Jonaki joined Section A with a lot of confusion in her heart. The boys looked excited to see her, but that was almost as if she was a new breed. The captain was one she had seen before Naresh. 

He nodded at her and joked, "So Vin finally allowed this separation." Noting her discomfort he indicated her to take any place. 

The desks here were less sophisticated and each accommodated 3  students. Jonaki sat in the second row where the students' bags were only two. When the boys came back to the class after a game of football, they promptly introduced themselves as Issac and Amir. 

"Well Narain sits here, but don't worry, he will figure out where to sit. " 

Teacher Irfan came in , glanced at Jonaki and unlike Section Z, did not make any elaborate comment. He just took attendance , while closing asked, "And our new student Jonaki, you residence is solved ? " She got up and said, "Yes Sir..Thank you."

"Good." And that was it. 

He taught biology in this class and started with a revision. Before Jonaki made friends she feel in love with the subject and thought of becoming a biologist. But what did that mean she wondered. She wanted a career where she could make a difference but one that paid. She did not want a fancy career where there was no money. 

This was the first class where she did not have to go to the canteen for lunch break. As all the students returned home they packed lunches. One of them told her, "Our canteen is not good. We do go there to take the packets, like juices or chips. But the food gets cold and we don't usually like it. But you can eat with us.. we pack good lunches. We will carry a little more tomorrow." 

First day so Jonaki felt hesitant but they insisted so she dug in. Most of the boys hung back in the class chatting with her. Naresh however picked his tennis bat and disappeared. He and Vin planned to catch up. Just after lunch break was an extra class and most of the class disappeared to play football. Vin stepped into the class. 

"Jonaki are you comfortable or you would want to return. No one can make you leave the section Z." 

Jonaki assured,. "It's okay Vinayak.. Vin. Section Z was not bad but neither is this section. " She paused and then added, "Here the students are more similar to my far away village. I dont dislike anything so far.. May be one thing, the desks and the classroom was less spacious. I miss the space ."

Vin asked eagerly, "Don't you miss sitting beside me ? " It was a question he kept repeating for next few days as he brought tiffin for her. She insisted she had enough, yet Vin kept bringing. 

It was Thursday, Jonaki had already attended the new section. She was busy with studies and enjoyed working in the pace of this class without the pressure of being the best of the other section. Teacher Sundareshan joined their section and started teaching Maths his way. He had to adjust to the section a couple of times and sometimes he winked and may be in his hearts missed the other one. 

Jonaki enjoyed his class. But slowly others also started enjoying. At one point, the teacher called his daughter, "Parul we are starting from scratch for some subjects in Section A. Do you want a transfer.. ? "

But Parul did not . Infact she walked upto Jonaki to demand, "Did you ask father to move me to his class ? I am not interested to study under him. I thought for a brief moment you were different but you are just as opportunist." Jonaki's new classmate Issac was with Jonaki as they read a particularly difficult translation of Sanskrit to local language. He got up and looked at Parul. "Ask your father, instead of having assumptions. "

Parul's face twisted with distaste, "You have no class Jonaki. You have the affection and attention of Vin , yet you seek more." 

Issac laughed as Jonaki tried to explain, "She has the friendship of the entire class . Each of our class member has it. Unlike Z, where classmates hate each other."

Parul went on to have some kind of verbal match with Issac that moved into a local language that Jonaki did not follow. Issac laughed through the conversation, "Parul, right ? That is what you name ? You claim I dont understand enough English and hence you have to speak the language of my people, without understanding that English is my mother tongue. " 

Then he looked at Jonaki, "You need to cut off relationships that are as bad as this."  

"How come English is your mother tongue Issac ? Mine should have been my mother's tongue but as she passed away, I speak the local dialect of the mountains better than her language. Father always insisted, that I learn her tongue.. and ofcourse I speak father's too."

Issac winked, "Because I am not exactly a local Jonaki. A generation or two before my grandparents - both foreigners decided to leave their foreign identity to adopt the acres of the land in the village that was being wasted and taken over my some suspicious chemical plant. They bought acres and settled here becoming one with the land. They tilled the land, they taught agriculture, they adopted few children and then they also had my father as they only natural child. Ma was also from a similar family but hers had moved for a deep love for Krishna and stayed in an Ashram. Mother and father met and I was born. So here I am Issac. And Parul teaches me English." 

Parul sneered at Issac, "If what you say is true, you would have been in Section Z. " 

Issac laughed. "I could be in any section Parul if you truly think of the fact that maybe one of the board membership is still held my quite old grandfather. And he can not be moved by money, fame or class. He is old and many things pass him by as other hide these politics of section bias from him. But till he is there.. section Z may have all the support from other board members, but scholarships would always be given where required. "

Parul was by now joined by the Labh and Kush. They did not say anything to Issac or Jonaki, but pulled at Parul's hand. "Come the classes start. Ignore these ..." Then they made some hand gesture at Issac and ran away. 

"What was that ?" Jonaki cried out , suddenly angry. "How dare they ? I would complain against them.. " She took a deep breath and said, "And against Parul. Is she crazy?"

Issac clapped her back like a drum, "Ah well done Jonaki. The anger is coming out. Well done. I wont necessarily complain. It is a silly piece. But if it recurs another time, I will. Let's get back to out translations." 

And just like that a friendship was formed. Amir joined them after some time, aware that Issac and Parul had some clash. Enroute he had stopped and looked at Parul and laughed at her face for no reason. He knew Parul often looked at him with admiration. Many girls of Z did that, hiding in pillars. He ignored them but today he chose not to. 

But he groaned at the work his friend was doing with Jonaki. He hated translations. But he sat beside them and absorbed their banter on all topics but the translation. As they spoke of some custom of the land and step cultivation of Jonaki's mountains, he picked up the unfinished work and started working on it. He felt comfortable in sitting and hearing them chat in the back ground. Vin peeped into the space and noted them at work or chat and waved to Jonaki and went away. Jonaki waved back but went back to her chatter with Issac. Amir put his head down and went to sleep on the desk. His father wanted to remarry and it was giving him the worst headache. 

Amir and Jonaki  : 

looked looked towards towards the door as if expecting Vin to jump out . But Vin was not there, Mr.  requested for meet.They were interested to share their tiffin and mnakay be a little bit because she was a girl. No one chased after Vin with an obsession that was there in Z. If anything other than