What has been read so far:
Kayal is on her way home when a masked woman approaches her and hands her a letter, saying, "You need to do this task by tomorrow. All the details are in this letter, and don't deviate from your goal." Kayal silently places the letter in her bag and heads home.
Next:
As soon as Kayal reaches home, her grandmother says, "Did you see that wicked woman today? Tomorrow, we need to find out about that wicked woman."
"Grandma, it will take some time, but first we need to do the task given to us," Kayal responds.
"Alright, my daughter, handle the task carefully. Now, go and prepare the ingredients for bhel puri, the customers will arrive soon," her grandmother says.
Kayal nods and heads to her room. Kayal's grandmother runs a food stall, selling Indore poha and vegetable kachoris in the morning and bhel puri in the evening. This is how the family manages their livelihood.
Later that night, as Kayal and her grandmother are about to have dinner, her grandmother suddenly remembers something. She says, "That woman didn't eat anything today and was silent."
"It's fine, Grandma, she'll eat her fill tomorrow," Kayal reassures her.
The Next Morning:
As Kayal is about to leave for college, her grandmother stops her, saying, "Handle the task you're going for carefully today. We can't bear this game anymore."
"Don't worry, Grandma. Let them worry now, we'll leave our worries behind," Kail says while trying to calm her grandmother.
Before she leaves, her grandmother applies some foul-smelling oil to Kayal's hair.
At college, as Kayal enters, everyone laughs at her as if she's some kind of specimen. But Kayal bravely and confidently walks to her classroom, where everyone stands and mocks her, saying, "Welcome, the Tooth Fairy, please take your seat."
Before Kayal can sit, Riya, a girl from the class, sprays perfume on her, boasting, "I know people like you can't afford perfume, but here's a free, expensive bottle for you. People born in gutters always smell like one, that's just how it is."
Kayal silently accepts the bottle and keeps it in her bag.
Before Riya can say more, their teacher, Mrs. Saroj Batra, enters the classroom, and Riya quickly returns to her seat.
Kayal begins to feel nervous when Mrs. Batra enters, her hands and feet trembling with fear. Sweat forms on her forehead, but she mentally tells herself to stay calm.
When the lecture ends and Mrs. Batra leaves, Kayal follows her discreetly. Just as Mrs. Batra is about to enter her cabin, Kayal pushes her from behind, causing her to fall, dropping her purse and the class register. Kayal quietly slips an envelope into Mrs. Batra's purse.
"Sorry, ma'am, some students were bothering me, and I got scared, so I accidentally bumped into you," Kayal says, trembling.
Other students rush over to help, and Mrs. Batra, now on her feet, says, "Don't be scared, nothing will be achieved by fear. If you want to build a career here, you have to move forward without fear, understood?"
After Mrs. Batra leaves, Kayal thinks to herself, "Today's task is complete."
As Kayal returns to the classroom, she notices Arav laughing at her. "This cartoon is in our class? You look like a chimpanzee," he taunts. Just then, Mr. Rohan Kumar enters the class, and all students rush to their seats. Arav leaves the room.
"Arav Kapoor, don't you have any interest in studies? It seems like your admission is just a formality. You're just here to spend your father's money, which will also get you through the exams," Mr. Rohan says, stopping Arav.
Arav gets angry and places his hand on Mr. Rohan's shoulder, saying, "This hand is on your shoulder today. If you make this mistake again, it will be on your cheek. Got it?"
Kayal whispers to Komal, "It's his money that's making him arrogant." Komal silently gestures for Kayal to keep quiet.
Once all their classes end, Kayal and Komal leave together. "Let's sit in the garden for a while," Komal suggests. Kayal looks at the time and says, "We'll sit for just 10 minutes, alright?"
As they sit in the garden, Kayal notices Arav rehearsing a dance with his friends. A group of girls and boys are watching him.
"Let's watch Arav's dance. If I get a selfie with him, I'll show it to my family and friends," Komal says, eager to get a selfie with him.
"You go ahead, I'll stay here and wait. Come back quickly. We'll be in college for three more years," Kayal responds.
A little while later, Arav spots Kail and signals for her to come over, with some girls helping her get to the dance stage.
Arav then announces to the crowd, "Guys, you'll all be getting old soon because this 'tooth fairy' is going to steal your teeth. Now, I'll rap about this cartoon, a song I just created."
Kayal replies, "What's the point of someone who doesn't even know how to rap making a rap song? The same person whose father doesn't want him to rap, because a father knows his son's talent best."
Arav's eyes turn red with anger because, up until now, only his father had scolded him. Kail continues, "People who live in dirty gutters will just dirty even the cleanest swimming pools. Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? You look like a black monkey."
Kayal, undeterred, retorts, "I look at myself in the mirror every day. Maybe you should look at yourself too. You might realize who you truly are. My name is Kail, so Mr. Arav Kapoor, never judge anyone by their appearance or body."
Arav, furious, warns her, "Come ready tomorrow, maybe after tomorrow, you won't even be seen in this city, let alone college."
"Okay, Mr. Arav Kapoor, deal finalized," Kayal responds confidently.
As Kayal leaves, all the boys and girls are shocked, but no one dares to speak, as they fear Arav might ruin their careers. Arav storms off.
Later, Arav, speeding on his bike, bumps into Kayal, knocking her to the ground. People around rush to help her, and Arav gets off his bike, apologizes, and hands her an envelope before leaving. Kayal heads home.
When she reaches home, she finds her grandmother crying in the courtyard. Kail, concerned, asks, "What happened, Grandma? Why are you crying?"
Her grandmother shows her a letter, saying, "Someone threw this letter tied to a stone. I think we'll need to find out more."
Kayal reassures her, "We need to find out about that wicked person, Grandma. Don't worry, we'll change everything soon."
Questions:
What did Kail place in Mrs. Saroj Batra's bag?Who threw the letter, and what did it contain?Who is Kayal referring to as the "wicked person"?