For children: A super-secret club of book lovers sneaks ‘banned’ books into their school library

If everything went to plan, this would be book number six. Book number six that we would successfully sneak into our school library.

My heart thumped. “All set?” I whispered to Twisha.

She smiled and tilted her head.

Of course she was all set. She was Twisha Tandon. Cool, collected Twisha Tandon. I was the bundle of nerves.

“Positions, everyone,” whispered the third one in our gang, Saumya Rao. Our fourth member, Yuvi Rathi, took her place at the rear entrance to the library. I was stationed at the main one.

Saumya quickly sneaked into the library, unnoticed by our librarian, Mrs Zaveri. In the blink of an eye, she was standing like a sentinel behind the non-fiction shelf.

Our positions had been defined with military precision. Yuvi, at the rear entrance, was to make sure she stayed out of sight until Mrs Zaveri exited the library. Saumya’s vantage point allowed her to watch both Twisha and me. Standing at the main entrance, I had the best view and could see everything and everybody. Of course, that also meant that unless I was quick, Mrs Zaveri would spot me lurking there the moment she reentered the library.

Yuvi was too excitable and I too nervous to do anything but keep watch. So, Saumya was our timekeeper. Twisha, who looked and behaved like a model schoolchild, was the one who actually completed each mission.

In a minute, Mrs Zaveri packed away her lunchbox and got up to go to the washroom. Instantly, Yuvi slipped behind a pillar. As Mrs Zaveri left, Twisha smiled and strolled past me into the library, her lunch bag in her hand.

I held my breath. I watched Saumya, who looked up from her watch and nodded to Twisha.

A movement made me jump. I frowned.

Twisha looked at me and raised her eyebrows. I shrugged. I couldn’t see anyone, not even a shadow.

Yuvi, back in full view at the rear entrance, was a cat on hot bricks. She would listen for the bolt of the washroom door and signal to us that Mrs Z was done.