Page 125 - ENGLISH 10

couple of days ago she told me about her new e-friend. She is 12 and Anuja is
very fond of her. And now she is going to meet her. I warned her about bad
people who fake themselves as teenager, chat with girls like her and seek
opportunities to take advantage of innocent girls. But she doesn’t listen to me.
She thinks I am an old man who is over protective of his daughter, a man who
sees ghosts in every dark corner.
Curriculum Development Centre
“Look, honey. I’m not saying you can’t meet your friend. All I’m saying is let

me come with you. I will not out of the car ¿rst and if I see a girl of 12
waiting, I’ll do some window shopping and you can go and meet her. But if
there is no girl, we will wait for 10 minutes and then come back. OK?”
“This is ridiculous.” She stamped her feet.

“Why? Is it because I’m 60 years old? Or is it because I’ve a big belly? Or
because there are no hair on my head that you’re ashamed of going out with
me?” I tried to joke.
“Oh Dad, you’re impossible.”
“You look like a boy in your new out¿t.” On the way, I commented on her

dress.
“Dad! I think I must tell you something.”

“I’m listening.” CDC
“I’m not a girl... I mean I’m not a girl for the girl... I mean the friend I am going
to meet.”
“You lost me.”
“Sorry. What I want to tell you is that I chatted with her as a boy.”
“You mean you pretended to be a boy to this girl?” I stared at her and the car
swerved a little which I controlled.
“Yes, she knows me as a boy.”

“God!” I tried to digest this new information.
When we reached the place I got out of the car and walked around. There
was no girl in sight. Some hundred meters away, a car with dark windows was
parked on the other side of the road. On the nearby playground, some boys
were playing cricket and a couple of cows were munching dried hay. I looked at
my watch and started pacing up and down the road. I looked at the car and started
walking again. The car started and sped away. I again consulted my watch. Ten
minutes up: no sign of any girl. I walked to my car, got into it and said. “You
see, I was right. There is no one here. The girl you chatted on the internet must
have been a fake.”

120 ENGLISH, Class 10