and they get quite busy learning more advanced topics than the previous year, and their assignments and projects have also increased this year.
On their way to their classroom one day, the Gang overhears their Principal getting angry about money matters (for the second time, as this has already happened before).
Principal (to someone on the phone): I don't know what you will do. I need the funds within one week.
The kids get shocked once again as she is not a money-minded person.
Chapter: 2
During the middle of July, the much-awaited Basketball team selection takes place.
From the Gang, Rina, James and Reshmi get selected in the team.
James: Yes, my long-term dream has come true. Basketball is my life.
Rina: Yeah, James, I'm also so happy. Basketball is my passion too.
Reshmi: Yippee! We made it. We have to celebrate today.
They are about to have their first match with a school that is one of the competitors of their school in the city.
The school management is relying on the team to bring glory to their school, as these two schools are the ones competing to be the best school in their city.
Their practice sessions are to be held every alternate Saturday.
During their first day of Basketball practice…
Their PET teacher who is supposed to arrive at 9am has not yet arrived, even though it is 11am and the kids begin to wonder about what happened to their teacher. He arrives half an hour late but has bruises on his arms and legs, and he says that he has had a minor accident. He is Mr. Sundar and he is a tall, bespectacled man with a well-built body (apt for a PET teacher) and thick, curly hair. He is usually a jolly and happy-go-lucky person, but, today, he is in a serious mood.
When the kids ask him how it happened, he says he fell from his bike but there is no vehicle around, so they become puzzled. At this time, a group of men come to their practice spot and they look like rogues. They call their PET teacher aside and talk something to him in secret and then leave.
When their teacher returns, his face looks apprehensive and anxious. The kids get shocked and wonder what the men could've told their teacher that made him so nervous. He is disturbed during the entire practice session and sends them home earlier than the planned ending time as per the schedule. At the end of their practice, everyone notices that he looks even more disturbed and distracted.
After practice…
Reshmi, Rina and James rush to meet their friends at one of their favourite parks (they have already called them up and asked them to meet them there) and tell them everything that happened. After they narrate what happened…
Ajay and Swathi (at the same time): What on earth…
Swathi (continues): What on earth was that about? I think Ajay had a point the other day about adventures following us.
Riya: I don't think so. The whole team witnessed what happened, not just us. Any of them could be involved in this adventure, if at all this turns out to be an adventure. Sundar sir might have had just an ordinary conversation with those men and he might have been anxious about something else totally, something personal, maybe.
Reshmi: She has a point.
James: Yeah, she's right.
Swathi: Why do you guys keep thinking about adventures too much? If something is bound to happen, it will happen, how much ever we try to stop it. Okay, let's say something leads to an adventure like last time. So what?
We would be able to help people, if something like that happens. I still remember the grateful smiles of the kids after we saved them from their hard labour and troubles. Anything is worth seeing those smiles.
Riya: What you said is correct, but do you remember the risk we were put into?
Rina: True, but that was because of our carelessness. We planned everything very well, but we were put into risk since we were not careful with the camera.
Ajay: That was our mistake, not being careful with the camera, but how can we say we will never make mistakes again? We must think realistically.
James: She's right, actually.
Rina: Do you guys remember what Nikhil told Ms. Neema last year about his father and his business partners planning to convert our school building into a shopping complex? I heard that some businessmen are planning to turn certain school buildings into complexes. So, could what he said be true?
Ajay: It could be true. We never know what people do for business.
At this moment, Nikhil walks to them and says, "I heard my name. What's up?"
Swathi: Nikhil, last year, you told Neema ma'am about your father and his business partners planning to convert our school building into a shopping complex, right? Is it true?
Nikhil: Yeah, it is true and a few days back also, they were talking about it.
Reshmi: But you are studying in this school, right? How does your dad support this plan?
Nikhil: No, my dad is not for it. He tried to make his business partners change their plan but they didn't.
Rina: If he doesn't support their plan, will they continue with the plan?
Nikhil: They will continue, I think. It didn't seem like they valued dad's decision in this. It seemed as if they had already made up their minds about this.
Swathi: Did your dad tell you anything about this?
Nikhil: Yes. One day, he spoke to me sadly about this matter. He said many schools are at stake and some of them are schools offering education for fees that middle-class and poor people can afford. So, the education of many children and the jobs of many teachers are at risk. He also told me his business partners have also planned other illegal activities in the city, but he didn't tell me what those activities are.
After Nikhil leaves…
Ajay: What illegal activities could they be planning to do?
Reshmi: I have no idea, but it sounded scary.
Swathi: Yeah, it sounded really scary. I don't know what those people are up to.
Chapter: 3
Solomon: Why didn't you do your homework, Swetha? Ma'am is going to impose a fine on you.
Swetha: Who said? The teachers don't give fines to students for not doing homework anymore.
Solomon: Really? It's surprising.
Swathi passes by them and hears their conversation.
Swathi: What is surprising, Solomon?
Solomon: Swetha is saying the teachers don't give fines to students for failing to do homework anymore. Earlier, they used to be very strict in this matter, right?
Swathi: Yeah, they used to be very strict in this matter earlier. How are they not imposing fines now?
In the next few days…
Many instances of inappropriate behaviour of students going unfined take place. There are many complaints from parents about the school beginning to lose its standard.
Principal: The businessmen are playing a secret game to acquire this school building. Can you find out what secret game they are playing?
Reshmi: Why have you chosen us to find this out, ma'am?
Principal: Well, I know what all of you were up to in the excursion last year.
The kids get shocked at their Principal's words.
Rina: Who told you, ma'am?
I was the one who asked those officers to contact the six of you and vouched for your smartness and intelligence.
The kids exchange shocked looks.
Ajay: Is it true, ma'am?
Principal: Yes.
Swathi: Why didn't you tell us you were a part of it, ma'am? If we had known, we would have been bolder.
Principal: I didn't tell you as I wanted to distract the criminals and make them think I was doing the investigation alone. That is why no one suspected you and you were free to do whatever you had to.
Also, last time, there was a black sheep in our school who passed information to those colleagues. We caught her red-handed and sent her out of our school.
Reshmi: Who is it, ma'am?
Principal: I'm sorry. I'm not able to tell you now, but I will surely tell you when the right time comes. So, as I was saying, Nikhil's dad and his fellow businessmen friends are playing a secret game to trap our school's owner and myself to make the owner sell this school building but both of us are not able to figure out what game they are trying to play.
After they leave the Principal's office…
James: Guys, if we find out who the sacked teacher is, we will be closer to solving this mystery and finding out what the secret game of the businessmen is.
Swathi: James, as Reshmi often tells us, there is no mystery that has demanded our attention till now. We are the ones who are actually searching for mysteries and adventures.
James (grinning mischievously): Maybe you're right. Do you think we are getting addicted to adventures that we are not able to live without them?
Ajay: You're right, bro. I think we are.
James: Now, back to the topic we were discussing, it's not that easy to find out which teacher was fired by our Principal.
All his friends together: Why not?
James: Our Principal, as we all know, is a kind-hearted person, so, when she fires a teacher from the job, she would never certify that the person was fired, but would give the teacher a normal experience certificate.
Reshmi: Okay, but there may not be many teachers who left the job in the last one year, right?
Her friends agree to her point.
One day, in the Science period…
One day, in the Science period…
The kids' Science teacher for the year, Ms. Anita, walks into the classroom.
She is wearing a pink salwar and has tied her hair into a ponytail.
Ms. Anita: Okay, kids, have you completed your models?
All together: Yes, ma'am.
Viky: Ma'am, I finished my model by the rat in our house ate it, as I made it out of chocolate.
Everyone makes sounds of 'oohs' and 'aahs' and many smack their lips at the mention of the word 'chocolate'.
Ms. Anita: Be quiet, kids. Viky, are you telling me the truth? How can I believe you?
Viky: Yes, ma'am, I made a chocolate factory out of chocolate. All the people and machines in the factory were also made out of chocolate. When I woke up today, all the machines and people were gone and the factory itself was gone. It must be the rat which was roaming around in our house for the past few days.
Ms. Anita gives a shocked expression.
Ms. Anita: How can I believe you?
Susan (a tall girl with long hair): Ma'am, don't believe him. You are new to our class, so you don't know about him. He always plays pranks with everyone.
Viky: No, ma'am. I am telling you the truth. The rat's name is also Susan. You can ask it if you want.
Everyone bursts out laughing, including Ms. Anita.
Susan (glowering at Viky): This is too much. Ma'am, give me permission to throw this pen on him, please.
Ms. Anita (laughing): Okay, okay, cool down. He is just playing with you. Sit. Okay, kids, enough of fun. Now, let us display the models. First of all, Viky, let me see your chocolate model. I doubt if you really made one.
Viky: Ma'am, actually, what I told you was not entirely a prank. I did make a chocolate factory but it is made out of thermocol and not chocolate. This is my model, ma'am. How is it?
Viky had created a chocolate factory using thermocol and had placed dolls of people and machines in the factory.
Ms. Anita: Good job, Viky. It looks great!
Let's now continue from the first row. Everyone, keep your models on the table for me to see.
Ms. Anita (walking across the classroom, checking each row): Good, Prem. The model looks real. Fantastic job, Rina, you have portrayed the sugar making process very well in your model. Great work, Ajay, you have chosen a unique subject and have created a wonderful model of it.
Ms. Anita (after checking everyone's models): Wonderful work, everyone. All of your models are excellent and you have put in a lot of hard work into them.
Rina had created a sugar factory from thermocol and she had included the entire sugar making process in the model, using different food ingredients for the raw materials. Reshmi had created a model depicting the process of photosynthesis and Swathi had made a model of the different kinds of forests.
James had created a model of the solar system and Ajay had illustrated about water and how to save it in his model. Riya had employed the topic of eclipse in her model, showcasing the solar and lunar eclipse. The six friends show each other their models excitedly and appreciate each other.
Ms. Anita: Vishal, collect all the models and keep them in the staff room common table and I will rate them. The models will be rated out of 25 marks and the marks will be added to your Half Yearly exams marks.
Rina and team and Viky and team, are you ready for the South India-level interschool competition which is coming up in two weeks?
Both the teams together: Yes, ma'am.
Rina: We are almost ready, ma'am.
Viky: We are also ninety-five percent ready ma'am.
Ms. Anita: That's great to hear. All the best!
Both the teams together: Thank you, ma'am.
Chapter: 4
After two weeks…
The competition day arrives. The competition is to be held in a city called Bangalore which is in the state of Karnataka in India.
The kids travel by a special mini bus arranged by their school for the trip. Viky's team consists of Monit, Sonu (a short and thin boy), Rohan (a tall boy with thick hair) and Riya (a beautiful girl with brown eyes) and Rina's team consists of everyone in her gang of friends, except Swathi, who didn't join because of the nearing Half Yearly exams (she is quite studious and takes her studies very seriously, probably more seriously than needed, but her friends appreciate her for it and find her inspiring). Rina is wearing a pink baba suit, Reshmi is wearing a maroon frock and Riya is wearing a green salwar. Ajay's outfit is a blue t-shirt with black jeans and James is wearing a brown t-shirt with blue jeans. They are wearing their school badges, for identity purpose.
As the bus nears Bangalore…
Viky: Whoa! Look at the huge buildings. Wow, Bangalore is much more developed now than when I came here two years back.
James: Yes, Viky. Hey, look at that mall. It's so huge and I think it is new. I also came here two years back only and it wasn't there at that time.
Reshmi: Wow, if we get time, we must surely do some shopping there.
All the girls make sounds of 'ooh' and 'yay' on hearing the word 'shopping'.
Ajay (rolling his eyes) to the boys: Girls will never change, do you know?
Rina: Hey, shut up. Girls are born to enjoy life.
Swathi: And you boys are jealous of us because of it.
Mano: Oh man. See what she's saying. It is girls who are jealous of boys since we get to enjoy more freedom than them.
Riya: Hello, hello. That's not true.
James: Okay, let's not start a 'girls versus boys' fight now. In a few hours, it is going to be Bharat Public school versus the other schools in South India. We will show them that we are the best.
The rest of the kids (cheering): Yes!
Mr. Hari (a Social Science teacher who is accompanying them on the trip): Yes kids, you must win the overall winner's trophy and gain pride for our school. I believe in all of you. You performed very well during the final rehearsal, so just go with confidence and rock the stage.
All the children together: Yes, sir.
Mr. Hari: Kids, listen up. There are still four hours left for the competition to begin. What do you say about us visiting a lovely tourist spot before going to the event? It will also keep all of you refreshed.
The kids express their excitement and happiness, agreeing to the plan.
Nithin: Where are we going, sir?
Mr. Hari: We are going to the Bannerghatta Biological Park. There are many temples there and we can also see cattle and sheep farms. We can also go on a bus tour and see the diverse forms of wildlife there.
They go to the Bannerghatta Biological Park and also enjoy seeing the cattle and sheep farms. Then, they go on a bus tour and have a marvellous time seeing a lot of wildlife like a gaur, two sloth bears, a flamingo, a barking deer, three pangolins, two kraits and some more. After having fun there, they go to the competition venue half an hour before the event to select their slots.
They participate in events like Just a Minute, Mock Ad, Fashion Parade and Mime and some others.
When the kids are getting ready for the Mock Ad event,
Reshmi returns from her Story Writing event to join the Mock Ad event which is the next one, due to begin in half an hour.
Reshmi (softly to her friends, so that Viky and his team cannot hear): Guys, I need to talk to you about something urgently. I need five minutes. Let's go to a place where no one can hear us. We will go to one of the empty classrooms allotted for practice and tell people we want to practise there without disturbance.
The kids inform Viky's team and go to an empty classroom.
Inside the classroom…
James: We have only twenty minutes for Mock Ad, Reshmi. Let's do a quick rehearsal now and then talk after the event.
Reshmi: No, I just need five minutes and then we can rehearse for 15 minutes. Please, this is important.
Her friends (bewildered): What happened?
Reshmi: One of the judges of the Story Writing competition was Rajesh uncle, a friend of our PET sir. After the event, he called me and enquired about PET sir and told me he is his friend and an alumnus of our school. I just casually told him about my anxiety about our school building being threatened to be sold and he told me what exactly is going on behind the scenes relating to the threat.
Her friends (shocked): What?
Rina: Really? What did he tell you?
Reshmi: Yeah, actually, it was a threat given to our Principal to make her admit to have been a part of a crime which she was never a part of. We totally forgot about the case on her. Do you all remember the case on her which Rina told us about last year? PET sir is the one who has been helping our Principal to clear her name. One day, during sports practice, the men who came and spoke to PET sir and made him nervous were from the businessmen's group and they had threatened him to stay out of this matter.
Rina: This is really shocking.
The others agree.
Riya (looking at her watch): Guys, this is really something that is out of the blue and appalling.
Her friends agree to what she said.
James: Okay guys, let's discuss this after the event. Now, we will rehearse the ad ideas for the products we thought of quickly and be done with the event.
They win the first prize in most of the events (Just a Minute, Fashion Parade, Mock Ad, Story Writing, and Singing) and win the second prize in some events (Group Dance, Mime and Quiz). In the Mock Ad event, their on-the-spot funny toothpaste ad using zombie characters that make a bet to get cleaner teeth than humans receives a standing ovation. In the cultural fashion parade, their depiction of their state culture by wearing traditional sarees and dhothis and holding and rotating silambams in their hands symbolising the Kai-silambam folk dance of Tamil Nadu impresses the judges greatly.
The second prize is won by the kids in a school in Andhra Pradesh who portray their famous 'tholu bommalata' or the shadow puppet tradition of their state. The third prize is won by the children of a school in Karnataka who dressed up in colourful costumes illustrating the Yakshagana, the popular type of dance drama in Karnataka.
The kids of Bharat Public School bag the overall winner trophy and get extremely elated at their victory.
Their teacher also feels very proud of them and congratulates them a lot during their return journey to their city.
After the competition gets over and the kids return to class…
The first thing that Rina and her friends do is tell Swathi about the incident that happened at the competition venue.
Chapter: 5
Swathi: So, we have found out some important information about those businessmen. All these days, we have been talking about and trying to stop something that is not their plan at all. The incidents that have happened in our school over the recent days have nothing to do with the businessmen.
Her friends together: Yeah.
Swathi: It's a good thing that you guys met that uncle, a friend of our PET sir and that he told you what is going on behind the scenes relating to the threat our school building is facing.
Reshmi: Yeah, actually, it has been a threat given to our Principal to make her admit to have been a part of a crime which she was never a part of. We totally forgot about the case on her right? Also, we never thought that PET sir could be helping our Principal.
James: He is the one who has been helping our Principal to clear her name. That is really nice of him. That day, during sports practice, those men who came and threatened sir were from the businessmen's group and they had threatened him to stay out of this matter. That is why he got all worked up.
Rina: Principal ma'am is always open to us about everything, then why did she hide this matter from us?
Ajay: She hid it maybe because she didn't want us to know about the police case on her.
Riya: Or she could've hidden it because she did not want us to get scared that there is a large possibility of our school building being sold.
Rina: Hmm, these points make sense, but something is not right.
James: What is it?