Camp exploits

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Just think of it!" cried Suman. "Our first camp! 
For five days we'll be entirely on our own."
Suman's best friend, Rashmi, nodded, but not very 
enthusiastically. How could she tell Suman that she
was scared of being away from home ? 
"Are you scared?" asked Suman. "Don't worry,
I'll be there!" 
"I know," Rashmi squeezed her hand. "If you
weren't going, Mama would not have sent me!" 
"We're fifteen, old enough to look after ourselves.
Don't you worry. We'll have a lovely time. All our
friends are going. If only Lovy wasn't coming." 
Rashmi looked hard at Suman. No one could
understand why Lovy and Suman hated each other.
Suman felt that Lovy was interested only in her looks
and boys, while Lovy called Suman "that rude, bossy
girl, who thinks too much of herself." 
On Friday the girls were in high spirits as they got
into the bus heading for the camp. Mrs. Lai, their
teacher-in-charge made a request. "Please don't start
singing till we have passed the busy part of the city." 
In half an hour the singing started. Everyone joined
in. Lovy's clear, thin voice was the most prominent. 
"She shrieks," commented Suman.
After the group had sung all the popular hits, there 
was a lull. Rashmi nudged Suman, "Sing that one you
sang two years ago at the party." 
"Which one?" asked Lovy.
"Oh, you wouldn't know. It's a song Suman made 
up," Rashmi replied.
"Oh, so she composes as well." Lovy's tone was 
sarcastic.

By now Suman had turned beet-red. Gita saved the 
situation by starting another song.
Rashmi turned to Suman, "I'm really sorry I don't 
know why I opened my mouth. But that song was
really lovely." 

"Oh, nonsense," said Suman. She had every reason,
though, to feel gratified. No one was allowed to see her
diary, which was full of her 'outpourings,' as she called
them. 

Soon they were at the camp site. Mrs. Lai gave
instructions. "First we draw lots for teams. There will
be five teams, seven girls in each." 
Lots were drawn. Suman and Rashmi were happy
to find they both were in Team Three. So were Gita,
Seema and Asha. 

Gita came running with the bad news. "Guess
what? We have Lovy in our team." Suman grimaced,
but said nothing. 

Leaders were chosen. Suman was to lead Team
Three. 
"The teams will get points foi each event,"
announced Mrs. Lai. "On the last evening there will be
a cultural programme, each team presenting three
items. Only original items please. Now time to assemble
for dinner." 
When they retired to their tents for the night,
Suman suggested a ghost story session, but the other
girls were not interested. 

"What's the matter with everyone?" Suman asked
irritably. 
"Don't you know they are all feeling homesick.
Only you and I aren't," said Lovy. Suman did not like
to be in the same category as Lovy, but it appeared she
was right. Her five other team mates were feeling miserable
away from home. So she retired to bed in disgust
and spent half an hour writing inher diary.

Suman was an early riser. At six o'clock the next
morning, she was wide awake. She nudged Rashmi and
said, "Let's go for a walk." Rashmi got up reluctantly. 
"Where are my shoes?" Suman asked loudly.

"Who is making such a noise?" Lovy, awakened by 
the noise, looked around sleepily. Then she saw Suman.
"I thought as much. Who else could it be?" 

But for once Suman did not retaliate. As they set
out, Rashmi patted Suman. "Good, you're learning to
ignore her." They walked through the woods. Rashmi
pointed out to her friend all the birds she could identify. 
When they got back, their team mates were still
asleep. "Get up everybody. Didn't you hear the bell?
We'll lose points if we are late." Suman was their
leader. So the other complied. 

Suman turned to Lovy. "Today you'll be on tidiness
duty," she told her. Lovy could say nothing. 
Team Three was ready in record time and were the
first to savour the piping hot porridge that Team Two,
on breakfast duty, was serving. 
"Oh I don't want breakfast. I never eat it," Lovy
said. 

Mrs. Lai overheard her. "Nonsense," she said,
're going to have a strenuous day. No refusing of 
food, please." Suman looked triumphantly at Lovy,
but did not say anything. 
Team Three was ready, waiting for Lovy to finish
tidying the tent. Lovy came up to Suman holding a
book in her hand and said, "Oh, I found this while
tidying up." 
"Thank you," Suman said coldly, taking her diary.
"You write rather well. I read that poem. 'There's 
beauty in the sunset'."
Suman's face went red with anger. She slapped 
Lovy, hard.
"What's happening here?" Mrs. Lai's shocked voice 
broke the silence. "Suman, there is a limit to which you
can carry your dislike. You must apologise for your
conduct at once." 
Rashmi glanced at Suman and her heart sank.
When Suman looked like that, nobody could reason
with her. She understood Suman's sensitiveness about
her diary, but that was no excuse for slapping Lovy. 
Mrs. Lai spoke again. "Go to your tent Suman, and
don't join us till you apologise to Lovy." 
Suman left without a word. Rashmi waited and
then slipped out to the tent. Suman was sitting on the
bed, tears streaming down her face. 
"Suman please apologise!" She pleaded with her
friend. 
"Never! How dare that creep read my diary without

my permission. She did it out of spite. Oh I could tear

it up," she cried, picking up her diary. 

Rashmi grabbed the diary. "Listen Suman, I know

you don't like that girl," she said. "But don't you

realise that, if you don't apologise, our team doesn't

stand a chance? You're the team leader. For heaven's

sake stop being so selfish and, for once think about

others, too!" 

Then she turned and stamped out of the tent.

The treasure hunt was on. Rashmi managed to 

solve one clue, but her mind was not in it. She kept

thinking of what would happen if Suman did not

apologize soon. Luckily, Ritu was very good at riddles

and Team Three managed to win second place. 

It was their turn to help with lunch. Rashmi was

busy serving it, when she noticed Suman cutting fruit.

So she had apologised, she thought with relief. 

Suman was subdued throughout lunch. The rest of

the day they were kept busy with many events. The

whole team met only after dinner in their tent. 

"God, what a day! I'm fagged out," Asha said.

"But we have to decide about the cultural programme."

She turned to Suman, but she did not respond. 

Rashmi got up and collected paper and a pen.

"Ideas from everybody," she said. 

"Let's do a dance," Ritu suggested. She was the

only one of the seven who could dance. The others

thought it would be very difficult. The discussion

continued, with most of the ideas coming from Gita,

Ritu and Seema. 

"Lovy, any suggestion?" Rashmi ventured to ask.

"Oh, I think we should do a fashion show," she 

said.

"Oh, no, not again. I hate fashion shows. They are 

so artificial. Females parading their bodies. It's not "

Suman stopped suddenly. 

Rashmi was so angry she could have thrown something

at her. Seema, always the peacemaker, said quietly, "I

don't think it is a good idea. Adults don't appreciate it." 

Two of the items decided on were a skit and a

dance. Over the third they still pondered. 

Finally, Gita said, "Lovy, why can't you sing a

song?" 

Lovy looked round and said deliberately, "I'll sing

only if everyone agrees." Suman just nodded. The

others agreed. 

The next day Team Three did better than the other

teams in all the events. Suman took an active part in

everything, but hardly spoke. 

In the evening, the girls practised for their cultural

events. The skit was quite successful. Ritu devised a

dance number in which the others had to do simple

steps. Gita kept asking Lovy what song she was

planning to sing, but she refused to oblige. She disappeared

to some quiet corner to practise.

The most enjoyable was the Poster Event. Each

team was given a topic and was required to produce a

poster on it. 

"The World of Nature" was Team Three's topic, for

which Rashmi provided her collection of birds feathers.

The collage, with trees, flowers and birds, was judged

the best. 

Came the cultural programme. The items presented

were mostly songs and skits. Team Three's skit went off

very well. Gita was a gifted comedian and had the

whole group in splits. 

And now the last event. Lovy came on stage with

her guitar. Her clear voice filled the air. 

"There's beauty in the sunset,

There's beauty in the dawn,

One makes you think of what has been,

The other leads you on.

So while you enjoy these precious hours,

Let no regrets cloud your mind,

There's still the future, bright with hope,

And many a rainbow yet to find." 

As the last strains faded, there was silence followed

by loud applause. 

Mr. Sen was judging the events. He stood up and

said, "Well, I have rarely enjoyed an evening so much.

1 congratulate all of you on your performances.

About the last item, I would like to know who wrote

that beautiful verse." 

Everyone looked at Lovy. Only Rashmi, who had

recognised the poem, looked at Suman. Shock was

writ large on her face. 

Lovy was patently uncomfortable, but managed to

say, "I did not seek the permission of the person who

wrote the verse. I cannot tell you her name." 

Mr. Sen was quite surprised. But he was not to be

fobbed off so easily. "It was the best item. So I would

request the author to come forward. Of course, it was

wrong not to have sought her permission. Would she

please come forward and share tne credit? For, in any

song the words, the music and the singing are equally

important." 

Rashmi nudged Suman and practically pushed her

towards where Mr. Sen was standing. He congratulated

her warmly, saying, "You should not hide your talents

like this." 

Lovy too came up to Suman. She was looking

rather embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Suman," she stammer ed.

 "I read that poem that day. You know I've only to

read a thing like this once to get it by heart. I... I felt

it would make a beautiful song, but I felt too that if I

asked you, you wouldn't have allowed me. Would

you?" 

Suman knew Lovy was right.

"It doesn't matter," she replied and, looking 

straight at Lovy, smiled. Lovy smiled back.