The kids who were assembled for prayer started to get back to their respective classes. Kavin started to move towards his class. New class, new teachers and new people around him. The class teacher came in for the first class. The kids stood up to wish their teacher. The teacher smiled at everyone and started to introduce her.
"Hi students. Welcome to 4 A. This is Stella. Your class teacher. I am happy to see you brisk boys and girls headed for a year of journey in my class. Let me take the attendance."
One girl from the second row interrupted and said, "Mam! Last year Santha mam asked us to introduce one by one to her in the first class before taking attendance. Please do like that, mam."
"Yeah. I will do the same but in a different manner. Give your attendance. The first name for the year Abaya."
"Present mam."
"Good Abaya Come over here and tell about yourself."
Abaya came to front of the class.
"My name is Abaya. In third standard I was in B section. Now to a new section. Hope I will make good friends. My aim is to become a doctor like my father."
"Very good. We have a doctor in our class."
"Adithiya."
"Present mam."
Adithiya walked to front of the class, "I am Adithiya. My father's name is Hariharan. I want to become police officer like Duraisingam."
"Oh Jesus. Perfect fourth standard kid. Take your seat."
The role call continued for 12 to 15 students. Then the teacher called Kavin. Two kids from the class stood and said, "Present mam."
"Do we have two Kavins here? Let me check. We have a Kavin and a Kevin and both of them sit in same bench. Good. Okay. Did I say it like Kevin? Kavin Ka."
Kavin walked to front of the class.
"My name is Kavin. I studied in Madurai till my third class. My father got transfer to Chennai. That is why I had to move to this school."
Kavin saw his teacher's face to see if she asks him to go.
The teacher asked, "What is your aim?"
"I want to become a... become a.. scientist"
"Perfect kid. It is difficult for fourth standard student to decide what to become. You can go to your place."
Then came Kevin
"My name is Kevin. I want to become pilot."
The role call was completed.
"Great students. We have many doctors, engineers, scientists, pilot and one police officer Duraisingam."
The first day of the class came to and end. Kavin and Kevin acquainted well.
The second day,
Kavin's father took Kavin to his school by two wheeler. Near the entrance of the school, there were number of cars. Kids got out of the cars and ran into school. Kavin looked at a red colour. He liked the car very much. The car looked majestic. Abaya came out of the car. Next came is a black sedan. Kevin came out of the car. Kavin saw Kevin and moved towards him.
Kavin said, "Your dad's car is really big."
"Yes. We had some other car before. I liked this car. I said my dad to buy this car showing this car's advertisement on TV. My dad bought this on my birthday."
"Good."
"What car your dad have?"
"He doesn't have a car. He has Honda Activa and my mom has a Scooty."
"Is it? Ok come lets go to prayer."
Kavin was thinking about his father not having the car in the entire prayer. The classes for the day came to an end.
Kavin's mom came to pick up Kavin. On the way to home,
Kavin said,"Mom. All of my friends come to class by car. Kevin, I said about him yesterday. He comes in big black Scorpio. Abaya in i10. Nirmal in Indica. When will dad buy a car, mom? We have to ask him to buy a Swift. Nice car."
"Yes, Ask dad to buy one."
"We have to go on a trip to Madurai in car after he buys one."
Kavin looked at the cars from the pillion. Whenever he saw a school kid in car. He thought him in the kids place and his dad in the driver's seat.
"Mom. Does dad know to drive car?"
"No. Kavin."
"You mom?"
"No."
"You too learn to drive mom. See in that car a mother is driving the car."
"Yes, I will."
"Swift. White color."
Kavin's father Senthil reached home. Kavin's mother Manjula said to Kavin,
"Kavin. Dad reached home."
Kavin ran towards his dad.
"Hey Kavin. How is your new class?"
"Good dad. The new class is superb. Everyone speaks only in English."
"Great."
"Dad. All friends of mine are coming to class in car."
"Is it?"
"You too buy a car, dad."
"Yes, I will."
"Good. Tomorrow we shall buy a car."
"We cannot buy a car in a day, Kavin."
"Dad.(starts to cry)."
"Hey it takes six months for the car manufacturer to manufacture the car. They will give us only after six months. I will book tomorrow and exactly in December 6th we will have our car and Kavin will go to his school daily in car."
Kavin hugs Senthil.
"What car do you want?"
"Swift. White color."
"Great. I will book tomorrow."
At night in bedroom,
"Why Kavin is asking for a car?", asked Manjula.
"Every friends of him come to school in car. I thought in the same way when I was kid. I used to go in bicycle. Two or three friends of mine came in their dad's moped. I cried a lot and my dad bought a moped. Now we have bike and our kid goes a step ahead asking for car."
"Are you going to buy?"
"How Manjula? With our monthly salary, we find it difficult now. How a car? Moreover I am not a software professional to take risk. I am a sales guy. The company may send me out if I don't acheive the target for three to four months. He will become upset if I say no."
Next day in class,
"Hey Abaya and Kevin. My dad is booking Swift today. White color.", said Kavin.
"Good Kavin. Nice car."
"We already have a car in Madurai. We don't want to take it here. That is why we are buying a new one."
"What car was that?"
"Hmm. Lancer. Yes Lancer. Gold car."
"Is it? Even we have a Lancer in our home. But my dad takes i10.", said Abaya.
Two months later,
"Kavin. Get ready we are going to exhibition."
Kavin became excited to go to exhibition. He took the jeans pant and tshirt, his father bought him two weeks before. Kavin went into toy shop. There were number of car toys. He saw a replica Swift toy and took it. Kavin used to have this toy near his pillow daily while he was sleeping.
December 1st in classroom
"Kids. The half yearly examination is on December 10th. Before that you have to do a presentation each. You can make models for presentation or you can present them in chart and you have to give a speech on your selected topic for atleast 2 minutes. Your presentation is on December 4th."
In break
"Kevin. What topic are you going to present?", asked Kavin.
"I don't know. What about you?"
"Our car."
"Good."
"Kevin! Shall I tell a topic for you?", asked Abaya.
"Yes."
"Smoking kills."
"Okay."
Afternoon session
Stella mam came to class and asked every children about the topic.
"Kids. Hope you have selected the topics. I will call your names as in attendance. Say what topic you have selected."
"Abaya."
"Cleanliness in next to Godliness."
"Good. Adithiya."
"Traffic Signal."
"Great."
Stella took note of the topics.
Evening in Kevin's home.
"Daddy, I need to present about the topic Smoking Kills in our class on coming 4th. Please help me for it."
"Definitely kiddo. I will prepare the chart for you and explain you how should you present in the class."
"Thanks dad."
"Smoking is a dangerous habit. It will cause cancer. Only bad guys do smoke. Many people die out of cancer. It is an unnecessary expenditure as well. It is really a life killing habit. Let us develop your presentation with these points."
"Do you smoke, dad?"
"Have you ever seen your dad smoking?"
"No."
"Your father, Stephen is the best man in the world. He doesn't do any bad activity."
Next day in Stephen's office
"Hey Stephen, why are you looking so dull today?" asked Rajeev, his colleague.
"Oh. Is it? I was preparing chart works for my son for his presentation in class."
"Great. What was the topic?"
"Smoking kills."
"What?"
"Yes, smoking kills."
"Ok. Shall we go out and smoke?"
"Yes. With pleasure. It has been two hours since I have smoked."
In petty shop
"Stephen. You smoke two packs of cigar daily and you are preparing a presentation for topic Smoking kills for your son."
"Rajeev. I am a chain smoker. You know that. But not my son. You have to showcase to your children that you are a very nice person on the earth. Yes, I smoke. Seeing that he will also think about smoking during his adolescence. We have to be first rolemodels to them. See police here are to protect people but they will get 100 or 200 whenever they get a chance without being caught by others. Same thing. You are getting married next month right. Avoid smoking even in front of your wife."
3rd December evening in Kavin's home.
Senthil and Manjula were seeing a movie in television. Senthil asked Manjula, "Where is Kavin. He likes this movie. Bu he is not here."
"He is doing something with clay in his room."
"Let me go and see."
Senthil went inside the room.
"Hey Kavin. What are you doing?"
Senthil saw the clay model of the car done by Kavin. It had three doors opened and replicas of his father, mother and him with school bag waiting to get in.
"Beautiful Kavin."
"Tomorrow I'm going to present about the topic "Our car" to our class. Look at this. This is you near the driver seat window. This is mom and this is me with my school bag. Don't touch. The clay is still wet."
"Manjula come her. See how beautifully he had made it."
"Like this we have to go from 5th. We are getting our car this fifth. Is it?"
"Yes."
Manjula came in.
"I also have to give a speech on this topic. This is our car Swift. It makes our life easy. It helps my busy dad and mom to reach their office in time. My father drops me in school on the way to his office. We go to monthly picnics."
Senthil came out in the middle and started to cry
Night in bedroom.
"Manjula. This kid will get upset if I say him the truth. I don't know how I will tackle him this fifth. He has developed a lot of desire over car. My dad bought a moped as he promised. But I."
"Don't worry. We will buy a car soon. You are getting good hike this month. Even I am going to be promoted."
"Rice price is 40. House owner is going to increase the house rent. Petrol rate is increasing. We are not in good time to be in a middle class family. It is almost difficult."
"God will show way to us."
"I don't want my son to be upset."
"He won't be. He will understand. if we say to him in a nice way."
Next day in class,
Children were very excited and waited to see every others preparations. Kavin's clay model got everyone's attention.
The class teacher came to class and asked who is interested to present first. Many student raised their hands and Adithiya was the first to present.
"Good morning friends and (thinks) Good morning Stella Miss. My topic is traffic signal. Traffic signal has. Traffic Signal has three colors. Red, Orange and Green. Red color is to indicate Stop. Green Color. Cheee. Orange color is to indicate get ready. Green color indicates to go. We have to obey traffic rules or traffic police will arrest us and also.. and also it will create problems to other. Ambulance can go even in red. Nowadays traffic signals in Chennai has timer indicating number of seconds remaining to change of signal." Walks and comes back. "Thank you."
"Very good Adithiya. Silent claps for Adithiya, people."
Stella continued, who is next, " Yes Kevin."
Kevin came front with the charts prepared by him and his father.
"Good morning friends and Stella Mam. The topic I have chosen is Smoking kills. We see many people who smoke on the way to school and back home and even in public places. Smoking is a deadly habit because it creates death. Why? People who smoke are prone to cancer. You can see the wordings "Smoking Kills" in cigarette packs. But people don't mind this and still continue to smoke. Are you able to say what picture is posted in chart? This is the picture you see in movies in the beginning saying the adverse effects of smoking. See how ugly this sponge is. Smokers' lungs will become like this causing many respiratory problems. Smokers not only affect themself but also people near them making them to smoke passively. When we breath the smoke we too become passive smokers. So don't go near smoking persons. Please advise those who smoke the adverse effects of smoking and make the world free of smokers."
"Students that was a good presentation from Kevin. Silent claps for him as well."
Stella saw the beautiful clay model made by Kavin and called him.
"Good morning friends and mam. The model present here is our car Swift. It makes our life easy. It helps my busy dad and mom to reach their office in time. My father drops me in school on the way to his office. We go to monthly picnics in the car. Whenever I go in the car, it gives me immense happiness. Our car is like a friend to me. It sings through the mp3 player. It gives me comfort with its cushion seats. It gives leisure to us by taking us to different places in weekend. It helps us to bring vegetables and other items to our home. It helps to bring my grandfather from railway station to our home whenever he comes from Madurai. It can go through joyful highways and sorrowful bad roads. Even though it waits for long times in signals, it continues to give us pleasure. It runs many a miles a day. I feel very happy about our car. It does not say I won't allow someone to sit on me. It will give place to anyone who likes. It will take the heat of summer and the rains of rainy season and make it owners stay cool. The windows of the car show the beauty of the world. I see my world through my car's windows. I am proud of our White Swift Car. Thank you"
"Kavin. Would you ask your dad to drop me to my home once in your car?"
"We are getting the car tomorrow mam. I will ask my dad to."
"So sweet kid. Silent claps for Kavin as well."
The presentations were completed. Kevin, Kavin and three other kids got prize for the presentation.
Evening at Kevin's home,
"Mom, where is dad?"
"He has gone downstairs."
Kevin walked down to see his father and inform him about his prize. He saw smoke near portico. He didn't go there as his father said he would become a passive smoker. He waited till smoke stopped.
When he started, Stephen came from the place where smoke came.
"Dad why did you go there? You will become passive smoker and you may get cancer."
"Yeah. But the milkman was smoking. Somebody has to say not to smoke right. That is why I went there. Come lets go up."
Stephen flushed the cigarette pack he had in toilet.
Next day in Stephen's office,
"Stephen. Come lets go out for cigarette.", called Rajeev.
"No Rajeev. I stopped smoking. Yesterday my son would have seen me smoking. I have escaped by God's grace. When he believes me much, I have to stand by that belief. He thought I was there with someone who was smoking and asked me not go hereafter since I will become a passive smoker. What if he came to know that I was the one smoking there. I don't want to break my son's belief/"
"Great Stephen. I won't be disturbing you anymore. And I have a wife who believes I don't smoke."
"Good Rajeev."
Evening in Kavin's home,
Kavin got ready to go to showroom to get the car.
"Kavin. I just received a car from showroom. There is a problem with the car it seems. they say there is another Swift in black colr. Shall I buy that one? If we want white one they will give only on February 5th."
"I need only white dad. Let us wait. No problem."
Kavin went near the clay model he made,
"Why are you coming late? See you are making us wait for another two months. I will not wash you for two days. That is the punishment."
Senthil became upset. He was not able to say the truth seeing the innocence of Kavin.
In bedroom
"My manager is going to sell his Swift for 1.75 lakhs. I am planing to buy this by applying loan."
"Is it necessary now with the present expenditure we have?"
"It is not like that Manju. It is necessary for sales guy like me as well. See when I go in a car to client's place it adds respect. We can cut down some other expenditure for this. There will be ways."
3 weeks later,
"Dad you came today.Why mom didn't come?"
"Come out. A surprise."
"What surprise. Did grandfather come from Madurai?"
"Come out. Let see."
Kavin came out and Senthil opened the car with remote. Manju was sitting inside, He touched the car. Kissed his mom and dad. He asked his father to wait and ran baclk to school.
"Miss. My dad is waiting outside in the car. Could you please come in our car? I will ask him to drop you in your home as you asked."
Stella came with him. Senthil dropped Stella in her house. Senthil looked at the joy in the face of his son and he looked through the window in traffic signal. He saw a kid sitting in two wheeler staring at his car.
