After the morning assembly, we came back to the class. Joymala-mam, our class teacher, took the first period today. She was teaching about Napoleon’s annexation of West Germany. I didn’t notice, but Ishika has made it back from the clubroom. She was sitting beside another girl. Girls rarely sit triples, let alone quadruples.

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“THANK YOU, MAM!!” Everyone thanked her in unison after she left the class.

“Hey, Ahan,” Koustav said, tapping lightly on my shoulder.

“What?”

“It’s Tarak’s period now.”

“Hmph.”

“Are you scared?” Anirban asked.

“Not enough to phase out.”

“Good.”

“GOOD AFTERNOON SIR!!!”

“Thank you. Sit down. Trigonometry, exercise 12, question 10.”

Tarak sir came in and just like always, didn’t waste a moment. 

“Psst, Anirban, you think he’s gonna cause a scene in class?” Koustav whispered.

“I don’t know, he feels calm to me. Maybe he is in a good mood.”

“Hey, you two, don’t talk in his class. I will be in trouble if we get caught,” I whispered to them.

“Last second row, near the window. Get up. Out of the class! OUT! QUICK!!”

“...”

Koustav didn’t utter a word and simply walked outside. He knew arguing with him was pointless.

“Man, my legs hurt a lot,” he said before heading out. The entire class erupted with laughter.

“SILENCE!! SILENCE!!”

The class went back to their books immediately. Man, this dumb Koustav. Making my life harder.

Throughout the entire period, I had my heart beating fast. Every moment, I felt like it was this is it, Tarak sir is going to call me out now. I could not concentrate in class. In fact, I didn’t even take any notes.

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TRING TRING TRING

At last, the period ended. Nothing has happened so far.

“Questions 5 to 12 are your homework. That’s enough for today. Have your lunch,” Tarak sir said before grabbing his book in his armpit and going out of the class.

“What did you bring for lunch, Ahan?” Anirban questioned.

“I-I had breakfast.”

“Again?”

“...”

I remained silent to his question. Mom has a job and could not prepare a separate lunch for me. So I usually keep myself alive on the breakfast I eat before coming to school.

“You know what, Ahan? Koustav had an idea that this would happen.”

“So he voluntarily went outside?”

“Yeah. Wait a little more. He’ll be back anytime now.”

“AYYO! AHAN, BOKA!” Koustav said as he entered the classroom. He held a large parcel wrapped in newspaper in his hands. It was the size of a football. As he came closer to us, the parcel emitted a warm, aromatic scent.

“Whoah! Man, that’s too much for three. You don’t know how to restrain, do you?” Anirban stood up.

“Bro, my bro Ahan has come to school finally. It asks for a feast.”

“What have you brought?”

“Come on, Ahan. Don’t act ignorant. You love Singhara, right? You could tell them even from their scent,” he said while opening the packet. It had some 10 Singahara.

“I also love my healthy body.”

“Show us a little thanks, bro. Do you know how difficult it is to get even one of these in the canteen? I had to line up half an hour before recess to purchase these many.”

“Well, thanks for them,” I said in a minimised tone before picking one of the Singhara. It was still warm. I took a bite from the top part. Wow, it’s so munchy. Haven’t had a Singhara this good in ages. Man, the filling is so nice. It was spicy but at the same time refreshing. The canteen aunty has magic in her hands.

“Look at his smile, bro, as he eats it.”

“You look like a princess, Ahan.”

They each took a piece and started laughing. I joined them and had the first laugh in a while. They are idiots. Koustav is dumb, Anirban is no better. They all tease me a lot, I also tease them a lot. They always create havoc in class and oftentimes drag me in as well. They are loud, arrogant and nonchalant. They have really bad grades. Koustav failed two subjects last year. Failed supplementary too, and somehow managed in super-supplementary. Anirban barely passed in Maths. They act too cool for some idiots. But it’s okay. They are the people who care about me the most. I trust them. They are the people I could call, friends.

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“Hey, I need to pee. Anirban, come with me,” Koustav stood up and held his crotch.

“What are you, some 5 years old?” I asked him.

“Hey, bro, you don’t need to come. I just need one person to come with me. Anirban, take the Singhara in your hand and come,” he said before holding Anirban’s left hand and dragging him in.

“Hey, hey! Don’t drag me like an animal.”

“...”

And they both disappeared from my vision. I ate the final piece of Singhara and crumbled the packaging into a ball. I got up and started walking towards the dustbin placed outside the classroom.

“Okay, I am done for today,” I said, throwing the packaging in the dustbin.

“Hey now, Mr. India. Having fun all by yourself?”

“...”

“Ignoring me?! How rude. Oh, Hohoho,” she said, covering her mouth with her right hand.

“I am busy digesting my food. Talk to me tomorrow morning,” I waved at her and tried walking away.

“Aww, I am having a sudden craving for some spicy chips. I wish I could walk to the canteen and get one, but too bad, I need to save my legs for the dance practice. Oh boy, what should I do?”

“Why are you whining in front of me. Ask one of your girlfriends.”

“They are all busy spending time with their boyfriends.”

“Then you must be a loner.”

“Hey now, don’t call me a loner. You are being rude. Respect a girl’s virginity. Besides, you are a loner first.”

“Okay, I need to go. I do wish someone, a prince on his pegasus, comes with a bag of chips for you.”

“Even you are fine too.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Second instalment! Get me a bag of chips. Extra spicy. Get a bottle of cola as well,” she said, waving a 500-rupee note at me.

“What?!”

“You make me sick. Just do what I asked for already,” she said, squinting her eyes and waving the note furiously.

“This is unfair, it’s totally unfair!”

She smiled at that but didn’t say anything more. My god, what was I thinking back then? I have now become the pet slave of a rich brat.

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“Here, your chips and the cola,” I said, handing her the items she demanded.

It took me 10 minutes to walk to the canteen. It was situated on the other side of the school building. I had to traverse across the entire school, twice, to get these.

“Change?”

“Here, four hundred twenty.”

TEAR CRUNCH MUNCH

“Oooh! Too spicy!”

“...”

I don’t get it. What’s the point in eating spicy chips when you cannot handle the spice?

“Oh. I will be heading to the club now. Mishti-Di asked to come again after recess. Third instalment, fetch my bag to the clubroom.”

“What?! Your bag is too heavy for me. What did you even bring in it?”

“Hey now, you are a man, act like one. Toughen up and carry it to the clubroom. I will be there waiting.”

She waved at me and went off sipping her cola. Why could she not carry it herself? She is going to the same place. ARGH!

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“Hey, get your bag,” I said, standing in front of the clubroom’s gate.

“Place it on the table near the door, and come over here.”

I placed her bag of bricks on the table and went towards her. The clubroom is of the same dimensions as all our classrooms. It just has no desks and chairs. The dance clubroom has a wooden floor, unlike the tiled floors in our classroom. Ishika was standing near the window in the far back corner, still sipping her cola.

“What now?”

SLURP SLURP

“Ah, cola and chips are the best. Fourth instalment, throw this bottle and this wrapper in the bin. There are no bins here on the second floor. Climb downstairs to the ground floor. There is one near the pantry section.”

“At least be a little considerate and provide me some time between each instalment.”

She handed me the waste and went off to the washroom to clean her hands, leaving me alone in the clubroom.

“And oh, drop them in the right bins,” she said before heading out of the clubroom.

I should head out too. 

“Oh, Asshi. What are you doing in the clubroom? Did you come to check on Ishhi?”

As I was heading out, a familiar voice blocked the door.

“Good afternoon, Mishti-Di. I was just carrying her bag to the clubroom.”

“Oh, you two study in the same class. Right, right. I must have forgotten hehe.”

“Yeah, we are classmates.”

“You have classes next right? Sorry for taking your time.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said, bowing down to her.

“Bye-bye!” she said, waving at me with a smile.

 

I just waved back at her and went downstairs. I threw the wrapper and the empty can in their respective bins. Waste management has been very strict lately.

“Ah, what a tumultuous day it has been.”

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KNOCK KNOCK

“Who is it?” A voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

“Tarak sir, Ahan.”

Classes were over for today. Koustav and Anirban headed home already. I just had one more errand before going back. Koustav gave me a big thumbs up after I told him I’m going to meet Tarak sir. 

“Come in.”

I opened the door to his cabin and greeted him with a light bow. He was reading a book in his hands. It read “Calculus ahead”. Must be a mathematics book. I can’t picture him reading novels.

“Why would you give me this?” I questioned him placing a brown envelope on his desk.

“...”

He kept his book aside and stiffened his posture.

“Why would you give me an empty envelope?”