86. Student Voice-I

After the computer class, I asked Jai Harini to help me bring my bag to the study room. She happily agreed and left with my things while I stayed back with Nishanth to discuss our next steps with the computer, sir.

Once the classroom was cleared out and the lab was almost empty, we approached him.

"Sir, are you free for ten minutes?" I asked, hoping he wasn't already rushing to his next duty.

"Sure," he said, adjusting his chair. "Tell me what progress you've made."

Nishanth took the lead. "Sir, we're planning to make an official announcement about Student Voice in tomorrow's assembly. And we want to post a few posters on the notice boards."

I added, "We've already made the poster. I emailed it to you just now. I'm waiting for your approval so we can print it and paste it in the common notice boards on all floors."

Sir gave us a half-serious look. "You made it in computer class? Weren't you supposed to focus on the lesson?"

I was quick to clarify. "Sir, I completed today's class task first. Once I was done, I used the remaining time to finish this poster. I already know most of this year's syllabus, so I'm able to finish the lessons faster than the others."

Nishanth grinned. "I didn't make the poster—this is all her work."

Computer sir nodded, visibly impressed despite trying to keep a straight face. "Actually, announcing it tomorrow is a smart move. Students will be leaving for the weekend tomorrow evening, so if anyone is interested in contributing, they can go home and start writing immediately. It'll be easier for them to email you their submissions instead of waiting for permissions."

I blinked. "Oh right! I totally forgot that we get our weekend outpass tomorrow."

That changed our schedule.

"Then we need to make a few adjustments," I said quickly. "Sir, can you help us get permission for tomorrow's assembly announcement?"

"And," Nishanth added, "can we also come to the lab during study time today? We need to create a new email ID for Student Voice, and finish a few formatting tasks before the announcement."

Sir reached into his drawer and pulled out some papers. "Write a permission letter. I'll sign it now. And yes, I'll also take care of getting permission from the assembly coordinator."

I grinned. Things were moving faster than expected.

Nishanth and I sat down at the corner table near the door and started writing the permission letter together. My handwriting looked so serious, you'd think I was applying for a passport. I wrote:

Subject: Permission Request for Assembly Announcement and Computer Lab Access

Respected Sir,

We kindly request your permission to make an official announcement about our student-led magazine "Student Voice" during tomorrow's morning assembly. Additionally, we request access to the computer lab today during study time to create the official magazine email ID and complete a few design tasks. This will help us begin collecting submissions smoothly from interested students.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Nila

And Nishanth wrote the same letter in another paper for him to get access in the study hour.

I handed it over. Sir scanned it once, signed it without hesitation, and gave it back with a small smile. "Good luck. And send me the final print file once you're ready."

We thanked him and walked out of the lab, energized.

"Things are finally falling into place," Nishanth said, holding the signed permission slip like a trophy.

"Yep," I said, matching his pace as we walked back toward the study hall. "Let's make tomorrow count."

After we returned from the computer lab, we had just about 30 minutes left in study time. Since I had already finished most of my pending work yesterday, the only thing left was today's homework. To my surprise, we got only a few math problems—thankfully, no long assignments or last-minute corrections.

I'd already completed my social science classwork notes, except for today's new chapter. I figured I could do that later during the night prep time. So, I focused on math.

Nishanth and I sat down side by side, quickly dividing the problems between us. We solved half each and then swapped notebooks to copy the answers. It wasn't cheating—just teamwork to make the deadline less stressful.

I could sense that the class was watching us. Not directly, but the glances were there. Curious looks, whispered exchanges. But since no one said anything aloud or teased us, we just continued working. The priority now was finishing everything before the bell.

When we were done, I reminded Nishanth, "Hey, recheck with PT sir about the articles we planned to include in the sports column tomorrow."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Swimming team and… the tennis guy?"

"Yes," I said, passing him the article sheets. "The one about the swimming captain and our team head is ready. But for tennis—since we don't have a tennis court or even a coach in school—I'm not sure if we can include it without his input."

"Right, he's a day scholar and plays independently," Nishanth said thoughtfully.

"Exactly. That's why we need confirmation. Pass these to PT sir. If he wants to revise or summarize them, let him. I'll talk to my PT ma'am about the girls' sports side."

"Okay, got it. I'll handle this," he assured, taking the papers and heading toward the staff room.

With that done, I rushed to the dining hall for evening snacks. It was samosa today, and I was hungry enough to eat three of them without guilt. I gulped down a glass of Boost and went straight to change into my sports uniform.

By the time I reached the basketball court, some of the girls had already started warm-up drills. I joined them and began playing. About 15 minutes into our session, I noticed our PT ma'am walking near the court.

I jogged over to her.

"Ma'am," I said, catching my breath, "we're planning to publish the digital pilot issue of Student Voice tomorrow."

She raised her eyebrows, curious. I continued, "The main focus is on the Freshers' Day performances, but in the sports column, we're planning to add four features—two boys, two girls."

"Okay," she said, nodding.

"For the girls' side," I continued, "one article is about our swimming team. The second one is about Dhivya senior—on her horseback riding achievements."

PT ma'am raised an eyebrow at that. "Horseback riding? That's not a school sport."

I smiled. "Yes ma'am, but she's a student here and she competes professionally outside. Even if our school doesn't offer it, her skill deserves recognition. I think featuring her would show support for students who shine beyond the system."

She took the two pages I handed her and read them both silently. After a few minutes, she looked up and smiled.

"Nicely written," she said. "And you're right. Even if it's not under our school's sports curriculum, we should appreciate her achievement. Let the students see what passion and effort can lead to."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, relieved.

"Go ahead and include it," she said. "And good luck for tomorrow's launch."

With her approval, I rejoined the girls on the court, my heart feeling lighter. Tomorrow would be a big day. 

After we reached the study hall, I didn't even wait for a few minutes. Once the evening meditation ended, I walked straight up to the study in-charge—today it was my warden.

"What do you need, Nila?" she asked, glancing up from her register.

"Ma'am, I need to use the computer lab. This is the permission letter," I said, handing it over.

She scanned the paper. "How long are you planning to stay there?"

"The whole two hours, ma'am."

"Do you have permission for the full two hours?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's mentioned below the letter. The computer sir added the time when he signed it."

She gave a short nod. "Alright, you may go. But make sure you're back in the class before we disperse."

"Okay, ma'am," I smiled and quickly made my way to the computer lab.

Nishanth was already there, settled in front of a system. He had even reserved the computer next to him for me.

As soon as I sat down, we dove into work. The coordination came so naturally—it felt like we'd been doing this for years, not just a few weeks.