TO MY CLASS

A small cluster of less than 20 guys and more than 20 girls, the
inspiration for this effort of fiction, know how much I love them all.
Though, I have to thank them in this special way.

After all, I’ve to thank the profound back

drop engaged.

My Alma mater,
Rosemary.

And the two cities I’ve lived and loved,

Tirunelveli, Chennai.
”Breaking up means there is someone living
remembering you, forever”.
 January 13th, 2010, Chennai

I strolled towards my home not solitarily, darkness accompanied.

Srinitha had become an inevitable phenomenon for me. But, how did I
dare to lose her. That nice old man was apparent. She’s made a
transformation in my life and has given a new lease of life for me. Silence
and Srinitha filled me till my brim.
I’d walked through that road for billon times to reach my home but
that day I didn’t feel the same. I reached my home. It was locked. I found
the key over the threshold and opened the door. I undid the cuff buttons
and removed the belt and threw somewhere. I heard my W 850 i ringing
over the shelf. I folded my cuff and pulled it till my biceps and slid opened
the phone. It was Choppy.

‘Hey, congrats, just now Prasath called me.’

‘Oh, thank you, Choppy. This would never have happened without you.’ I
said with heartfelt gratitude.
‘I’m towards home. I’d call you later. Are you coming home?’
‘I don’t know,’
‘Okay, see you,’
He ended the call too soon as he was traveling.

I plugged my phone in the charger. I needed a bath, though it was

so cold out there. I showered for three silent minutes. I swathed the rancid
towel around my waist. I unplugged the phone and took it to the terrace.
The cool breeze along the mist dabbed my head. My hands were still wet. I
dialed Blessing’s number. I heard a caller tune.
‘Blessing, this is Rajkamal.’ I said in a baritone.
‘Yeah, tell me. Where are you?’
‘I need to see Srinitha.’
‘What,’ he said in dismay or shock. I didn’t know. ‘Now, have you gone
nuts?’
‘Kind of,’ I nodded. ‘I want to see her,’ I paused. ‘I want her back.’
‘Rajkamal,’ he said in a falsetto. ‘I don’t know if you remember. Get-
together-huh- the get together of Class A1. We are gonna meet tomorrow.
But you said that you would never come for any get-togethers.’
‘Tomorrow,’ I startled and tousled my hair.
‘Yeah, tomorrow, evening four, at the Science Park,’
‘Is Srinitha coming?’
‘Yeah,’
‘Blessing, did she ask anything?’
‘She asked about you.’
‘What did you say?’
‘I said that you aren’t coming.’
‘My goodness,’ I said myself. ‘Blessing,’ I suspended. ‘I’m coming. I’ll be
there at Tirunelveli tomorrow evening.’
‘Are you in Chennai?’
‘Yes.’
‘It is nearly midnight.’
‘Who cares,’ I ran down the stairs. ‘Meet you tomorrow in Tirunelveli.’
I slid back my phone. I opened my travel bag and crammed the
dresses. I wore the Kurta, which she liked and a blue jeans. I locked the
home and kept the key at the threshold back. Koyambed, I said my self. I
could get a bus to Tirunelveli there, I determined. Remember, the next
day was Pongal. I had to reach Tirunelveli, desperately.

Yeah, for a girl, Srinitha, with whom I’d broken up for three times.
Though, I didn’t count how many times I fell in love for her.
 Chapter 1

THE CLASS ‘A1’

It was quarter past eight in the morning when the roads of my cute
little city, Tirunelveli, was usually little hectic on 10th June 2004. I was
pedaling through the road that took me to my new Alma mater, Rosemary.
Rosemary is the dream of many parents, who fantasized their kids
to hold a title, the state-rank-holder, irrespective of their ward’s capability.

Till my tenth standard, I had been in a single institution. St.francis

Xavier. Albeit, it was my Mom’s wish to get me into Rosemary for my high
schooling and I too had the inclination to get into a neo-ambience.
Everything looked exquisite for me, from the school road to the busy
autos, with chock-a-blocked school children, with four schools on the
stride. Rosemary is situated at the end of the school road.

I parked my cycle in the parking annexe situated at few distance

from the school. I had to take a very short walk through the school road
with my brand new uniform. I swaggered into a two-stacked brown-coated
edifice, as if I were intended to enhance its glow with my 73 kilograms of
weight, with my crimson smile and brownish skin tone. I gaited amidst a
lot of big-headed guys and girls. Everyone in Rosemary is big-headed, I
reckoned. One of those big-heads guided me to ensure the class by
verifying the list that had been glued to doorway of each class. I took an
instant quest. At last, I found my name scraped in a v-junction class in the
first floor. It was the class A1, Biology group, where pupils who
managed 88 to 90 percent in their 10th public exam were put together.
 Udayar nambi @ raj kamal.G, the 19th name in the row. I under
went a contented touch in that railway chart sort of roll which was glued
on the entrance. Again, the crimson smile, when I read my name.
To say the truth, I didn’t deserve my domain in Rosemary. The 89
percent, which I swept in my 10th public exam was because of Tamil and
English. Every big-headed Rosemarian scored in science and Maths, which
were the night-mare subjects of mine. I had the cognizance about two
things then.

1) I had been lucky to be in Rosemary.

2) Rosemary was untoward that it had me.

‘Excuse me,’ said a big-head to my ears from the back when I was still
seeing my name in the roll.

Without turning back, I held my bag properly and moved on to peer

at my half-filled high-school class. My eyes skimmed through all those
unknown eyes there and watched the step ahead the threshold. My first
step was ecstatic and I gaited in.

‘I’m Rajkamal. And you?’ I started to the guy near me.

‘Kishore, and you must be a new face, right?’ he said, with broad
shoulders and bespectacled.
‘Exactly, from Francis Xavier and they call it FX, I think you know.’
‘Yeah, so, I could welcome you because this is my habitation for years.’

As we were speaking, I saw Mahesh, my lazy-close friend, who

could exceed me in all aspects and especially in weight, entering in. Both
of us were equally excited as we were about to tail down our five year
bond for the next couple of years too, firmly. He was with me in my parent
alma mater. We clasped and sat together till the class got filled to its brim.
We didn’t run out of words but I wanted to form a network there. So, I
turned my attention from Mahesh.
‘Blessing-huh-your name-huh, I hear a name like this for the first time.
Anyways I’m Rajkamal. Are you an old student or…’

I was saying this to a guy who looked vibrant, dark and

bespectacled in rectangular frame to his oval face, passing funny stories
to his nearby. His name was as peculiar as he looked to me that I said so.

‘No, I’m here from my kindergarten days.’ he said, when the class was
almost occupied and girls out numbered boys.

Every one stood up in the next second. It was a teacher and I asked
Blessing, my then acquaintance, about her.

‘This is Surya miss,’

She looked appealingly short and her hair was plaited and locked
expertly. She must be nearing her 30’s with a virtuous dark skin tone, I
determined.

‘I’m your class teacher and tamil teacher too. Please introduce you.’ she
said with an extra added good morning note.
‘She is one of the firmest and most strict teachers in the school.’ said
Blessing, as if she is from a vampire clan.
‘Blessing studied in the same school and 995.’ he introduced to the class,
with a toothy smile that it also replicated from the miss’ face.

If he could have gotten 5 marks more he could be there in E1, where my

sister, went scoring 1024. But destiny loves to play like this by putting a
Rajkamal and a Blessing in the same basket.

‘Blessing, she is smiling at you like that. You are her pet huh?’ I said after
my introduction got over.
‘No, my mom is a teacher too.’ he said.

As we were discussing there came a guy with a bright face hidden

inside a completely unshaved beard, whose name was Suhail, which I
knew later. It was the girls turn now, and I was heedful in listening to it.
Hardly 5 girls looked gorgeous to my eyes, which I told Mahesh.

‘Do you think so?’ laughed Mahesh.

‘Hey, guys, I’m Rashideen,’ started a guy who eavesdropped us. ‘You have
to know a lot about this school. No single guy talks to a girl in this school.
It’s co-ed for name sake and no one maintains a friend ship or anything
similar to that. Even I know most of the girls here but I have never uttered
a word still.’ advised Rashideen.
Blessing added ‘Particularly, Surya miss is specialized in this case, that if
she is gonna see you gazing at a girl accidentally, and she will become a
monster.’
I smiled.

Mahesh noticing it said, ‘I bet you, she’s gonna screw you one day or the
other for sure then.’

I looked at Surya miss keenly to match her character to the

reputation those guys said. She looked not that bad. When I was looking at
her she searched someone from the girls’ row.

‘Girls….. Could any one of you come out and put the timetable in black
board?’

There was a very usual murmuring and mumbling sound you could hear
when there was an order in a mob.

‘Okay Srinitha would you do this for me ma.’ she adjoined like a favor.

I was not so concerned in looking at the girl she called. But, I’m
still wondering about the reflex that turned me back. A girl stood up with
big, round and beautiful eyes, which I saw first. The next thing was the
snigger in her crimson lips. I didn’t know why everything started slow-
moving after that. She took a step out and searched for a chalk in the
chalk box and stepped unto the dais getting a piece of paper from Miss’
hand.
 She was not any angel at my vision or any premonition dream girl of
mine or any of that Cinderella type of fairies jumped out from my fairy tale
books. She didn’t sweep me off my feet or made me fall in love at the very
first sight. Apparently, she was as beautiful as her eyes. Nevertheless, it
fascinated me that I blabbered ‘charming eyes…..Srinitha…., isn’t that
mahesh?’
‘Only God should save you. I would bet safe for even 1000 that you will
run into her badly soon.’
‘Mahesh…. just a comment and this is not gonna be wrong. This won’t
end up with anything bad.’

But ’any thing could end up with anything’’ was what destiny
sang me in a low octave that I couldn’t hear, as I was keenly observing her
every movement. From her black board handwriting to her black color hair
band and her chalk holding style to the glittering skin tone. I also heard
some bell ringing up in my head, before my heart mistook it for any
symptom of falling crazy for her; my brain said ‘The class is over.’ in
unison with Surya miss.

As soon as the Surya Miss left the class I pondered ‘why shouldn’t I
start up with her now?’
‘You are totally crazy.’ said mahesh, which was true.

‘Excuse me,’ intrinsically, I got up. The class sank to silence in less than a
micro-second.
‘Hmmm,’ she turned and puzzled which I read from her eyes that
enlarged.
‘Why do you write just the initial of every subject, you could better write
the whole name in a cross fashion, isn’t that?’

Silence filled the class, only silence.

‘Just a minute, huh, your name,’
‘Srinitha’ she whispered, quivering.
‘Hahn, Srinitha, wait a second,’
 I suddenly jumped out of my bench and strolled towards the dais.
Silence extended. I went unto her waist-space. She stepped back. I took
the chalk from her hand and smiled. She was too shocked to smile. I
straight away gazed her eyes and I forgot the spelling of Physics, which I
wanted to write. Somehow I turned to the board and remembered it and
wrote it in a cross fashion.

‘Srinitha,’ I looked not at her lethal eyes. ‘Why don’t write like this?’ I
gawked at her lips.

I went there only to see her closely. There she stood stunningly that,
if Da Vinci could’ve seen her he would have ended up with an elegant
painting and if Wordsworth could’ve seen her he would have rhymed a
world-class poem. But, it was a hoodoo that she fell in my eyes. At last,
she dampened her lips. I enjoyed it.

‘Miss,’ she started, sorry, stuttered. ‘Miss ordered me like this.’ she said in
that very husky tone.
I knew that she was waiting for some reply from me.
I just terminated it as ‘Okay, carry on.’

I descended the dais. After taking a couple of steps, I about-looked

her and threw the chalk back to her. She caught both the chalk and me,
perfectly. I again thought that destiny loves playing by putting a Srinitha
and a Rajkamal in the same basket.

Mahesh said ‘I would bet for anything now.’ with a small smile plundering
the face.
‘Just like that, Mahesh.’ I perched, which I say very often.
‘You will be screwed for sure, if any one gets to see you. Try to keep a low
profile.’ said Blessing as like some instant warning.
Rashideen gave an agreeing nod.
Srinitha finished off her work and settled back to her seat and I took a
glimpse.
 When the second period started, I was not looking at Srinitha but I
was envisaging her eyes and her crimson smile. And Blessing was busy
chatting with a front bench guy, who wore a genius like glasses and a
clumsy hairstyle whose name was Deepak. I was least bothered about it as
my head reflexively turned to see Srinitha, which was just a 10 degree
inclination to my eyes. She was speaking with the girl near-by with a
smile.

The bell rang and the teacher went out after a very long boring
lecture of some interesting stuffs. Srinitha got out of the class with some
girl. I rested my cheek over my right palm and ogled at her. She walked
near unto the steps and turned back to clash her sight with mine. My eyes
enlightened and my legs suddenly took a step out. I really don’t like to
follow a girl until she turns to look at me. I sprinted out. I was near the
steps to look at her and heard the name Nambi from somewhere else.
Who else could know this name of mine, except my sister, I determined.

My sister is just four months elder than me. Elaborating our relation,
she’s my mom’s niece. She was the root cause for my inclusion into
Rosemary. She had been there in Rosemary since her 8th standard. Simply,
one of the big headed Rosemarians. She preached me a lot before even I
filled my application form, mostly about the “don’ts at Rosemary”. I hardly
remembered them. She was then in the class E1, the biggest and the
deferential address for any standard-twelve student of the state.

Back to the scene, I reacted badly as she called with one of my first
names, Nambi. I asked her to put it as Rajkamal. I informed her about my
class. She gave some information about the class and teachers, as usually.
Her class room, the E1, was located just one class room after mine.

I checked out of that place and took a look at the toilet in the base.
The worst maintained toilet in the city’s best school, some open type and
some badly compartmented. Girls’ toilet was a bit closer to the boys’
toilet. A lot of cycles were parked near the toilet. Those were the girls’
cycles. The management separated the cycle stand even to distant the
relation amidst boys and girls.
 Arun kishore stood in the next cubicle, who then took me to the
canteen inside the campus at the other dead end. It’s just named canteen
but, it was just a petty shop entirely with some samosas and puffs, which
tasted quiet good with loads of oil in it, for just 2 rupees.

‘There are certain rules here but very few get out of it and they were
always put into consequences.’ Kishore started, getting two puffs.
‘Actually I don’t get you,’ I said, showing some formal gratitude for the
puffs he gave me.
‘When I studied 10th there was a guy, called Siva, who was a real gut guy
and he would forcefully harangue girls, he brings a knife to class for some
useless feud and etcetera. He was then expelled from the school. There
was also a love story here. At the end, the guy was dismissed from the
school, with a mark of bad in his conduct certificate. He was unable to
attend the board exam through any school. The rules are obstinate here.
So, bend yourself to it and never even try to bend them. Never try any
kind of experiment stuffs too. Because this is Rosemary.’ he said, striding
out of the canteen.
‘Kishore, I did that just like that and it had no intention.’ I said,
accompanying him to the class.

I recapped what kishore said and the class was going on with one
more introduction session, to a good heighten teacher with always an
echo-sounded smile done up on her face with a small hanky clutched and
wrinkled hardly in her hand. After the words of kishore stopped bouncing
back, I took in that she was the teacher of that one horrific and night mare
subject, MATHEMATICS and her name is MERCY. [WHAT AN IRRELEVANT
COMBINATION?]

It’s natural that I hated that subject like every non-Rosemarian, and
I detested the teacher as she echo-laughed at her own jokes, with her
hanky sealing her mouth.
‘What is math?’ she asked.
 Before she herself could answer any rubbish, there came a lady
with a short cut hair locked into one clip and a very fair skin tone and said:

‘Miss, your class A2 (a class of pupils above the mark 960) is not sufficient
and some body had to be sent to any other class.’
Mercy miss baffled for a second and said ‘Ask some one to come to this
class. I will say-so to Surya miss, the class teacher.’
‘How many students to send and whom to send?’ confused.

Mahesh said, ‘CT is there. Rajkamal, tell the teacher to call him upon.
There would be lots of fun for us, if he joins us.’ electrified.
‘What’s that CT?’ placed blessing in a confused note.
‘CT is a guy’s name. Chidambaram muthuraman’s short form is CT muthu
and we call him CT and the humorist of our school and it would be fun and
frolic if he’s gonna come here.’ said mahesh

‘Miss, CT,’ I raised my hand. CT. Muthuraman and also Nagarajesh from
my school FX will do come here.’ I screamed at my high octave.

Every one took a great hype to steal a look at that one guy.
Especially, Blessing was pushed away to see him with that great build-up
that Mahesh gave.
‘Is he your close friend?’ asked blessing, with his eyebrows out of that
rectangular frame.
‘Ya, my fair weather good friend,’ I said, shrugging my shoulders.
‘There they are,’ shouted Mahesh, and smeared my new shirt.

Those two guys came there as if they were coming from a refugee
camp, with their double roped bag and a wired lunch bag. I waved my
hand towards them. It’s a big opportunity to budge from A2 to A1.

‘Is that black guy…..CT?’ Blessing said, pointing his hands in his course.
‘Absolutely, and that one tall and thin bespectacled guy is Naga
rajesh….simply Naga.’ I said.
I knew that blessing was disappointed with that look of CT, fit for a
model in a fairness cream advertisement “before applying segment”.
‘I’m upset with that build up.’ said Rashideen, combing up his hair for the
third time the day.
‘No, the look doesn’t bother anything with his humor prowess and wait
and watch.’ announced mahesh, with his face full of excitement.
I welcomed him with a relieved smile, without knowing that
fortune has got him there just to make the game more interesting and
horrible in our lives.
‘It’s me, who sent a word for you, my foe.’ I said, catching his collars.
‘Even if you have not sent I would have managed my way.’ laughed CT,
taking some book out of his bag as if he wanna listen the classes.

As soon as she left there came Nimmi miss, the botany teacher,
with her inviting look and she straight away went to the subject I hated,
one step less than Maths. Those diagrams had always frightened me. I
stifled.

When the lunch interval bell rang, we sat for our lunch and had a
smooth chat among us until we heard a sound from the back bench as
‘BABUJI………..BABUJI’ in a very high tone. Suddenly guys took a look at
one of the girls sitting in the right corner.

Soma, explained me with a split open laughter ‘It’s the name of that girl
sitting in the third bench right corner and kishore asked Arun to call by the
name Babuji, as if it’s the name of a guy sitting in the first bench.’
Every one terribly laughed at that and the girl was turning red at that guy,
without knowing the play.
‘Who’s that guy?’ I asked Blessing, who was having his branded toothy
smile.
‘Govaal, Arun govaal, from this school.’ he addressed, in which he
pronounced GOPAL in that weird way.

A humiliated long face with a well drawn eye brows and embarrassed
eyes was a part of last bench not because he was a six-footer. Those last
bench guys, who were then yet to start up with me, hoarded a big smile in
their face.
 After we took some three hours of chat taking the advantage of the
confusion over the classes, name roll and also the time table, there was
Surya miss again for the last period. Then she started counseling us.

‘I think you had a nice time today and I don’t want my class students to be
bad at anything. Discipline is the first thing I need from you and be honest
in all your chores that you will be rewarded by God for sure. For every
good and bad, God will reward you. You are from various schools to this
institution to study. Rosemary will stand by your side and above all there
is God.’ she said, leaning onto the teacher’s table with her hands folded,
placed in the middle of the class.

The bell rang and every one stood up for a prayer. Every one closed
their eyes and choired. I had always been an agnostic because my grand
father who was an atheist and my mother was ultra orthodox. But it was
not the only reason for what I didn’t close my eyes. It was Srinitha’s
crimson lips too. I had less than half-a-minute but I slow-motioned it. I
underwent a coronary blockage seeing her. She was not the first girl I had
been ogling. But, why was that happening, I asked my self. Some
chemistry, I vouched. She is my girl, said my hunch. She was then
crossing the father, son and the Holy Spirit and kissed her fingers and
opened her eyes. I raised my eye-brows and turned back slowly. Then, I
switched off my slow-motion.

I went back to the cycle parking annexe with Rashideen, soma, CT

and mahesh, bidding a valediction to my other acquaintances. I struggled
to take the cycle out of the annexe. There was an exodus at that road
where four schools where there. Perfectly, Palayamkottai was hailed as
the Oxford of tamilnadu, for its quality education. I rode back through the
same path. I had to cross through my old school. Something stuck my
mind, in spite of a feel-good day. It was the thought of my old school
principal and her last words. When I went with my parents to get the
transfer certificate she told me those words.
’Your son is damn mischievous to be handled and if you are gonna get
your ward transferred to some other school, I am sure that he will not
make no bigger grade than what he made here. Take him out of the
school and get out of here. It’s my pleasure.’

Waves of poignancy cross past me.

A DANCE SHOW
Chapter 2

That’s my second day. I got to the cycle stand at 8’o clock sharp.
It’s the fluffy soothing sun beam, out of my eye’s reach with a
manifestation to drizzle out. When clock stroke eight, only ten cycles were
there in the parking lot but added clouds started their feud. Determining
the arrival of rain, I took a hasty walk to the school building, carrying my
bag. There was a surge shower of downpour. Within seconds, I was totally
moped away by rain. The rain water ran all over me and I ran into the
school and then into my class.
Already Blessing was re-arranging the benches and desks, single-
handed.

‘Hey,’ he laughed out loudly. ‘You are too sexy.’

‘Shut up,’ I said taking his towel and dried my hair.

I tousled my hair and waited for Rashideen’s comb. Even though

every thing was obscure I saw Srinitha running towards the threshold. I
was then totally carried away, drenched in that shower of pearls. It’s very
hard looking a girl, in my city, with that blend of splendor and qualified
engineering even after the rain water has swabbed away her makeup (I
don’t know if she could have applied any) with its naughty and beatified
hands. It was true that she was breath taking and breathe ceasing at the
same time. She came running with that set of silver bangles clanging. I
kept my right hand in the cheek and ogled her. I have always tried to
change this one dire habit, though, it’s my idiosyncrasy. I didn’t expect but
she looked at me. I took my hand off my cheek and tried not to gasp. She
stifled to laugh and squinted at me.

‘Hey, Blessing, Srinitha is smiling at me.’

‘She is not smiling. She is laughing. Comb your hair, first.’
‘Oh,’ I idiotically smiled at her back.

For the first hour, swaggered a fat and flabby lady in her middle
thirties, with the talcum powder coated over the entire area of her face to
her body that was left uncovered by her saree.
Some of her teeth tried to leap out but her lips managed to cover it.

‘You could have known me, but I’ll introduce myself’ she raised her eye
brows to the bare forehead, without a Bindhi, but with a small smile,
experience and pride in her face.
‘I’m JACQUELIN your zoology teacher’ she said, turning to the board
and sketching the subject name at the top.
‘Today let us see…….’ She started, which I thought will be boring for sure.
But there was something that kept the class interesting. It was the kind
of same word that she used in between each and every word.
‘WHAT A’
For instance she had to say the sentence ‘The term was introduced in
the year 1952.’
She butchered it as ‘the term what a introduced what a in the year what
a nineteen what a fifty what a two.’
That was a kind of mannerism that she had adapted. The class burst
into a creepy laughter that she tried to keep unnoticed.

As soon as she left the class we laughed out heavily before the next
teacher could enter in. CT who sat in amongst those back-benchers was
trying some hard core comedy that the waves stopped just before Surya
miss got in. Just then Rashideen combed and kept his comb inside his
pocket to give a ‘standing Good morning greet’ to the teacher. She waved
her hands.

‘Let us start with the ‘KADAVUL VALTHU’ Okay ma.’ she said, with her eyes
roving around and confirming that every one brought the book.
‘Yes miss’, every one said in that usual bad chord chorus.

She started the class and I listened carefully, because I liked my

language a lot. In the middle, she questioned about some thing and as
usual a silence prevailed and I thought of raising my hands to make a
mark. Before, I could do that, ‘Fourth-bench-third-girl’ Miss ordered,
cuddling the book.

It was the girl near Srinitha. She rotated her flower-balls in her eyes
taking a good notice of me. I suddenly adjusted my look as if I were seeing
the girl who stood up and massacred my language and pronunciation,
which already hurt my ears.

‘Hey, guys, who is the girl next to Srinitha?’ I asked, showing her with my
eyes.
‘Who knows? She is a new face.’ Blessing said.
‘Don’t say you are falling for her too.’ Mahesh added.
‘I’d never say that. Love happens not when you seem to be attracted to a
person. It has its reasons unknown from ADAM AND EVE to JACK AND
ROSE. Got that, guys?’
‘Do you think it’s a smart explanation?’ asked Blessing.
‘I won’t put it that way, but,’ I ended with some reactions in face.
‘Actually, your explanation is a crap.’ said CT, who stood behind me,
overhearing every thing.

We had the symposium after the class, on love, for the whole day
and there were no conclusions for that. There is no conclusion for love,
that’s the conclusion. And the next day I found that the girl near Srinitha
was ‘Preethi’, which looked as pretty as she looked.
 Fortnight, I got into a well tied rapport between the guys around me.
We went to the ground, outside the campus, for the sports period (the
third period). The ground was named after the great freedom fighter of
those days, Mr. V.O. Chidambaram. The ground was shortly called as
V.O.C. All games and big duels in the city happened there in V.O.C ground.

We guys started knowing each other in the whole over there. There
will be just some 40 minutes for us to play and we had to return by, within
the next period starts.

We play football and I was the Goal keeper. A very fair toned short
guy, who ran along the ball for no use with a flab peeping out and a streak
of the traditional Viboothy half wiped away by the work of his sweat
glands, was in my team. He stood near me as the ball was in the other half
of the ground and he was just above four and a half from the ground.
‘What’s your name?’ I started, keeping my hands in the hip.
‘Swami Nathan, from this same school.’ he added, with a pride sort of
look.

The game will be undone almost all the times and we would reach
the class and Nimmi miss handles the fourth exhausted period always. The
girls had a separate nearby inside-the-campus ground. We used to drink
water for nearly half the Botany period and get relaxed in that period.
Each and every time Nimmi miss wanted somebody to read the
theory from the book after she explains with her energetic voice. I read it
in 90% of the classes.

I also used to narrate some stories in the classes during free

periods and afternoon periods.
As days passed by the last two benches were walking tall in the
class and it’s not only that CT donned the humorist role, but also Suhail
and Blessing did their best part in parting out a flavor to the class.
 I didn’t get used to the weird Rosemary style of learning
subjects. There had been daily tests in the subjects and it will be added to
the monthly report card. If you are gonna follow that technique sincerely
then it’s sure that you will come out with flying colors.

As per the say, I begun it well in the tests, but even after
crossing the full way, it had been half done. I started being screwed by the
exams. We started enjoying the classes, but I was yet to start up with any
girl, which only means Srinitha, even after the end of the third week. I
didn’t flunk in the exams and that’s how I felt the bliss.

It was one fine day that gave a small budge to all those out-of-
ordinary episodes in my class. It was the English class, which I liked the
most of all, after the Tamil.

It was the classes of DEEPA miss, a temperate lady with a short cut
hair and a well matured voice. One rare character you could see. She
changes her character from second to second. But I really had a good
rapport with her. She was teaching something and there came a horde of
unknown teachers and they took the permission of Deepa miss,
whispering something in her ear.

One of those teachers penetrated into our aisle.

‘Is there any body ready to dance in the exhibition held in the city next
week?’
She adjusted her glasses to be in place. As usual, every one started
shouting the others name. Many names flew in the air and the teachers
started catching the bearers of those names.

‘Miss, Udayar could dance well. Take him. He could even walk like
dancing.’ said CT, pointing his index finger towards me.
 I didn’t show up any signs of denial as I had danced and wanted to
dance.

In a minute I was walking behind her. There were four other guys
who accompanied me from my class. Kishore and Swami Nathan were the
two known faces for me.
I had seen those other two guys in class but I haven’t minded for a talk
with them then.
I got introduced to them and they were Siva Kumar and Udhaya, both
from a different school.
‘I haven’t danced anywhere till date and I’m gonna kill that Arun. He said
my name.’ cried swami, biting his nails never-minding.
‘I have been in some programs in my school and performed some and I
wanted to come.’ said Shiva, in his very mellow voice and dull eyes but a
fair skin tone.
‘Me too.’ joined Udhaya, gaiting in a very straight manner, as his five foot
and nine demanded so.
Udhaya and Shiva had danced in some programs and they already
had an appealing look for dancing. While kishore had only the later
quality, I had only the former quality. Swami Nathan was deficient of both.
Some, other class guys also enclosed the team and we were nearly
twelve.

‘This program will be held in the City Exhibition and you guys have only
some 3 days time. Choreograph yourselves and try to give an awesome
performance from Rosemary.’ she encouraged us, showing an empty
classroom for our practice.

It took nearly a day for us to select the kind of songs and it took one
more day to place it as a fusion. There was one more day left for us to
practice and perform. We had to do something to make it.

Each and every one choreographed the song. The performance was
for 12 whole minutes that, even professional dancers would not dare, and
we dared. We chose the costume to be Black&white.
 It was the day of the program and we were sincerely practicing.
Swami Nathan with his cute little flab could not move his hips out or give
the punch in his steps, but he stood uselessly in the first row. Even though
he is worthless for a dance he could speak uselessly high in a mob. We
went in the college bus to reach the place. There also came a group of
girls for dance, but not even one from my class, and also some secondary
class students to perform a skit.

It was nearly half past seven in the evening, when they called out
our name and we went in the stage after a prayer, which was pointless for
me. There was a big crowd. It was almost 10% population of our city. The
spot lights clearly enhanced our presence. We had to dance.

We started our performance. One rotten fruit may annihilate the

whole basket and there were many among the twelve. Swaminathan was
one among them which he refused. Co-ordination, the very precedent
thing in a dance was missing due to those guys. It was totally a sucking
dance performance.

‘Very good, nice performance guys.’ exclaimed one of those teachers who
just knew the spelling of dance.
‘Thank you.’ we accosted in unison.

It was no less than a second that the teachers called me and said,
‘You have to say something about the whole performance of our school
before we leave. Okay.’
‘It’s my pleasure.’ I pompously said.

The last one to perform from our school was for the song ‘Apdi podu’,
by the girls. They simply rocked the show and they were all from a
different class and section. As already promised I spoke about the
performance of our school to the mob and we left.
 The next day I went to the class before eight fifteen and saw the guys
sticking to their books for some test that is to be held that day. I was least
interested in that and I took an instant look at the girls sitting aside. It
contained enough numbers that I liked to start up with.

‘Did you guys come for our performance?’ I asked the boys, seated flying
apart.
That was in vain. No body answered or even noticed my question.
Kishore was there and he said, ‘Leave these silly guys ya,’
In that moment I gained my energy, reason, and silence to put a
question to the girls. I turned in the track of the girls and placed the
question.

‘Excuse me Girls, did any one come for our performance?’ I peeped into
the eyes of Srinitha and gave an elastic roam to the other faces too.
Within that given second, I could take an official look at them and I used
that. I always wanted to note the perfect and lethal body engineering of
Prenitha sitting behind Srinitha. She was the one who gave a good smiling
look with that rosy lip and a silky straight hair. Preethi was missing then.

‘No, we didn’t.’ Prenitha answered, nodding her small head, with a smile
and introverted shyness encompassed. I could tell you, not every girl
could drive you round the bend like that.
‘Oh, my goodness, not even one girl from this class,’ I went nigher.

Prenitha’s perfume wildly seduced me, the second I neared her.

‘I saw.’ answered a girl next to Prenitha, with a very gentle voice.

‘Wasn’t that good?’ I intrigued.
‘The song selection was good and the first two songs did well, but that was
a little bit clumsy towards the end.’ she said.
‘Oh, okay. Thank you for your comment. It’s my pleasure.’ I gave it back
and turned back to my side, thinking of Srinitha’s silence and Prenitha’s
smirking lips. I then noticed Mahesh, who should have watched every
thing.
‘Harrey, I was waiting for you.’ I said as if I were not excited.
‘Hey, Hey, I know about your waiting stuffs. Don’t try to fool around.’ said
Mahesh.
It’s no time that CT came near me.
‘Hey, CT I think you came to my show and did you enjoyed that?’ I asked,
placing hands on his shoulders.
‘Ya, Ya, I came there. I saw your performance too. The best Exercise I had
ever seen in my life and it was hell that I came there with my brother. He
teased me to death, for bringing him, and you guys sucked.’
I tried to control his voice and language, which went in vain. Then I
rewound the level of our dance and kept mum.
After few minutes Blessing entered the class with his tread mill style walk
and sat next to me.
‘What have you done?’ he said, with his face giving a bizarre look at me.
‘Why?’
‘Yesterday that teacher who took the in charge of your program rang up to
my mom for some other reason and she also said something about you.’
‘What’s that I did?’
‘Did she ask you to say something on the mic and on stage?’
‘Yeah,’
‘What did you say on stage? Could you please repeat it back?’
‘Ladies and gentleman, Boys and girls, Make some noise. And that was a
typical Rosemary performance. These girls rocked tonight and it’s
universal that girls rock at night. Please put your hands together for them.
Thank you, thank you for the applause. This is Rajkamal signing off.’

‘What the hell, I thought exactly that you could have done something like
this. You have started it and that teacher is a friend of Surya miss too. You
are sure to be screwed up in classes here after.’ he screamed at me.

As soon as he finished, Surya miss entered the class and she straight
away looked me like the galaxy’s worst creature, and I realized the truth in
Blessing’s terminology.

‘Keep a low profile at least now.’ he whispered.

 She took the attendance and she noticed me well that I looked like a
Rogue in her eyes.
‘Ma,’ she started. ‘Do maintain the discipline and respect every where.
Mind your words too. You have to be good at heart first, studies or any
other activities fall next. Be careful.’ she terminated as a mob speech, but
it was especially for me.

She also warned Blessing that day.

‘Blessing Ma, don’t sit near Rajkamal,’

The words re-sounded in my ears ‘Be careful’. Nearly a month was

over in my new school life and I made a bad mark in my studies,
character, and also in that so called extra-curricular activities.

But I was happy roaming through the roads to cinema halls or the
hotels with Parottas and butter chicken. I almost forgot that I have to
study seriously. The report cards were out there with my low grades and I
was not bothered then too. All I could blame (except for I) was that Dance
show.
THE CRACK OF DAWN
Chapter 3

Early in the second month of my inclusion into Rosemary, the

system was totally horrific for me and there prevailed a bad trademark on
me and also Blessing who sat near me. It’s not that I was the aggregate
reason for tagging a bad name for him. He too kept the pace with to attain
that renowned status. I was not so sad for being with a notorious image.
Mahesh was on the other extreme and if at all I’m not writing this, it’s
simple that there would be nothing for others to tell about him.

A week later that dance show, my inner urge always alarmed me ‘If
not now not for ever.’ But the days were still longing and they were long
too. I always had some fascination or magnetism kind of attraction
towards her. Back home, they call it as “the Rajkamal Syndrome”

As soon as I parked my cycle that day, I went into the campus with
my hunch telling something in an undecipherable language. Srinitha was
strolling a certain distance before me. I had a pang and a smile. But what
if somebody is there in class, I thought. I swabbed the dots of sweat in my
forehead and waited for her to go in. I went after few minutes and she was
sitting singly and saw my face. A smile beamed around my face imagining
that the dawn cracked down to make it over her today. As soon as she
unbolted her lips to give it back, I felt the blood forcing into my heart. That
must be the work of adrenalin.

Keeping reactions under good command is so important, I thought,

when I found two things in disorder,
1) The Benches and desks
2) My heart beat.
I felt treating it with the same hand.

‘Srinitha, right,’ I smiled, with an uncomforting look.

‘Yes.’ she replied, with her eye brows raised and her hand putting one of
her big plait back.
‘Okay. I think you know me.’
‘Rajkamal,’ she said without giving any second thought.
‘Absolutely and why don’t we arrange the benches?’ I stood up,
compelling her to do so.
She neither spoke a word nor stood up. She must be thinking
something and it would be a great insult for me, if she’s not gonna get up,
I imagined and raised my eyebrow. She looked around for some reason
and at last she got up.

‘Okay.’ she traditionally said.

We took to arrange the seating and I made up my mind to at least
give a blow or an imprint of mine to her, but I didn’t pre-plan anything.

‘You studied in this same school, isn’t that?’ I started, arranging the
benches.
‘Ya, you came from FX it seems.’ she said, which was her first sentence
formation, I heard from her.
‘Wow, awesome, you know a lot about me. It’s gorgeous to hear it from
you.’ I said, dropping the bench.
She sniggered and looked straight away into my eyes.
‘Oh,’ I sealed my lips. ‘What’s this?’ I slapped in my heart. ‘Do you know
about adrenalin?’ I smiled, still stifling.
‘Adrenalin, What?’ she asked very politely standing just few centimeters
from me.
‘It’s a very naughty enzyme. It increases the heart beat to a higher rate
when we are anxious or in danger or when we go crazy. Your smile drives
me crazy, I think. It secrets adrenalin in me and you are closing your lips
and curving it to bend me.’ I said in a very mellow voice slowly nearing
her.
‘You lie.’ she said unable to hide her teeth inside the lips this time.
‘Again there is a rush of adrenalin, I think. Oh, please stop smiling.’
‘Oh, I don’t believe this.’ she exclaimed and laughed this time.

Within few minutes the benches and desks were in order, but my
heart went into a serious disorder. She perched on her bench. I dragged a
small bench and desk to the middle of the class. I placed them beneath
the fan and sank. I turned to her side completely.

‘How do you come to the school?’ I launched formally as she was taking
something out of her bag.
‘Auto.’ she answered, still questing.

Before I could think of any other question, I saw some one about to
enter the class and it was CT. I zipped my mouth because he would
advertise anything that would make fun out of me. As soon as he entered
he guessed somewhat, but he was not very sure about it as she was
drawing something and I was drinking water. He was one of those poor
guys, who could not have that much of psychoanalysis on a girl-thing.
Blessing followed him with that small bag, given as a free gift for his Sting
Bike.

‘Did you study anything for the class test?’ CT asked, keeping the bag in
his bench.
‘No, I sort of read something but I’m empty headed now.’ I answered.
‘Did you watch Lollu Sabha yesterday, I burst into laughter for that one
hour.’ said Blessing, least bothering about the class test.

We always liked to speak about these kinds of stuffs, to facilitate

our joy. One could study the given test portions within that 8 to 9 gap. But
we don’t do so. Blessing was exceptional in that case that he could
reproduce it, if he just read it once. He led a good performance in the first
month. Rashideen and Mahesh too managed well. But I was not doing that
well then.

Rosemarians followed it as a rite to postpone the exams for the

next day or at the least try to postpone the exams the next hour. The
class test dates were purely put on by the teachers, that too orally. So, we
found it a bit easier to do that. The Zoology tests were always re-
scheduled by us. Jaquelin Miss, well reputed with her WHAT A, was lazy
always for teaching, even though she collected a great experience in the
school.

After a great argument with reasons, we put our Zoology exam on the
back burn that day. She asked us to get separated and start studying.
There will be some small strange benches and desks, in the corridor for
the purpose of conducting exams or to make the pupils study without any
disturbance. The teachers followed it too as a custom to make a disjoint
between some combinations, who tried to go out and study in the corridor.
For instance: I and blessing, kishore and Swami Nathan, CT and any one.

I went out without any companion and someone came and sat behind
me. I did remember his name as AJAY, Blessing’s close friend, which he
used to say while narrating his life history.

‘Will they conduct school tomorrow?’ I asked him turning towards his side.
‘Usually, there will be a leave in second-Saturdays or else they will
organize the school, giving us the liberty to wear color dress. Last second-
Saturday was a holiday and they will not do so two times continuously.’
said Ajay with his slightly grown moustache in his fair skin tone and a
silver-coating framed glasses and a neatly divided and combed hair style.
‘Oh, Color dress. It will be nice, if they are gonna announce it as a working
day.’ I smiled.
‘For sure, we can see at least these girls in a new fashion.’ he said.
I laughed accepting his words and then after some half an hour the
circular came to our class announcing exactly what Ajay said.
‘It would be a colorful day tomorrow.’ Ajay said, smiling around.
 With my white stripped Kurta and blue jeans, I came to school with
my father in his bike. I took a weightless bag to add the elegance. The
clock took five minutes to strike eight after I entered the class.
Immobilizing my eyes from the corridor, I rested my right cheek on my
right hand. My eyes enlarged within seconds and turned on the slow-
motion button. Srinitha strolled in the corridor and I the shock was due to
her very long curly hair that hung down to her hip. She left it loose. Her
white color churidhar and her skin tone matched a lot.

‘Hay,’ I started before even entered the class and turned off my slow-
motion button. ‘Totally white,’
‘Oh, yeah, how is this?’
‘Angelic,’ I said narrowing my eyes.
‘Hmmhmm,’ she moaned like asking is that so.
‘Yeah, I like three things today. They are not white. Your eyes,’ I saw her
eyes and she raised the eye brow. ‘Your lips,’ I stopped to see her
dampening it. ‘And your hair,’ I showed my index finger towards it.

I stopped for few seconds to see that she hadn’t gotten any plan to
say anything about this. So, I again started.
‘Srinitha, you are special in this dress today but still I like your eyes, lips
and hair which are special forever and is this your festival or some
birthday dress?’
‘No, No,’ she said indifferently.
‘And when is your birth day, Srinitha?’
‘April 16.’
‘What?’ I said delighted and again swabbed the sweat in my face with two
palms and smiled.

What in earth could form things like this, I asked myself. What does
this mean, I again puzzled because my birth day falls on April 15th. How is
she gonna believe this, I smiled.
‘Why are you smiling?’ she asked, with puzzling eyes.
‘Bloody coincidences, I can’t believe this. You wanted to know this; I saw
the world a day before you.’
‘You mean April 15th,’ she laughed.
‘You have to believe this.’
‘Wow, is this true?’ she completed.
‘How can I show evidences?’
‘I believe you, however.’
‘You know something, just before my birthday’s crack of dawn TITANIC
cracked and drowned.’ I said pouting my lips.
‘Oh, so sad.’ she said, laughing.
‘And anything great on your birthday,’ I said, in a hasty note.
‘I don’t know and I think there’s nothing.’ she added, taking a look at my
eyes and the book in hand alternatively.

What could be more special than the thing that she was born in that
day? She was the personification of destiny in my life. I thought so, and it
was so. I don’t know how she felt, even though she was laughing. I didn’t
want to take decisions keeping that Co-incidence in mind, as like a silver
screen hero would do. I just tried to take it simply, which was not so.
I thought of persisting that for some more sunlight hours. I can say
that, it’s not so easy to drive through the roads of flirting, it will be more
horrible than the Indian corporation roads, and if you are not excellent at
driving you may badly fall into love, with some hurts and injuries. I kind of
tried to drive it slower and safer and I cracked down those dawns.

Unexpectedly there came Prenitha, the girl with awesome structure

and killer curves. She was dressed in a black churidhar and a pony tail.
The fragrance of her perfume gave the same effect. But, she was not my
focus that day.
Blessing entered with some costume with which I decided that he
was equally keen as I was. CT penetrated with his Viboothy stuffs and full
hand shirts buttoned at the cuffs. There was a girl called Rani, who
dressed in the folk lore style of my city, which was a half saree kind of
thing called as Dhaavani.
 Preethi came strolling through the way to class and she wore some
green color churidhar and she was not that awesome in her single plaited
hair style.
The class was full that day then and the classes started. I was
pestering Mahesh about Srinitha and her very long hair for a while. I
became crazy and he became mad.

Sundays were not often fun days for us. You should know
one thing that Tirunelveli falls short badly in entertainment except for the
theatres, which was also one of the reasons for the guys scoring state
ranks. I wasted (replace this word with ‘enjoyed’, if you are my kind) half
that Sunday in Mahesh’s home, sitting in front of his idiot box. If you fit a
television inside a coffin box, Mahesh would be ready to stretch out inside
it.

‘Have you fallen in love with that girl?’ asked Mahesh, watching a usual
Indian film’s romantic scene.
‘Ho, Ho, Funny to hear. I know why you ask this. I don’t know why I’m
concentrating this girl.’
‘That’s what I’m asking. There are no reasons but you were attracted to
this girl. So, as per your theory this must be love.’
‘No, wait a second. Don’t confuse me. I can strongly say that, I’m not in
love. Officially I announce this okay. Gotcha! Just a kind of__huh__ urge
and it must be some heavenly thing, a fantasy, and chemistry.’
‘I don’t believe you.’ said Mahesh, even after my explanation.

The truth is that even I didn’t believe what I said, but I

left things unperturbed. Some sensitive things could drive you out before
you could try to drive them. One of those thin-skinned things is Love. To
paraphrase this in my style, it would be
‘Leave it, just like that.’
 MONDAY

2 MINS AFTER I ARRIVED

Amidst a conversation

‘Srinitha, according to astrology, future is unpredictable and there are no

courses to hit upon them too. All the physical forces drive the earth and
their connective stars are driven by the planets themselves. Every living
being has some connection between the stars and planets and that’s
astrology. It’s all the way related to Astronomy. So, you have to believe
this.’ I said, holding her full attention.
‘Is that so, Rajkamal.’ she asked me, without knowing that I recited this
from the book I read the day before.
‘Ya, Ya, we are purely remote controlled by the planets.’
‘Everything, huh,’
‘Ya, everything from why we are sitting in this vacant class to why you are
listening to me like a baby hearing a bed-time story.’
‘Hey, what’s that you said now?’
‘You are sitting like a baby hearing a bed time story. Why wasn’t that a
pretty example?’
‘No, not at all, I’m not a baby or you aren’t telling that attention-grabbing.’
‘Ha, ha, that was funny en all. You lied badly.’
‘You are a pervert, I think.’
‘Of course, my planet drives me so.’

WEDNESDAY
1 MIN AFTER A CONVERSATION

‘Ya, Srinitha, Palmistry falls under the same kind and you have to believe
these without any facts which are eternal and not so comprehend.’ I said,
after studying the next book.
‘People say these are all just the blotches formed as we keep our hands
closed after we had given birth.’ she added matter-of-factly.
‘That’s true. But you won’t believe anything still it happens to you.
Actually I can make it, give your hand to say your past. You may accept if
it’s true.’ I said.
‘Really,’

FRIDAY
AS SOON AS I ARRIVED

‘You know something; I have brought something for you. Guess what?’ I
said, opening the zip of my bag out of the blue.
‘Must be some kind of books or chocolates,’ she furthered the speech.
‘Don’t think any thing of your kind; go a little out of ordinary or of my
kind.’
‘No, sorry, huh___ I can’t do this.’
‘Okay. Then I have to.’ I said, swaying something out of my bag.
It was just a paper, rolled carefully. I went up to her,
unwrapping it. She was so excited to take a look at that.
It contained the following:

S tories of fairies depicted a girl of thee kind.

R omance expounds for a lass of thou splendor.
I am just arranging the words and these
N uances originated from you.
I present this back to you as a
T ribute and this comes from me,
H eartily and I wrote this just to make your
A pocalyptic pair of eyes to read.
-Raj kamal
 I saw her enliven eyes, which I had never seen so before. She again
gave me her trademark half hidden smile, the snigger, but as a boy, I gave
it fully to her. Before she could say anything I sealed her lips with my
words.

‘It’s for you and don’t ask why. It’s my gift for all your 16 April 16’s, I
missed. It’s a belated wish, after some 16 summers. Thank you for
accepting this.’ I said, keeping my eyes close to hers.

She kept it safely. And that was a feel-good day for me as disrupts
got rid off me. I was sure that we had a thing about each other. It won’t
sound sensible, if going in detail. I let the cat out of the bag JUST LIKE
THAT.

SATURDAY

I was not at all prepared for the physics test to be held that
Saturday. After a great negotiation, the test was postponed as usual. We
all sat scattered and the girls went out to the corridor. I thought of reading
my lessons, but some conversation distracted me.
I knew those two back bench guys. One was Sundar, a bony guy,
also can be used for a skeleton model in the botany lab. The other was
Subash, who could also be used so with an extra-added specs. Shuhail was
hearing that with his books opened before him. Beard ran all over his face,
which falls on your eyes first.

‘My hell, I came with him in his bike this morning. He crashed into the
back of a lorry. It was just a miss, if not so you could have got one more
reason to postpone the exam.’ said Subash.
Sundar then started ‘He was sitting behind and he shook my shoulders
telling some stories and he turned my shoulder like a hand-bar as if he
were riding.’
Shuhail then commented them badly and I wasted that period
laughing at those guys. The bell rang and then I felt that I could have
studied instead.
 The class got over and then everyone was seated back. I saw
CT saying something to Blessing pointing me. I was puzzled to have a look
like that on me. Blessing then came near me and gave the same look.

‘What the hell? Why do you stare at me like that?’ I said, with
disappointing eyes.
‘You ridiculous pervert, you were doing some underground work these
days, weren’t you?’ he bawled at me.
‘No, not at all, what’s that you are saying?’ I gave it back, without any
qualms.
‘Don’t ever lie to me. You are having some kind of rapport with a girl and I
know what you gave her too.’
‘What are you speaking about? I don’t get you.’ I acted.
As soon as I said that, he grab held my turtle neck. I was lugged to a
situation to oust the truth. He put off me to tug the same. It took half-an-
hour to explain him, with some censor.

‘Are you guys in love?’ he asked pithily.

‘No, I’m just flirting.’ I terminated.
‘I’m not a fool to believe this. Blessing, never do believe him.’ joined CT.
‘You have to believe this I can’t show any evidence.’ I said.
‘I know you. At least you would have deep-seated some kind of similar
things.’ said CT.
‘It’s any thing except love and please be with the same mind in this.’ I
ended.
‘Let’s see.’ said Blessing.
‘How come did you guys bring to know this?’ I added.

CT then gave the explanation which was really a

criminality without any accomplice.

‘I sat in Srinitha’s bench and in her place last period. I was checking for
any thing interesting in her bag and you were jammed in it. If you haven’t
written your name I couldn’t have recognized. You trapped yourself. This is
gonna be the buzz now on.’
 He laughed like a devil in uniform. Making a buzz had always
been CT’s cup of tea. He used to do that in my parent alma mater too.

‘Do not do that. It’s would put me under risk.’ I said, humbly, which he
didn’t deserve.
‘Let’s see.’ he said and got out of the place.

I perched in my place and saw him going out. I hit the desk hardly

for the mishap. Again I was at stakes. But, the cat was out of the BAG this
time, badly.

CHAPTER 4
CHEMISTRY
The quarter-early results were out that day. CT
was then a step following me. Mahesh and Blessing were a handful of
steps ahead. I scored a feeble percentage which was termed average in
Rosemary. It was Maths that sucked in my report card. Then I decided to
study from that day. I took this decision a lot of times but, I turned to be a
memory loss patient with that one decision.

Srinitha did the exams pretty well, too. You have to take a look at
her diagrams. I had given my botany note a lot of times to her to draw.
And her handwriting would be sharp and classy. I didn’t keep away from
her due to CT or his threats.

No secret is in grave, I knew. Expectedly he started his

propaganda about the bag and ode matter. Then I understood the nature
of the proverb:
 “IF THREE SHOULD KEEP A SECRET, TWO SHOULD DIE”.

As per the proverb, I had to kill Blessing and CT, which I can’t then.
Within a short period, almost the class saw me indifferently.

For instance:
Once Swami Nathan came and questioned me in the middle of the day
and in the middle of the ground.
‘CT told everything to me. Something is stuck between you both it seems.’
‘Ho, who said so? Just I kind of, huh, I shot away the breeze with her. You
don’t know about CT, he usually gives an overstatement on anything. He
tries to pull down me. Never do believe him.’
‘Are you sure? Are you guys not in love.’
‘Ya, damn sure about that hell of a thing, you stupid, I don’t fall in love,
that too, Srinitha. No chance.’

Was I lying to him or myself?

The only thrilling time-pass those days were the questioning session
held by Surya Miss. She used to question each and every boy and
particularly there will be some students whom she would never forget to
ask question. I, Siva and Sundar were the top-list among them. Blessing
usually escaped. I some days thought that she woke up that day with the
aim of questioning me, brutally. The other weird thing was that she never
questioned any girl till then. She believed that girls conform to any orders.
That provoked hatred in our minds towards her.

Days passed by with my cycle, hotels with Parotta and butter

chicken, theatres with movies. I averagely spent some 30 rupees a day. I
enjoyed my days, least bothering the money or the marks, except on the
day of the result.
 I was sitting in my home thinking about the half-early Math exam
the next day. I was struggling hardly with that and that was the time when
I heard the news from somebody that the questions were out in a school.
After that my mind was set up to grab the question paper from some
where and I went out without minding if the news could be wrong.

I went out and I contacted as much as many guys I knew. At last by

some six in evening I made it through. I was wondering if I should say this
to any body else, due to the fear that any I kept it secret, except for
Mahesh. I mugged each and every answer perfectly. I started watching the
television at eight, with the confidence.

That was an after noon test and I saw the guys around me in the
class. Mostly all of them were present. The time was eleven then. I was
well prepared. Every one was loading their heads with all the formula
stuffs and also the methods. I hardly knew any of it. I saw Rashideen
looking at me in a weird way. He came near me.

’You look like as if you are gonna watch a movie. You are so cool
today and may I know the reason why?’ he stared at me.
Some gut feel told me to tell him the truth and to give him the
questions. But, some second thoughts of mine were still under a dilemma.
But my best enemy is my tongue. I said him.

‘Rashi, I’m gonna say you some truth and keep it secret.’
‘I have no time to hear those and I have a lot to study.’ he said, turning off
the pages of his lengthy awkward hand written note book.
‘I have the questions.’ I said in a composed manner.
’ What the hell, I don’t believe this.’
You have to.’
‘Where did you get those?’
‘Christhu raja school, the questions were out there.’
 He was over-whelmed and he then did let me know that the question was
tough. I knew the answers, and they were easy. So, I didn’t bother any. I
gave him the questions and I went out to toilet. I saw the girls seated
outside in the corridor. A group of girls surrounded Srinitha. Before my
eyes mistook it for an angel my brain alarmed it to be Srinitha. I started
declining the stairs and my brain worked more to alarm these kinds of
stuffs.

I wondered why these girls do not give back a smile when there is a
mob there and I blamed it badly on the ethos of my so-called “city”.

When I came back the class was gathered around my bench. I was
completely unsure of that and the girls outside were passing some
comments among them. I went near and every boy looked at me at the
same time. Then I understood what could have happened. Rashideen was
sitting in the middle showing something from his note and I had the gut-
feeling that I saw that page recently somewhere. I assured that he proved
him disloyal to me. Every one saw me as a traitor.

There were two solid hours, but there were a lot to study for them. I
was a cucumber then. Blessing, Ajai, CT and others came after some time
and they were struggling that the question was tough. The girls sat
outside and they knew that the questions were out, but they hadn’t
maintained any relation with any one that they can’t ask the questions. It
was also their pride and the norms of rosemary that prevented from
asking the question paper.
Nearly it was time for the exam and the bags were strewn out and we
were seated according to some order that the teachers decided. The
question came into the room and in no-time a fear got stuck in me.
If at all the question paper was changed what am I going to do?

I didn’t know any thing other than the answers I mugged. The
question paper was issued and it started from my other end and I started
noticing the faces of the boys, they showed their bright faces and I
became relaxed. The question was the same. I started.
 THAT EVENING

‘What to do? I would be caught.’ I said.

We were sitting in the panipuri kadai near the school after

finishing the exam, which was our usual hang out place in the evening. I,
Arun, Shuhail and CT sat there. Each had a plate of masala puri in our
hand. A temple near by played the song ‘BAJA GOVINDHAM’, always.

‘What are you saying about?’ said Shuhail, relishing a spoon of the masala
puri.
‘No, I’m gonna get centum this time.’ I said, in a sad note.
‘I won’t believe this for heaven sake. And what’s there to be sad in this.
Don’t ever show off, you idiot.’ added CT.
‘No, I take this up seriously. I have not even one question wrong. Even the
one word answers I marked were right. As, I have never crossed 150 for
200. She’s gonna suspect me while correction.’ I trailed out, keeping the
plate down.

We took our cycles and rode back to home. I continued this process of
preparation for each and every exam after. And the half-yearly exam got
over.

The noun “TSUNAMI” became popular from that Sunday morning. I

was shocked as every one was. We were watching the news that showed
the forayed areas of Chennai and the other parts of tamilnadu. I sat till
that evening discussing about Tsunami in my friend’s home. I went for
Tsunami relief fund collection along with lot of other guys. Even though
Tirunelveli was not affected every one funded a lot. People always have a
good-heart, I understood, because, they empathized a lot.

If every one empathizes every thing the world becomes good-

hearted, said a Bell school guy who accompanied me during the collection
session. We were speaking for an hour in a cafeteria about a lot of things.

New Year

2005, the New Year, I was expecting everything to be good and

fresh as every one expects. I had to tell you, that I was always wrong. The
worst year in my existence was 2005. There is only one entity that could
make you know good and bad. It is called “EXPERIENCE”. But then I
learned from (so called) EXPERIENCE that there is nothing called good or
bad. There are two other things that exists

1) Your side
2) The opponent side

Now, I’m just speaking about my side.

I had it enough that year from the very starting till the end. Let me
start from the first day I entered the school in that Year.

That was the day when the papers were to be distributed back.
I sat without being perturbed. I was sure to have my grades. They started
calling out each and every name and their marks. It was the Maths paper
and Mercy Miss was distributing it. After a while, I was called out. I jumped
out of my place with a thrill that you can get only during your school days.
She read out something that I didn’t believe my ears.

‘Rajkamal 111’

I was bewildered that I got the lowest mark in the class. At the next split
second there was a huge laugh riot in the class. I remembered what I said
to my class mates at the Panipuri kadai.

‘How come your answers were right and procedure was hanging
everywhere? Did you copy?’
I stood there without a word to speak. I got the paper and came back
to my seat. She was right I had the answers but not the procedure.
‘I know you my boy,’ said CT, turning towards me.

The whole class was mocking at me. I kept mum with no syllable to
pronounce.

If you ask me to paraphrase the last few days of my standard

eleven, I frame them as ‘the only few days of my high-schooling without
any incidents’. But even, I could list out a few interesting moments that
were near to my heart.

The day, I convinced myself from going to the school excursion. I

missed it when I gazed through the album. After scanning through the
boys’ album I asked one of those girls’ albums.
Srinitha went to the excursion. She had a very photogenic face; she
was so nice in one her photos, smiling. As I was looking into it, suddenly I
turned my head towards her and she was looking at me. Suddenly, she
pretended like murmuring something from the book in her hand. I admired
her lips that were blabbering and I smiled.

Some of our exam papers will be corrected by us. Usually, it

would be the Zoology paper, in which we used to write stories. Our
teacher pioneered a technique of interchanging boys’ papers with girls’.
As soon as the girls’ papers were distributed, Srinitha’s paper would be
handed over to me. My class boys had already confirmed that we were in
love and they wanted only me to correct it. I corrected her papers every
time.

The hours, I sat down in the class by some quarter to eight for not
more than one reason. I used to be the first one to the class. She used to
be the second. To say simply, she forced all the blood to my heart. I was
rid off to be romantic. I was a different person for those hours. We spoke
of trivial things. You can’t take girls’ smile for granted. I knew she was not
a kind of girl who I exactly thought, she was an exception.

To say in frank, Srinitha was not the only girl over 15 and
under 18 to whom I know. I like Preethi’s smile and Prenitha’s killer curves
and structure. But, I was yet to have a start with them. The reason is that
they don’t come to class at eight. They weren’t born a day after me. They
didn’t inspire me to write a poem, or they won’t take it if I’d have provided
them one. And lastly, Srinitha magnetized me.

Precisely, there was chemistry.

During February the 14th, 8’o clock morning, my heart beat was some 90,
I thought. I dragged a small bench and desk to the middle of the class. I
placed them beneath a fan. I was sweltering even then.

So I said:

‘Srinitha, it’s not that every time I feel such a coronary blockage. I can’t
stand this.’
‘Why?’
‘It must be because of you. I’d like to vent it.’
‘How do you usually vent it?’
‘I use to sing.’
‘You use to sing? Can I have the pleasure of hearing one?’
 I’m not a great singer, I’d confess that myself. But sometimes I’d
make some “not bad” kind of performances. It was one of those
performances that day.
A.R.RAHMAN’s master piece
It goes like:

“KAIYIL MIDHAKUM KANAVAA NEE”

Her eye lids, which she used as a baton, made me sing from my
heart. From her eyes, what could I clinch? From her stealthy snigger, how
could I breathe? The tune of the song, her half-opened lips and the empty
class, romantically, emptied me.

I can even speak about some split seconds when I underwent some
crashing looks straight into her eyes. The only eyes I found expressive,
maximum expressive. How do I fall for this girl every time?

The reason was dopamine the Romantic chemical that

secretes in our body, said a researcher from Harvard in National
Geographic channel.
It stimulated itself when I saw her eyes, when she sniggered at me, when I
touched her hand, when she listens to my song and etcetera.

As per scientists’ research, the effect of this chemical in brain has a

great effect than cocaine. It drives the lovers crazy.
Blame it on chemistry. Blame it on Dopamine.

The standard eleven falls short of any incidents at this point. Ten
months of joyful days in that v-junction class with Srinitha, panipuri kadai,
Parotta stall, theatres and V.O.C ground. I had my most sucking and
effortless final exams then.

I finished off my class eleven.

 A Roller coaster at all times gets
thrilling and fun packed at its second big half. The
small first half is now brought to a close and:

The real roller coaster ride starts by

here.

Chapter5
THE CLAIRVOYANCE

‘Ma, I’ve got to go. First day of my standard twelve,’ I shouted, combing
my hair.
‘Just minutes, take the Tiffin I’ve kept it on the table.’ she told in a high
decibel sound excelling the mixer’s noise.

I switched on the television and skipped of my breakfast. It opened

its screen with a usual Tamil channel. These morning Tamil channels
always show devotion and stuffs. I searched the remote control and
passed on to the News channels. It displayed the time. 8:04 a.m. I settled
on NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC channel.

I threw the remote aside. The program was titled as “THE

CLAIRVOYANCE”. A psychiatrist had been explaining about the concept
behind Clairvoyance. The term was new to me then.

‘The exact definition of Clairvoyance is “the supposed faculty of perceiving

the future or things beyond normal sensory perception”. Each and every
one of us has this clairvoyance. The signals transmitted from person to
person through their inner feel for it. Every thought of man has a wave
associated to it. If the thought is strong the wave associated will be
strong. Strong waves could easily reach its destination.’ paused the
psychiatrist, John Mclean, his name.
 I forgot that I was running out of time. John simply rocked the
show.
‘Every body should check out their Clairvoyance.
For instance: Think of somebody whom you really like. Now think about
them or at least call their name inside. If they get disturbed by your
thought and turn towards you or at least think about you at the same
time, you have a good clairvoyance over them. Science has provided us
with lot of……………’

The last thing he said about struck my mind. I abruptly endeavored

to try that out. I thought of my mom. She was packing my lunch and as
soon as I thought of her, I heard her sound.
‘Your lunch is done and take it,’ she shouted.
I felt my pounding heart beat. But within seconds, I knew it was
coincidence. So, I packed my bag and wore my shoes. I went out of my
home. I sat on my cycle outside the home and once again I tested
clairvoyance with my mom. I called her inwardly. It was nearly half a
minute and there was no reaction. I just then about-turned my handle-bar
and I heard my mom’s voice.
‘Why are you still waiting there?’ she shouted from the threshold.
I smiled at her, with astonishment.
‘Aren’t you late?’ she plundered a smile on her face too.
‘Ya, I’m late. I’m too late.’ I waved my hands and twirled the pedal to its
position and gave the thrust.

Usually pedaling cycle had been a harder chore for me, which
looked nothing for me then as I was taken away by the clairvoyance
concept. I was dubious that my mom’s response might also be a co-
incidental one. I thought of testing it once more. Fortunately, Mahesh went
some 50 yards ahead of me in his cycle.
I called out his name repeatedly inside and expected him to turn
towards me.
He didn’t. Thinking of his name evoked the thoughts about him. I
thought he was the biggest-lotus-eater. I wondered his habit of nocturnal
studying (2 am to 7 am), which all could not do successfully. It
successfully failed for me. He knew a lot about sports, which I didn’t, even
after spending nearly seven years together with him.

I was surfing around his thoughts and that was also a mere
technique. He was yet to turn. We were just a few minutes from our school
and Mahesh still pedaled his cycle being so keen about the traffic. It was
near the school road that I lost my patience as I saw him entering the
parking annexe. I got myself convinced that there was no extra sensory
perception crap for me and I let my cycle inside the same. Mahesh gave a
surging laugh at me as soon as he felt my presence.

‘Just now I thought about you.’ he giggled.

‘What?’ I gasped.
‘I said I thought about you.’
‘What the hell! I can’t believe this. What gave you my thought?’
‘Nothing special, Should there be a reason? And why do you over-react for
this?’
‘It’s a kind of big deal Mahesh.’

It was obvious for me then that I and Mahesh had a great deal in
common. I explained the whole theory behind Clairvoyance, striding inside
the partly brown-painted school edifice.

‘Wow, it proved right for me and it’s my pleasure.’

‘That’s what Mahesh this test is incredible.’
‘Then why don’t you try this with Srinitha?’
‘What?’
‘You try out this test with Srinitha. Let us find if she has the reception
waves with you.’
‘No, No, Mahesh. I don’t want to know that.’
‘Don’t ever act to me, you would have decided before even I said this to
you. Carry on.’
That was one great problem with Mahesh. He could judge me well
than me. We were absolutely few steps away from our sophomore year. It
was quarter to nine when we entered into it, without any teacher and the
high decibel noise you could hear in any sans-teacher class rooms. It was
the same class room of our standard eleventh, physically the same class,
but mentally one academic class ahead.

Blessing and Swami Nathan were playing when I sat behind them. I
was thinking of what Mahesh said to me. I thought of commencing the test
out for her, for no ponders. Involuntarily, my eyes gazed around to spot
out Srinitha’s eyes. My eyes were always swift and successful in that
process.

At the same moment Jacquelyn miss’ voice disturbed me.

‘All out for prayer,’

It’s time for the assembly. The Christian Prayer especially for the day
one. We stood on a line and I saw Blessing, CT and Swaminathan still
laughing amidst the prayer and Rashideen kempt his hair as usually. They
introduced the class teachers of each class.

‘We had enough rupture and a, no metaphor, jail feeling with Surya miss’
class and now really it’s like breathing the oxygen.’ said CT into my ears.

Our class teacher was announced as P.KALYANASUNDARAM, shortly

called as PKS. Every one hove a good sigh of relief. I didn’t know why then.

Once the assembly got over, I asked Rashideen about PKS.

‘He deals with physics and a very liberal guy. At times he will become
wacky and we can easily overcome it. Simply, no problem.’ he finished.
Arun came around the way and he added for his piece.
‘He’s such a sonovabitch that he could be fooled very easily.’

We seated back ourselves and I remembered of getting back to the

Clairvoyance test. Srinitha was sitting in the third bench with Preethi aside
her. Before I could concentrate on her name even, PKS entered the class.
Every one stood up and I too. The first set of pant and shirt that entered
our class with the endeavor of teaching.
 He must be around his forty said his silver hairs. A well divided kempt
hair style. His forehead crammed with all sorts of viboothy and kungumam
stuffs, which portrayed him as a spiritual personality. He was also a fat
flab.

It became hard for me to continue the scrutiny as I sat by the second

bench and her domain, the third bench. I had to rotate my eyes for about
some 10 degrees to look at her, which would look bizarre. As I found it
difficult too, I gave my ear to the class.

Above the fact that he was a knowledgeable person in his field, he

tried to explain the subject like a comic story.

He said ‘A very very very very very smaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall……………….

atom breaks into laaaarge parts.’ with his face reactions completely worth
of bantering. His cadence entertained us.
At the end of the class, he started speaking about general things which
lingered in his tuition classes. He at last left the class giving his residential
address and phone number, with the intention of making up his tuition
strength.
A Tamil class went-on, again Surya miss. And then for a couple of
periods Jacquelin miss, the then vice principle of the school, blew her own
trumpet of attaining that position that year.
When the lunch interval broke, Blessing and Swaminathan started
playing a different game, which was an akin to the Sling shot, ith a rubber
band and paper’. It hauled on the same principle. Blessing traveled
towards the last bench and Swaminathan glued on the first bench and
they played by hitting each other.

Who cares!

I thought of trying out the test at least then but our class girls had a
very eccentric kind of having their lunch, especially the third and fourth
bench girls. The third bench girls turned backwards in a manner so that
they sat facing the fourth bench girls. This again made my scrutiny an
impossible one.
 It was the next set of pant and shirt that came inside, after the lunch
interval, with an extra-added tie and the glasses that looked twice as big
as his eyes.
Rashideen whispered in my ears ‘SAMUEL SIR’
Sir, himself gave the introduction. His open smile enhanced his
looks. He had a great teacher look not only because of his age that
speeded towards forty, but also the way he handled the class.

After he went off, Rashideen started:

‘A year back, he used to be the Vice principal of the students. He kept the
whole school under his control. If he gets anyone chatting in the class, he
spanks him like anything. No exception for girls. He used to walk in the
corridor like a roaring lion and the whole block had maintained a pin drop
silence. But now Jacquelin miss handles the post and you know how worst
it is. He too has lost his grip. We were lucky to have him teaching us and
not to be the Vice principle.’

I opted to change the place, but I was unable to do that till the last
period. By the last period, I gained my strength to conduct the
Clairvoyance test as the period was let free.

Srinitha then looked a bit messy without her BINDHI, but it too added
her elegance. The whole class cracked out their sound like a hell. She
concentrated in continuing her chat with Prenitha then. I started to call her
out.

After few seconds, I experienced that she felt some disturbance.

She was yet to turn to me. I pursued the process to know the result.
Within some 2 minutes I felt that she received my waves. She turned
towards the boys’ row and had a quest. I was expecting her to show her
eyes to me, for which I struggled. Without even a blink in my eyes, I
waited for the split second in which she would turn towards me. She
winked once. When she opens her eyes, our eyes would clash, I
determined. I smiled and her eye was about to open and all of a sudden,
something hard hit my right eye and I didn’t shout. But, my eyes hadn’t
ever seen such a pain till that date. It was too hard and I felt all my nerves
that branched out from my eyes that I stamped the ground thrice as hard
as I can. It’s the paper from Blessing’s rubber band that hit my eyes
instead of Swaminathan.

Blessing came near me and said ‘Hey, I’m sorry.’

If I’m right, the only time I heard him felt sorry, that too it’s me. I
had no other choice except to accept it. Swaminathan too came near me
and laughed, biting his nails.
He punned ‘Blessing you had hit the bull’s eye. Congrats’.
It wasn’t laughable for me then and the bell went. I tried to open my
eyes slowly and I saw every one near the door.
Srinitha stood there looking at me. I wished it to be true and it was
so. She asked with her gesture which said:
What happened to your eyes and are you all right?
I again answered with my gesture:
Ya, I’m all right. It’s nothing. Bye, I’ll take care.

Blessing who got noticed that said, ‘I should have hit both your eyes.
I’m apologizing to you and you are looking at some bitch.’
‘No! Blessing to say the truth….’
‘I don’t want any of your truth stuffs I know them. I had to tell this to you
at least now.’
‘What’s that?’
‘I know that you have some soft corner for Srinitha. You had to know this.
Already some other guy proposed her.’
‘Proposal, huh, to Srinitha, huh, and she,’ I overwhelmed, startlingly
opening the sore eye too.
‘However she rejected it, the thing is that the guy who proposed is in this
same class.’
‘When did this happen?’
‘It happened before your inclusion into Rosemary. Standard tenth,’
‘Who’s that guy?’
‘I won’t reveal anything like that. I say this just to make you aware of her
love history.’
‘It’s Okay, but, who is that guy?’
‘No, if you need it ask her.’

We left the empty-class then. The first-sophomore-day went

past. I was back to home. Desperation filled my look not because of the
sore, but because I didn’t know the result of the Clairvoyance test. The old
proposal of Srinitha shook me but I didn’t get disrupted.

My wrist watch showed 8’o clock. I was sitting in the class

waiting for Srinitha to come. The reason was simple. I needed the name of
the guy who proposed her. Within a minute, I smelled her presence. I gave
a warm look, with my right eye still red.

‘What happened to your eye?’ she started in a subtle note.

‘Nothing, it’s all right now.’ I lied.
‘I had to ask you something……….’ I started.
Before I spilled the next few words from my mouth, my sister
came to see me.

‘Nambi, will you come out.’ she called as politely as she can.
I felt disgusted calling me Nambi. I went out.
‘What’s the matter?’ I asked, with the same feel.
‘Nambi, I’m gonna join in tuitions today.’
‘Tuitions, huh,’
‘Yeah, only for physics, math and chemistry’
‘What is left?’
‘You too come along with me. Those are the best centers in the city.’
‘Okay,’
‘What’s that your right eye is red?’
‘Nothing, just like that,’
She went off hearing that. She hates that word. I knew that for sure.
Before I re-entered the class Blessing was already there and CT too. My
then aim was shattered. I laughed at them.
 CHAPTER 6

THE EXTRA-CLASSES

One of the biggest superstitious notions of Rosemary was “the tuition

going rite”. It’s a “myth” more than a notion. Two-third of Rosemary went
for tuition or the extra class. They made the trade bigger in the market.
The same teachers taught the same subjects in the same manner, for one
more time, charging according to the value of the subject. This may look
absurd but as like a religious rite without any specifications, the blunder
was committed. Everybody went for tuition and we too went.

1) Ravi Shankar Sir for Physics tuition in his home.

2) Vaseegaran Sir for Chemistry tuition in a center.

3) Samuel Sir for Maths tuition in a centre in the same premise

of the chemistry tuition.

There lied a minor twist which was the uproot cause for all the major
twirls.

I was pushing my cycle to Mahesh’s home; I had no one else to tell

what I felt like. I rammed the calling-bell and his mother came and opened
the door. He sat just a meter away from his television screen with a
remote of that one box which was his best ‘idiot’ friend other than me. He
transfers the television remote to his left hand, only if a text book or a
food plate was to be handled in his right hand.

‘Hey, Mahesh I’ve something special to say you.’ I pulled a couch near him
and sat.
‘I know it must be about your tuition, but I can’t guess’ he shrewdly said,
without any big reactions.
‘Mahesh, Srinitha is in my tuitions.’
‘What do you mean by tuitions?’
‘She’s there in all the three tuitions.’
‘Oh, then thank your goodness.’
‘What would you call this?’
‘There is something that binds you both. Like the wave and the shore.’

Before he could start telling his mother’s voice came from the kitchen.
‘Mahi, go get some chili powder and coriander leaves. Your meal won’t be
ready if not.’
‘My hell, why are you disturbing always mom.’ he stood up from his place.
‘Okay, come let’s go out for some fresh air.’ he wore his shirt and then
kept the remote down.
We took a walk outside for the shop near-by.

‘Temme then,’
‘To begin with, the physics tuition, it is held at Ravishankar Sir’s home
itself. It is at the first floor. It is a room which could accommodate only
some twelve students. We are only nine now and I’m the only boy.’
‘Which class girls? Must be from your sister’s class, isn’t that so?’
‘Exactly, Mahesh, three girls are from our class. Srinitha, Preethi and
Carolyn,’
‘I really wonder at this.’
‘It may be because the effects of our planet. You know something; she
was given birth 18 hours after my birth.’

We reached the shop then and Mahesh bought his grocery stuffs
and we again strode back home.

‘Skip that, how about the other tuitions, I mean the other extra-classes?’
‘Yeah, the Chemistry tuition, it’s held in a center unlike physics tuition. In
this tuition students from all the schools join. A lot of other school girls,
also the same three from our class. It’s really a lot of fun over there.’
‘The math tuition,’
‘The same physics tuition group with some extra-girls from my sister’s
class, the E1. But here it won’t be fun. Only subject, because it is Sam sir,
all the three tuitions are inside five minutes from our school.’
‘And when do these classes start?’
‘Next week.’

‘Pretty interesting, let’s wait and see where this destines you.’

The following component may look inane. But, this was the schedule
of any Rosemarian, with very few changes in timings. A one year life goes
like this in Rosemary.

Everybody had one like this in their mind, at least.

It looks like:

MY SCHEDULE

 Monday, Wednesday, Friday:

 08:00a.m-04:00p.m : School hours

 04:30p.m-05:30p.m : Math extra-class

 06:00p.m-07:00p.m : chemistry extra-class

 Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday:

 08:00a.m-04:00p.m : School hours

 06:00p.m-07:00p.m : Physics extra class

Sunday:
Entrance coaching and exams held in tuitions.

That was the schedule that was meant to keep me under guns.
Unfortunately, they didn’t, honestly speaking, I didn’t. If you take a look at
the TUESDAY schedule, you may find a big gap between 04:00-06:00.
After the school gets over, there were two solid hours for every one of us
before we attend the Physics tuition.

Some girls have their home nearer, for one of the cases in point:
My sister had her home in close proximity and so she used to go home by
04:00p.m and returns back by 05:45p.m.

But in my case:
It would take half-an hour for me to go to home and return back. I found
it as a waste of time and energy, so I used to go to my tuition by some half
past four, after having a snack time in panipuri kadai.

There were a set of girls who did fall under the category of my sister,
but most of the girls had fallen in my case. Srinitha, Preethi and Carolyn
were included in my case. Mainly, Srinitha fell.

I went for my first day tuition, the Math tuition. It was Samuel sir’s den
and everybody in order. I felt that he made the subject easier then. No
events big could happen in Sam Sir tuition, I determined.

The next session was the Chemistry tuition. Both the tuitions were
in the same premises. It was a narrow compound and it had a very narrow
pathway too. Everyone from the Math tuition came down and waited for
the chemistry tuition. The waiting lobby for the chemistry tuition is its
ground floor. The tuition was held in the first floor. If you like to see the
girls from disparate school, you may go there.
 My sister went to her home as there was half-an-hour around the
clock for the commencement of the tuition. My class girls went just outside
to refresh. Only I and a couple of my sister’s friends stood there along with
some bunch of girls from other schools. I needed a time-pass badly and so
I started speaking with my sister’s friends.

The tuition commenced and the teacher loaded the class with fun
and frolic more than the subject. The strength of the tuition was some 60
and it was a bit spacious class room.

ON MONDAY MORNING

A zoology test was about to start within 5 minutes, but I was busy
speaking with Blessing.

‘What the hell,’

‘It’s true Blessing. I and she were now in the same tuition.’
‘All right, make one thing sure for me that you don’t fall in love with her. It
may make things worse.’
‘Okay, but why?’
‘Don’t question me this way. It’s all for your sake.’
‘I told I accept this. I need the reason.’

Before he could explain, Jacquelin Miss called us out to sit in the

corridor and pursue the test. She asked me to sit out and Blessing was
seated inside, to make her vigilance easy.

I sat out and blinked what to do. CT was already banished out. He
sat behind me as cool as a cucumber.

‘Oy, CT Do you know the answers.’ I puzzled at him.

‘Who knows?’ he laughed.
‘I too don’t know any of them. What to do?’ I said, stretching my hands far
from my body.
‘Don’t worry I have the book.’ he said, taking the book, upon which he sat.
‘Okay, Okay,’ I laughed.

I waited for him to finish the answers. I saw Shuhail sitting in front of
me. He was one of the oldest immigrants of Rosemary; he had known
every brick of it. I thought of asking about Srinitha to him.

‘Shuhail, do you know the guy who proposed Srinitha? He’s a guy from our
class it seems.’
He turned towards me and gave his congenital eccentric look. Then I
saw some laughter behind his fully-grown beard. I didn’t know the reason
behind it.

‘Shuhail, why do you laugh?’

‘Are you gonna propose that girl?’
‘No never.’
‘Do never act to me. Then why the hell do you need the name of the guy. I
tell you something, he’s my friend and I have promised him not to speak
about this matter anymore.’’

That same day I asked the same question to many of the old students
from Rosemary.

Swaminathan said:
‘Do you know something? My sister and her sister were close friends in
college. I know more about her even. She started thinking her beautiful,
from the day that guy, also my friend, proposed her.’

Arun said:
‘What to say about her? I don’t know more about her. She is not as good
as you think, but. Some of my friends have termed her as a sadist.’

Kishore said:
‘Are you Nuts? Don’t you have any other job? I would simply say “she is a
girl with bad attitude” that’s it.’

ON TUESDAY

I was sitting outside the class, as our English teacher Deepa Miss
asked us to sit and study for the next day’s exam. Then CT came and sat
near me.
‘Hey, come here I’ll show something for you.’ he said, pointing towards the
girls’ side, which had a clear view through the window.
‘What’s that?’ I asked, with a kind of puzzle through my thoughts.

Before I could say anything I saw Preethi behind the window. She
looked like studying but her eyes gave a gaze towards my side, actually
towards CT’s side.

‘What the hell is this CT?’ I yelled out, with my hands veiling my lips.
‘That’s what I’m saying. I’m in love with Preethi and she too knows that.
Didn’t you see that? I gave a chronic look for more than 5 days and now
she too started looking.’ he said with a shyness prevailing through his
eyes.
‘What’s this CT? I see your shyness for the first time.’ I laughed.
‘Look here, I want you to ask something for me. You are the one who could
tell her this,’ he said.
‘What?’ I imposed to him.
‘Tell her that I love her,’ he said
‘Are you sure?’ I asked.
‘For sure,’ he caught my collars in his hands.

Actually, I wasn’t able to believe my eyes. She too looked at him.

 The day went past. It was 4’o clock in the evening, the time for
physics tuition. The home of Ravi Shankar Sir, his mother and sister
(married) were there. I asked their permission and went to the first floor
which was a small room, with a black board and some chairs. I entered
there as the first guy and sat at the last in a chair. Semi-darkness
prevailed through that room.

I then waited for my class girls because I had a lot of work with
them. I had to ask Srinitha about her last proposal. To Preethi I had to
propose instead of CT.

Within few minutes, the three came inside. Preethi and Carolyn had
a Scooty Pep. Srinitha climbs for a doubles.

‘Hay,’ I started. The three gave just a smile. ‘What’s that you people are
so serious?’ I asked, providing them chairs to sit down.
‘No, nothing,’ said Srinitha, sniggering as usual.
‘What’s that you are silent? I know only Srinitha, because we used to meet
at morning. I may have spoken with you two, twice or thrice, but I hardly
know about you.’

My eyes then perceived the vision in which, three sets of lips were
unbolted to an adequate amount to inform me that they had
acknowledged me as their friends. A new aura broke down for us then.
Brightness filled the Semi-dark room and its ambience then. I didn’t like to
spoil the splendid mood we had then, by inquiring about any past bitter
memories or any hopeless proposals. I kept them aside.

‘Okay, let me start like this today. Do you know the meaning of your
name, Srinitha?’ I solicited.
‘No,’ she pouted her rosy lips.
‘Eternal beauty, a Sanskrit origin,’ I whispered, leaning near her ears.
Preethi and Carolyn started giggling and Srinitha felt shy that she
concealed her face by facing down.
‘Preethi, your name’s meaning?’ I asked, chafing my lightly grown beard.
Then she portrayed a gesture, shrugging her little shoulders which
allegedly said NO

‘Your name says “DELIGHT AND JOY”. Actually a Sanskrit origin and some
scholars say that it was derived from a Latin goblin. In Kannada it straight
away means love.’ I whispered again, leaning to her ears.
I thoroughly enjoyed her smiling lips. She suddenly did a spin over her
body to conceal her smile.

“And you Carolyn, it’s a German origin, which means “A FREE WOMAN”.
You do look so, Carolyn.’ I lied.

She gave a dull smile as usual. Among the three Carolyn was the
most inactive one. She would speak very rarely. Preethi and I were from
different schools that we had a lot of topic in common to chat with.

‘Actually, these Rosemary breeds are too askew, aren’t they Preethi?’ I
said, pointing out Srinitha.
‘Ya, it’s true and I had to accept this.’ said Preethi, with her right eye
looking at Srinitha.
‘Oh, you morons, then why did you guys land in Rosemary?’ Srinitha
witted, with her hands pointing us.
‘Yes, why?’ nodded Carolyn, who was elder than Srinitha as a Rosemarian.
‘Just to add the glory of Rosemary.’ said Preethi, laughing with her hands
closing her lips.

It was amusing to be with them that day. After an hour my sister

class girls plugged in through the chairs. I had an acquaintance over them.
I opened to them too. They were Rosemarians from kindergarten days.

‘Hey, how come you guys sit here from 4’o clock? Don’t you get bored?’
asked Prabha, a bob-cut girl sans Bindhi and open and beautiful toothy
smile.

I smiled.
My sister came by some quarter to six and then the tuition started by 6’o
clock sharp. I really had a feel-good class.

Inside that week, we guys started under–going some

transformations, only because of PKS. Everybody started playing games
over him. I became cautious in initiating with the studies as like many
others did in Rosemary. In tuition Amity sprung around us. Every thing
went fine but I was falling for her always and I wanted to tell her that some
day. I was waiting for that day which came soon.

Chapte
r7
 Love
proposals
ONE SATURDAY

One of the funniest classes of PKS had been going on, when
the clock stroked nine. On that day of color dress,
I was sitting with Blessing and we were then discussing about a girl.

‘Blessing, did you see Soujanya today?’

‘Ya,’
‘She has got some braces in her teeth. I think some kind of metal brace. It
looks humorous when she giggles.’

I sat in the vicinity of CT. He strolled closer to me and sat in the bench
behind me.
‘I’m gonna kill you,’ shrieked CT, in which I found a bit of annoyance and a
crumb of fuming heat.
‘What’s the matter CT?’ I turned towards him.
‘I asked you to tell Preethi that I love her, but it’s more than a week and
you are still pushing the time on its back.’ he terminated, as if he’d
exterminate me.
‘Everything needs a right time to be said and I’m hunting for it.’ I said,
asking him to uphold tranquility until then, with my gesticulation.
‘Hunt the time soon otherwise, I’ll hunt you.’ he clutched my gullet.

It was a perfect timing that PKS rotated his eyes towards us and we
were trapped.

‘You useless morons, don’t you see me teaching here? What are you doing
there? Kneel down for heaven sake, kneel down,’ he shouted at us.
He turned back to the board and after imagining something he again
turned to us.

‘If you study these stuffs in any tuition then don’t come to my class.’ he
said, getting on to his nerves.

The class was filled with his echo, only the echo.

‘Both of you get out of my class, I know where to wedge you and at once
get out of my class.’ he resented on us.

We had no other pick. He became mad and we left the class. As

soon as we went out, he slammed the door.

We stood out of the class and I was supposed to slay CT.

‘This fucker barks more and he is intimidating us too.’ said CT, with a note
of exasperation.
‘You are responsible. Why the hell did you ask these things now?’ I said,
trying to peep in, when the door slowly got ajar.
‘Cool it,’ he said, pushing me to the flipside.
‘After the class, let us go and ask Sorry. Okay, we can’t oppose him.’ I
said, leaning to the side wall.
‘I’m not coming.’
‘You are coming.’

The bell went and PKS got the door opened and came out with the
same seething eyes. He just said ‘Get in’ and went off with his water bottle
in hand, which he holds wherever he goes.

Before we could speak any thing he climbed the stairs. We went

inside. Blessing, Ajai and all others started laughing at us. The Botany
period went on for the next.

‘CT, PKS’ home is inside five minutes from here. Let’s go there and
apologize.’ I said, drawing some plant in my note book.
‘That little fucker does not deserve this.’ said CT, plucking the eraser from
my hand.
‘No, listen to me at least now.’ I concluded.

It was 3’o clock and the classes got over. I and CT took our
cycles and pedaled to PKS’ home. It was the instigation of April and it was
the hottest after noon, in which the Sun’s rays landed on our head. We
reached his home sooner.

‘Look at this CT, his T.V.S XL. He has reached home. This is his home.’ I
whispered in to the ears of CT, spotting that with my finger.
‘Yes, shall we bang the door or the calling bell? Whatsoever? Now watch
my acting. I’ll melt him down see.’ he spoke softly
‘Ram the Calling-bell.’ I elected.

We rammed the calling-bell. There was no response. Not even a

tone of voice. It was more than a minute. We lost our hope with the
calling-bell. CT started banging the door heavily. We had a doubt if nobody
was inside. After some three minutes of banging door, the door slightly
opened. PKS came out.

He came out with a bare body and a lungi. He was totally

sweating, from his face to feet. I took a notice of it. It was just ten minutes
that the school got over and how can a man come home this sooner and
why his body is sweating like hell, even though there was no power failure.
I asked that question to myself. His hair too was as clumsy as it could be.
All within the few minutes from when the school got over.

‘Sir, we apologize for what we did in class.’ said CT.

‘Yes Sir,’ I added.

‘It’s Okay, just chill out, go home and study. Okay,’ he terminated very
hastily.

I saw his Viboothy stuffs washed away by his sweat and then I got
the slightest clue for why he was sweating. He was just-then married and I
felt that he tried to rush us out. We stood just outside the ajar-opened
door. I understood what could have happened inside and thought of
getting back. But CT, who was completely ignorant about it, started
acting. He started crying to get into the feel.

‘Sir, forgive us. Please, you are next to my father Sir. You have the right to
scold us.’ he cried.
‘Okay, Okay, don’t cry.’ PKS said, patting his shoulders.
I tried to stop CT but he still continued his acting.
‘Sir, tell me that you accept our apology.’ he cried.
With no other go. He accepted our apology. He looked inside his home and
outside, for some unknown reason.

At last, I brought CT out and explained him, what went on. He

rewound everything and laughed out loudly.
He wondered, ‘How he reached home this faster and started his romance
at this April-hot afternoon?’

He left for his home then. I went to the physics tuition, which
was about to start by 6’oclock. Before I reached there, there were two
buggies standing with its side leg. I confirmed it with the arrival of Preethi,
Carolyn and Srinitha. I parked my cycle and went inside the tuition centre,
which was actually a home.

I gaited towards the first floor, which had a winding stairs and I
was not wrong. I saw them three, sitting in a round fashion.

‘Hi,’ I greeted them, searching for my chair.

‘What’s that you are late today?’ asked Preethi, chewing her bubble gum.
‘It’s a kind of interesting episode.’ I said, sitting down in my place and
swabbing the sweat.
‘Shouldn’t we know that?’ said Srinitha.
‘No, it’s not like that.’ I hesitated with a laugh.
‘You are laughing and it must be interesting. Tell us no, please.’ she
pleased, offering me a bubble gum from her purse.
 I then let them know what happened and they chuckled as like I
tickled them.

For the first time I saw Srinitha laughing that much openly. I awed at
her. Preethi hid her face in her lap, unable to control herself. I popped out
a bubble. I had the dire habit of fizzing out bubbles more than chewing,
averagely 4 bubbles a minute. But then as I was in an observation
process. I fizzed out no bubbles. After I heard the hush, following the
bursting laughter riot, I started.

‘Listen, you asked and I said it. I would ask for something from you. Would
you reveal a truth for me?’ I asked, gnawing the bubble gum.
‘From me?’ asked Srinitha, with her eyebrows raised.
‘Yeah, you,’ I pointed, looking straight in to her eyes.
‘Hmmm,’ she nodded her head, with her face giving some unconventional
expression.
‘Okay, I heard that some guy had already proposed you in your tenth
standard itself. Who proposed and explain it completely. I love to hear
that.’

Preethi and Carolyn suddenly mumbled something to her ears.

All the three prevented from looking into my eyes. At last Srinitha opened
up with me.

‘Who told you about this?’ she interrogated, with that very well-
identifiable, girl-kind-of query
‘That’s nothing to do with you. Tell me the issue first.’ I sped.
‘I’ll tell you this but you keep these matter under-covers. Will you?’ she
asked dubiously, with her eyes looking crossly into me.
‘Trust me, this is Rajkamal.’ I said with a note of pomposity.
‘Okay, I’ll tell you what happened?’ she started.

I hauled my chair unto her. Even though it’s a tough task I gawked at
her. She showed the same-old sniggering lips to me.
‘Okay, let my ears heed for some sound, Srinitha, Come on,’ I snapped.
‘It was during our standard tenth. One day I was walking from my home
towards the school. I heard someone calling me from my back. I stopped.
He came in front of me and said
“Srinitha, my friend loves you and he wanted me to express this to you.”
It evoked a little bit of comic sense and I jocularly said
“If your friend is not dumb he could come and propose himself. Is he
concealing inside your shirt pocket? If so ask him to hop out and propose
me. I would gift him the most lethal single syllable word. ‘NO’”.
I again strolled towards the school edifice and he yet again clogged me.
“I’m asking this for the last time and what’s your answer?”
I exasperatedly said “I’m sorry that you didn’t hear the last word of mine.
Now please make your ears as sharp as you can. ‘NO…………………………’
If you haven’t heard this now even, come to my class with your pal. I’d like
repeat it once more in front of my friends.”

I sprinted afterwards. I stopped then only near the school. The beauty is
he has never approached me once even. One day I tied a rakhi on the day
of raksha bandhan. I had no problems after wards.
‘Oh, I’ve made everything clear except for the name.’ I raised my
eyebrows and bubbled out bigger.
‘Name…….what Name?’ she nodded her head.
‘My goodness, the name of the guy who sent his moron friend to propose
you or the name of the guy for whom you tied a rakhi,’ I bellowed.
‘Oh, don’t tell me this. Don’t you know the guy’s name? Never act to me.’
she quipped.
‘Seriously, I don’t act.’ I threw my hands far from my body.
‘Ask this question to the guy who conveyed about this dead and buried
inane stuff.’ she added, clicking her ball pen on and off.
I gave up my quest for the name as it was useless for me then.

Sun congested its April-beams and the soothing wind moved me,
and also the clock towards five. The other class girls, I mean my sister
class girls came into the scene, except for my studious sister.
It was a weary day for me. I cycled for more than an hour to
reach my home, because the route was changed for the purpose of
resurrecting the roads in the school zone. From the next day I had to catch
a bus instead of pedaling

PANIPURI KADAI

It was quarter past four. I sat with Ajai and Kishore in the renowned
panipuri kadai, ordering a masala puri.

‘Ajai, you have to know this. CT panics me with the worst torture I have
ever had in my life.’
‘What?’ Kishore joined with Ajai, getting his plate of mushroom.
‘He loves a girl in our class.’ I paused.
‘Who’s that girl,’ both said in unison.
‘The girl is not the problem. The thing is that, he wants me to propose to
her in behalf of him.’ I said.
‘Why don’t you?’ asked Kishore, relishing a spoon of his snack.
‘Just a couple of days back I heard Srinitha’s age-old proposal. It has the
same kind of plot. A guy asked his friend to propose instead of him. Do
you know what the result was? To say like Shakesphere:
It’s twice shame. He who endeavored and he, who expressed,’ I said.
‘Not every girl will be Srinitha in this earth.’ said Ajai swabbing his
spectacles.
‘Not even her friend?’ I imposed.
‘Who,’ Kishore astounded.
‘Preethi, the third bench girl, near Srinitha,' I said, savoring a sumptuous
spoon of Masala puri.

I saw the uncanny reactions from the bespectacled eyes of Kishore.

He gasped and said ‘Did you say Preethi?’
‘Yeah,’ I kind of whispered.

For a moment, I and Ajai enjoyed the reactions of Kishore.

Afterwards, a surge certainty popped up a string of words from his mouth,
which startled us too.
‘Rajkamal, I had to say this to you. You may think this is absurd. You may
feel this awry, but the hunch inside have always announced me that I’m in
love with Preethi.’
He told, which itself was romantic enough to propose to Preethi.
‘I’m waiting all the way for the right time to say, but I have got the right
person to say.’ he clasped my hands.
‘What the hell,’ I yelled, trying to get my hands off from his.
‘Yeah, who else would speak with her? While you propose in behalf of CT
propose for me too,’ he added, shrugging his broad shoulders.
‘Kishore, I’m not ordering for a meal to order as “MAKE IT TWO”. How can I
do this?’ I wondered.
‘No problems, when you say about CT add mine too. Please ya,’ he said, in
which I surprised the inane character inside a slightly well-built physique.

He convinced me for half an hour and Ajai interestingly watched

over all this. I at last reconciled this trouble.
‘Okay, my birthday falls on April 15th and I will do this on that day.’ I
promised.
Inwardly I felt this to be the indecent proposal ever. My intuition
was bantering at me. Yet I had to do this for the sake of my friends. To say
the truth, I wasn’t any philanthropist kind to do that.

But, I had to do this.

Chapter 8
 A COUPLE OF
BIRTHDAYS

The only birthday I spent in Rosemary, the sophomore year

birthday. I took a bus from my domicile. As like a small child, I donned
color dress and had packets of chocolates for the class students. It was a
white color v-neck t-shirt and a boot cut jeans pant.
I reached the class not at my usual timing. I was made to stand in
the front of the class and everybody sung a happy birthday song for me. It
equipped my lips with a smile, which was enough to dole out the
chocolates for the students.
The day was exquisite only till CT came near me and said:
‘This is the last chance I give for you. Go to the tuition today and say her
about my love. If she denies the proposal ask the reason why she too
stared at me. I will be waiting for you on the opposite of the tuition and
come with good news.’

I practiced myself to propose on behalf of CT. during the end of the class
Kishore came hugged me and said:
‘I owe you more than anyone in the earth, for what you are going to do for
me.’
‘Kishore, your dialogues are as romantic as you are to propose a girl. Why
don’t you propose in person? It’d be more effective than this.’
‘No da,’ he said in a dialect that nobody could imitate it like him.

The class got over and then it was my time. Kishore took me in his
buggy and dropped near the Math tuition center. The math tuition center
would have been the worst place to speak to a girl. So, I kept myself
patiently. I went to the chemistry tuition and those three girls went
straight away somewhere, probably to eat.
 I gave chocolates to one of my sister’s class friend, Meera, who stood
in solitude. In another end there was a horde of girls from IGNATIUS GIRLS’
school, a convent school. A couple of them boiled me over. I took the
chocolate box to them.

‘Hi, sorry to intrude, I’m Rajkamal. Today’s my birthday. Will you accept
this chocolate for this mishap that took place sixteen years, exactly,
before?’ I introduced, stretching the box towards them.
‘Many more happy returns of the day and thank you.’ they said in unison.
I then closed my chocolate box and laughed out, moving near Meera.
‘What’s that you are laughing?’ she asked, weirdly gawking at me.
‘Nothing, these girls are wishing a many more happy returns of the day,
but my life span is just 9 years more.’ I said, also enthralling Ignatius
school girls’ attention.
'What?’ Meera astonished.
Also those convent girls mumbled among themselves in which I
heard someone saying ‘He must be having some cancer type of bout ya,’
‘No, No, don’t take it that way.’ I ceased them. ‘Actually I knew Palmistry
and it says so.’ I added.
‘Rajkamal, do you know Palmistry?’ Meera awed.
‘Of course, Meera, look at my life line it’s very short. It says that my life
span is short. Just some 25 years.’ I showed my life line in my right palm.
She neared me and took a close study of my palm.
‘How about me?’ she showed her right palm too.
‘No, only boys in right palm, girls in left palm.’ I insisted.
‘Oh, Okay, Take this.’ she threw her left palm to me.
I started giving my lecture about her life. All those girls who stood
on an end came nearer to take a look. In no minute each and every one
found it working as I said many true stuffs about Meera’s past life, which
she knew that I don’t know.

I finished off Meera. One of those two girls who veritably looked
bubbly, with her pink lips which she damped with her little more pinky
tongue strolled near me.
‘Could you tell my future too?’ she asked in the very soft voice, that I
heard it only because I was keenly observing her lips.
‘Of course,’ I said, clutching her spongy hand. ‘Your name,’ I asked then,
raising my eye brows to see her round face with the cheeks maximum
bubbly.
‘Saranya.’ she said with a lore style.
‘Wow, do you know the meaning of Saranya?’ I asked
She nodded her head, implementing a “NO”.
‘DEDICATION, the dedication of love,’ I terminated.

I took five plump minutes to describe the life of Saranya. Then came
her friends, but I was then in the delight of her magic presence. After
some ten minutes the tuition started loading with students. The tuition
started too. Preethi was yet to reach. After five minutes of the
commencement of the class, they arrived. I decided to convey the matter
after the tuition.

The tuition class was over then. A usual exodus of the students took
place in that narrow passage. I bid a valediction to Saranya, who stood
near the steps wearing her shoes. I waited for her to go. I then stopped
Preethi along with Srinitha and Carolyn.

‘Preethi, wait a minute.’

‘What’s the matter birthday boy,’ she turned in the semi-dark steps and
laughed in a group.
‘I have something to say to you. Would you please wait there down for
everyone to pass by?’ I compelled her.
They became truly silent. Preethi simply nodded and went down.
I slowly descended the steps and I confirmed the vicinity to be a
bit calm. The three girls stood buzzing.
‘What’s it?’ asked Preethi, with her eyes full of excitement.
‘Preethi,’ I stopped. I looked at Srinitha once and then started. ‘What if
somebody could give every single thing in his life to you? What if a guy
could stand at your side in every ordeal, till your last breathe? What if
somebody has fallen in head over heels in love with you?’ I paused,
looking at her wildly startled eyes.
Srinitha and Carolyn were no less shocked.
‘What……….. What are you saying?’ she stumbled.
‘How to answer this question, this will be the most awry answer you ever
heard.’ I swabbed the sweat from my forehead.
‘Do you think I could stand this? Temme soon.’ she excited a step more,
with a small smile inward.
‘A small change in the question, guys. Two of them,’ I said, showing the
number in my hand.
‘What?’ the three yelled in unison.
‘I know this would be odd, but no other go. I was hauled to tell this. CT and
Kishore love you. The only reason I came to say this to you is that they
lacked the courage to propose you. The verdict is in your hand and I won’t
compel any.’ I stood with my fingers crossed.
‘Ask them to go to hell.’ Preethi terminated, extending her fist to make
that action.
‘Okay, I take this word from you.’ I pronounced.

All the three laughed out heavily and I totally felt the ignominy.
The apocalyptic laugh simply mocked at me. I then felt bad for what I did. I
sprinted away from them bidding a good bye. After I went 10 steps ahead
them I heard:
‘RAJKAMAL,’
I turned towards them and I felt a cacophony in chorus:
‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,’
I felt it embarrassing as they sort of laughed in it too. I went out and I
saw CT. the only person I could vent my anger out. I did it.
However, my birthday terminated with a melancholic note, down in
the dumps. The next day was Saturday, of course April the 16th, in other
words Srinitha’s birthday.

APRIL THE 16
TH

I was sitting in the class at 8’0 clock sharp. I was waiting with a
birthday present for Srinitha. I felt the Clairvoyance worked out there,
then. It was Saturday but not the day of color dress.
 Srinitha breezed inside. I turned back to her and gave the smallest
curve my lips could give. She bestowed with the elite smile she ever gave
me. She raised her voice with a surge of delight. I showed the gesture to
keep quiet, by sealing my lips with my forefinger vertically. She
encountered a staggering look at me, which I found difficult to withstand.
‘What happened yesterday was………’ she started.
I raised my hands, gesticulating to cease her words.
I went near her bench and said:
‘Would you please close your lethal eyes?’ I ordered.
She closed her eyes. I went near her ears.
‘Do not open your eyes, here comes my birth day present. I euphonized a
song into her ears:

“In my brief book of life there’s a pretty girl.

The first time I saw her she boiled me.
I wondered what she would be.
I wish I were sky only in nights.
So that I could see her, not with two
But million eyes,

For sixteen years I was far from thee.

Albeit, you were born just a day after me,
I’ve always wanted to see her eyes to
Tell how crazy I’m about her.
But, I couldn’t say that when she has closed her eyes, too.

I didn’t tell her to open her eyes. But she opened and saw me to
electrify me. She dampened her lips and curved it, before she could say
something I raced:

‘Happy Birthday,’
‘Thank you,’
 I turned backwards and got out of the class. I went down and
near the bike parking annexe and saw Blessing.
‘Hey, Blessing. Do you know what happened yesterday?’
‘What did you rape any girl,’
‘What a splendid thought, come on I will explain something interesting
than that.’
I explicated the whole story to him. He laughed out loudly at last.
‘Stop it, Stop it, Blessing. Whom do you laugh at?’
‘Whom to laugh at, I laugh at you, CT and Kishore, the three, at a time.’

It was time for the happy birthday song. Every one stood for Srinitha
that day. She stood smiling taking over with her French plait and new
dress. I prevented myself from seeing her. I just sang. I didn’t know the
reaction of my morning gift even.

It was zoology period, Jacquelin Miss’ class. I sat with CT and Kishore
on my both sides. Blessing and Shuhail were also eager in listening to this,
as if a judge.

‘What did you tell her?’ asked Kishore, adjusting his spectacles.
‘I told:
“Preethi, What if somebody could give every single thing in his life to you?
What if a guy could stand at your side in every ordeal, till your last breath?
What if somebody has fallen in head over heels in love with you?”
Just like that,’
‘This is not like proposing for us, this is totally like proposing for you. You
should have gone pre-planned. And you came out and thrashed me, leave
that,’ fumed CT. ‘I told you to ask her why she stared at me. Did you ask
that fuck?’ he insisted.
Shuhail awing at this said, ‘CT, you have hidden this matter till now,
haven’t you?’
‘Whatsoever, they were making fun out of this thing and I felt disgraced.
So, I left. How could I ask these things?’ I explained.
 Everyone had empathy over me and took half a minute silence, I
determined. Kishore kept his cool. He didn’t question me any. At last
Shuhail ended the conversation:
‘However you have demolished the dreams of two lover boys. Do think
you could survive with your love in this school. It’s highly impossible. We
bet you.’

Then it was evening, time for the tuition. I was slightly frightened
for what I did morning. But, I convinced myself that I didn’t commit any
blunder. I walked, slowly, towards the tuition. It was just 3’0 clock and
some minutes past.

PHYSICS TUITION

How will you trust that I was not in love with Srinitha,
even if I say? But in a refined fashion, I just liked to have her on my side.
In a more refined fashion, if you have ever felt, inwardly, the meaning of
the word “Platonic”, an adjective, with someone, you could understand
me. The adjective is perfect. How about the noun? There are only two
nouns which would fit right. Let me fix the word friendship. “Platonic
Friendship”, yuck! This looks awful from my sight. What the hell? Secondly
let me fit love. “Platonic Love”, well, it looks awesome. Frankly, I don’t
need an awful or an awesome noun. I’m searching a noun which could
make me feel somewhere between these two.

‘Rajkamal, Bravo,’ wailed Preethi, while she climbed the steps of the
tuition.

I was sitting alone in the tuition, only till Preethi and Carolyn arrived.
There was a name missing. Of course, I missed it. At her first word to me, I
understood that Srinitha must have said everything to her.

‘Yeah, hi,’ I said with roving eyes.

‘Carolyn, did you see that? He’s searching someone. Tell him that
“someone” won’t show up today.’ Preethi laughed, keenly observing me.
 I really felt like punching on her face, except for the fact that she’s a
girl and her face looks beautiful.
‘Preethi, your laugh hurts me a lot. And I’m not searching for anybody,
gotcha,’
‘Oh, may be true. But could you make two things clear for me?’
‘If it’s possibly meant to be clarified,’
‘Yesterday you came to me. You delivered a dialogue as if you are gonna
propose me. But you proposed for your friends. And today you have sung
a song to Srinitha, which was a mere pattern of proposing. Whom do you
really wanna propose?’
‘Saranya, from Ignatius convent,’ I said.
‘What,’
‘Holy,’ I stopped. Then I started after swabbing my face. ‘I would tell you
something. I just proposed yesterday on behalf of my friends, only for
them. The song today was just an outflow of my feel. You girls are hardly
smart to propose, you know that?’
‘Do you think you are smart enough to propose?’
‘I’m hardly smart either. But, you don’t mistake yourself.’
‘Okay, I think I’m beautiful enough to be smart.’
‘Beauty is just half the proportion of being-smart. Beauty and brilliancy
encompasses the word smartness. The above statement unwraps that you
aren’t smart enough.’
‘At least I’m a one out of two.’
‘Till you ask no one except your Mom, CT and Kishore,’
‘That’s truly bad.’
‘Preethi, have you infused anything similar this to Srinitha?’
'No, not exactly,’
‘What are you trying to say? No or Not exactly,’
‘No, actually she is pretty clear. I wanted to make it so for me. That’s why I
asked you so,’
‘Then where is she?’
‘She went to see her relative. She must be coming now.’
 Before she finished her sentence, we heard the footsteps of
“someone” coming. It was Srinitha, with a bland smile.

‘Hi,’ Srinitha told.

I reiterated the same and waited for her say something.
‘Rajkamal, what we really did yesterday was not to make you feel
disgusted. It’s just something which we didn’t expect. I know you felt
disgraced. Sorry, for that. And thank you for what you said in morning. It
was feel-good.’ she said.

I was about to speak something but, again after a long time back, I
exacerbated with this coronary blockage. The words were caught
somewhere between the throat and the tongue. I was searching for that. It
was inexplicable. At last I did it.

‘Srinitha, I really just like you. I’m a guy who wants to say things as it felt.
It may look anomalous. But that’s how I was programmed in my mother’s
womb. I meant what I meant.’ I said, trespassing all my diffidence.
‘I can feel it, to say the truth, I felt.’ she said, which treated my blockage.
‘Skip it, how did CT and Kishore felt?’ she effused.

I wonder this one character about girls they care more for their
friends’ proposal than theirs.

‘Hey, CT asked Preethi why she stared, disturbingly, at him during the
class hours.’
Preethi over-reacted for it “God dammit”
‘I’ve seen you, Preethi; you stared at him, when we were sitting out in the
corridor.’ I provided her with an instance.
‘Really, I did that. These girls pushed me out from my place to do so. I
retorted their idea. Whatever I did they pursued the same. I hardly had
any choice. I tried a lot to be out of his eyes’ reach. It was in vain.’ Preethi
said.
‘All of the whole you girls have played a game with a guy.’ I sat back
comfortably folding my hands.
‘Oh, did that blacky take it seriously?’ Srinitha interrogated me.
‘Ya, but mind that the Blacky is my friend,’ I resented her.
‘Sorry. And how about that Kishore, how did he react to it? Furious?’
Srinitha asked sans profanity this time.
‘He is a real gentle man. He has accepted your rejection with profound
decency. He was really polite. Shall I say you something Preethi?’ I saw
her.
‘Say anything except your proposal dialogue. I really hate them than I hate
you.’ she pouted.
I stared her for what she said and started.
‘Okay, coming to the point. I think you would make a nice pair with
Kishore. He is a two-out-of-two in being smart. He must be really romantic.
Why don’t you take up with him, at least as a friend,’ I ended.
‘God dammit, you are such an idiot. You are appraising another guy in
front of a clique of pretty girls.’ said Preethi with a note of pomposity.
‘Hey, I deny the second sentence thousand steps higher than the first
sentence.’ I said, irritated.
‘It’s Okay, but let him to propose in person. If he can, ask him to propose
without his spectacles too. Let us watch what he could.’ stopped Srinitha.
‘Okay, leave this topic. It eats my mind.’ I added with a gesture.
'Then tell something about that girl.’ started Srinitha.
‘Girl, huh, which girl,’ I bewildered.
‘The girl to whom you waved the hand yesterday, when you wore your
shoes.’ she added a little more.
‘Oh,’ I raised my eyebrow. ‘Saranya,’ I smiled to see Srinitha’s eyes. ‘The
effervescent girl who is really pretty,’ I tousled my hair.
They howled like something and the talk continued about Saranya
then. The class started somewhere around 6’0 clock.

‘This is how a Vandegraff generator works. Any doubts?’ Ravishankar Sir

waited for an answer.
There prevailed a very usual silence. A silence is always accepted to
be a symbolic “Yes”. But in the teachers’ view it’s taken as “No”.
‘No, so we finish our first chapter by here and in the next class we will
solve the problems. And by Thursday you will be writing a test on the first
chapter. Okay pa, you may leave.’ he concluded.

We keep our bag usually down the stairs. We took it back and came
out. Some girls wait for their Auto-cab to pick them up while some others
take a walk or a ride in wheels. Srinitha was usually picked up by her Auto.
I had to walk till the bus stand nearby. I waved a bye to my sister and
other known girls and started walking to the bus stand.

I stopped near a shop while passing by and bought a bubble gum. I

opened the cover and threw it away. I saw the cover falling under the legs
of a girl. For a split second, my brain told me ‘hey Rajkamal you have seen
this girl somewhere’. I chided my awkward brain ‘You useless, she’s the
girl to whom we spoke a silent-hour before, Srinitha,’

‘Thank my goodness, I don’t believe this. Srinitha you are going by walk.
Where’s your auto?’ I stopped there, clogging her too.
‘It’s under repair.’ she said.
‘Would you like to take a walk with me?’ I implemented.
‘If your Saranya, don’t hate you for that.’
‘She won’t, come.’

It was a busy market road. We walked every step of the way, with a
decent and copious space between us. I had another bubble gum, which I
took out of my pocket and gave her.

‘Srinitha, need a Bubble gum?’

‘Ya, the India-Pakistan match must have started now?’
‘Oh, Cricket again. It’s killing me.’
‘Don’t you watch cricket?’
‘No.’
She suddenly awed at me and sealed her lips with her hand. It’s her
usual gesture of expressing astonishment. She again started:
‘Oh, I think it’s a great shame for a guy like you to say this in a cricket
crazy country.’
‘Srinitha, it’s just a game.’
‘Have you seen India-Pakistan Match? It’s not just a game. In other words,
we don’t see it as a game.’
‘Oh, I don’t like to show my patriotism in this way. ’
‘No, you should have seen the last match. Irfan’s shots were really out of
the world.’
‘Okay, who’s that Irfan?’
‘My god, you don’t know Irfan Pathan. It’s a very big shame. He is my
favourite player. If my sister hears this, she would suspect you for a boy.’
‘Well, I’d remember this name, for the sake of your sister, Irfan Pathan.’
‘How did you waste sixteen years of your life without watching cricket?’
‘Srinitha, I had my interest in lot of other things. I sing, I dance and I write
stories.’
‘Oh, you write stories, huh?’
‘Of course, I want to become a director, you know?’
‘Really, I like movies a lot too. What kind of stories do you write?’
‘Romantic,’
‘That’s cool, director.’
‘Thanks, and you like only cricket huh?’
‘Rajkamal, I learnt bharatha natiyam. I’m a classical dancer.’
‘Oh my goodness, I don’t know you are a classical dancer. I must have
known it from the expression of your eyes. Your eyes are already
apocalyptic and your eyes and the bharatha natiyam combo should drive
me crazy, I promise you. I love to see classical dancing. I want to see your
dance someday.’
‘You should sing on the day and I dance for you.’
‘That will be a mismatch’ I shrugged, pouting my lips.
‘I think it will match, Rajkamal.’

She looked at me, with her head slightly tilted and her eye balls
at the corner of their sockets. Along with her words, the sight too stabbed
me, badly.

‘Fine, skip it, and may I ask you one thing, Rajkamal,’
‘Except for cricket,’
‘How could you fizz out a bubble this easily? It was amazing when you
bubbled out a bigger one that day.’
‘Oh, you don’t know to fizz out a bubble, huh?’
‘Dude, you don’t know Irfan Pathan. I just don’t know to fizz out a bubble.’
‘Bigger shame on my part, fine, look at here,’ I saw her making small
steps. ‘Knead the bubble gum as round as chapatti dough, with the help of
your tongue.’
‘Hmmm, now,’
‘Now press the bubble gum between your tongue and upper jaw to make it
flat. The same chapatti making technique, have you?’
‘Hmmm,’
‘Now, this is a very crucial situation. Bring the flat piece in front of your
closed jaw and penetrate your tongue into the midpoint clutching the
other two ends with your teeth. Now your tongue must come out.’
‘Hmmm,’
‘Hahn, that’s it. Now blow some air inside the small-space available in the
bubble gum via tongue.’
‘Pphhhhhh……’

She struggled to fizz out a bubble. Unfortunately, she spat the

bubble gum down. I was bursting in laughter then. She pouted her lips as
if she had lost a battle. She was adorable at that time too. She walked with
her head hung down with a hand on her forehead, a very usual reaction of
hers. She slightly held her head high and sniggered, usually then. My
laugh added with her snigger had always been an ecstasy, a wild ecstasy.

‘It’s Okay, Srinitha. This is the first time. It’s natural that you spat.
Tomorrow is Sunday. Go home, take a bubble gum. Try out for a day and
you would get it on Monday.’
‘Okay, Rajkamal, But please do not say this to Preethi or Carolyn.’
‘Okay, but why?’
‘Those girls would make fun out of anything. I don’t want to be
humiliated.’
‘Oh, then what did they say about the poem I sang this morning.’
‘Oh, they harangued me a lot.’ she said and suddenly decreased her voice.
‘And, what do you think about that?’

We walked a few steps without any syllable

pronounced. We didn’t see our eyes for those few minutes. What is she
thinking, was what I was thinking. Don’t ever think that breaking such a
silence is so easy.

‘If you,’ I started and before I could say anything she started something.
‘I, huh,’ she paused to look at me and I stopped to listen her.
‘The craziness you felt over me is a reversible reaction, I think because I
love that,’

It was about to reach my bus stand and she had to part her way
within a minute or two. But, I wish the path grew longer enough to keep
her near me. I cleared my throat.

‘Srinitha, I’m simply being carried away. Must be your eyes, the
expressive, maximum expressive one I have ever seen. . Drop me here.
Do not take me with you.’
‘Oh, poetry,’
‘Seriously, I lied to Preethi before you came in.’
‘A lie,’
‘I lied you are not smart enough. But you are.’
‘Oh, am I smarter than your Saranya, Ignatius convent, the effervescent
girl, the really pretty girl. Won’t she torment if she sees you with another
smart girl.

That proved the smartness of that versatile sylph. I had no other

answer other than a smile. I saw my bus, which already started from its
stop, and sprinted towards it. I ascended the foot-board, turned towards
her and shouted:

‘I don’t mind even if I miss Saranya for you. I love you.’

 I fizzed out a bubble for her as the final touch. The bus sailed
through the narrow road of the city. Through the cloud of dust I lost her
visibility, but not in the third eye.

“Birthday wishes” are believed to be the sweetest

fashion of expressing one’s love. I had the same myth; she too must have
had it. We wished our life to be cheerful and filled with bliss ever after.
From the very next day we exchanged our greetings, some really
omnipresent- omnipotent- omniscient- being power, determined some
veritably dreadful episodes then.

Chapter 9

Action Blocks

‘Mahesh, I wonder why they make this much time even after the hall is
chock-a-block.’
Mahesh and I had been friends for more than seven years and that
was the first movie for which he gave a thought of coming to theatre. His
Mom never sends him to theatre. It was RAM theatre, one of the popular
and trendy theatres of the city, to which we rode in our cycle. Near the
theatre my cycle was punctured and we left it in a repairing shop nearby
and went off to the theatre. Naga too joined us after sometime as his
home was pretty near the theatre.
‘Ya, this is too late.’
‘Rajkamal, I need a help, would you please make me join in Math and
chemistry tuition?’ asked Naga.
‘No problem Naga, come with me this Monday.’
‘How about the money,’

Before I could answer the curtain opened and the sound deafened
our ears. The movie started, ‘CHANDHRAMUKHI’, a RAJINIKANTH film.
Mahesh is a hard-core fan of RAJINI for which he came to the film. It was
my second time. I usually like to see movies the first day.

The film was great due to Jyothika’s acting, according to me. But
there were whistles and usual stuffs that filled the hall. Many liked the film
it seemed.

‘Hey, Mahesh the first half is just Okay. But for the rib-tickling comedies
and the climax it is creating history.’
‘Ya, but there is one reason that removes all negatives of the film, it’s
called RAJINI,’
‘One helluva reason,’ I said as a fan of Kamal hasan.

Naga took back to home and I promised him that I would take him to
the tuitions. I and Mahesh went back to the repairing stand. The hand
there informed us to wait for some more minutes. We waited outside the
stand.

Just then, two guys came near us. I confirmed to Mahesh that I don’t
know them. Both of them must be school students, I’d seen them
somewhere, I thought. I was unaware of why they came near us (actually,
me). The only thing I felt till they stopped near me was they had a bad
taste wearing a blood-red cap, both of them.

‘Hey, come on here.’ called one of them, with a commanding note.

 It harshly hit my ears, which evoked a bit of annoyance too. I went
near them, politely. They were not up to the mark physically to do that.
They stood as if Heroes, with their cool maintained, because they were
ignorant about the infuriation that spilled over my eyes.

‘Are you Rajkamal?’ asked one of those moustache less guys, in a voice
that increased my heat.
I just nodded my head.
‘You are trying out to pick-up Saranya, the news comes out like this. Is
that true?’ the other guy asked, adjusting the cap in his head.
‘Who are you?’ I inquired, without giving a second thought that they may
be her brother.
Because I knew brothers won’t use words like that.

‘What’s it for you?’ one of them said with a note of disgrace.

‘We just came to warn you not to turn to her side here after. We saw you
near the tuition with her. Somebody else is in love with her.’ the other
added, in his inane voice.
Those cap guys kick started their Yamaha RX-100 and stared at me,
assuming them from the clan of veerappan. They appeared to be from the
clan of Mr. Bean for me.
‘Keep it in mind,’ he said and throttled his bike.
The words hardly struck my mind. He switched to his first gear and
throttled few meters.

I shouted, ‘Why don’t you advise this to that girl?’

They U-turned and raised the bike near my groin region with a
thought of intimidating and raised their voice to me.

‘Hey, how the fuck can you say this, you asshole,’ they throttled the bike.

That’s the only problem with me. These obscene words could turn
me mad. I turned mad then. I just kicked and hauled their bike down. They
deranged and fell badly on the whole with their bike.
 The first knock will be as sweet as the first kiss, a step higher than
that even. It changes the way you look at things. It gives the courage for
the certain hits, the second, third and the consecutive times too. On their
first fall I felt the man in me. Inanely, I mistook the word “man” in the
sentence for a “warrior” then. Mahesh, who was looking that from a long
end came and stood two feet away. They took their bike and gave a side
stand, scrutinizing for any damages. The opponents’ Achill’s heel is the
confidence in our face, in any game. I found theirs, as it’s a sort of game
too.

The second, third knocks took their confidence and Caps to the
ground level.

They at last collected their bike and brayed:

‘Hey, we are from John’s school and you have done a mistake. We know
everything about you. Let’s have the play on Monday; I’m coming for you
with my school guys. Prove you there let’s see.’

I was jerked then. I felt the mistake I did. Those two worthless guys
were from the school that is capable of anything.

‘What’s this?’ Mahesh baffled.

‘Didn’t I tell you about Saranya? This must be his boy-friend or the one-
side lover. Probably the one-side lover,’ I said, sprinting to the nearest
shop for some water.
‘Why the hell do you make problem with them?’ Mahesh annoyingly
shouted.
‘They started it,’ I drank a glass of water. ‘I was out of my mind then. It’s
not my fault,’ I drank the second glass.
‘Who said so? Why do you take up with anonymous girls? See what has
happened?’ he threw my cycle key on my face.

The cycle was repaired then. I took the cycle out, paying for the
repairmen.
‘Mahesh, leave this to me. I think I could handle this.’ I said pedaling the
cycle towards home.
‘What could have happened if some seven or eight guys would have
surrounded you? Could you do the same there?’ Mahesh resented me.
‘Let’s think about it when it happens,’ I said, heedlessly.
‘Will they come on Monday? Whatever it may be, you don’t go to tuition on
Monday.’ Mahesh gave an idea.
‘However they can get me anywhere. Even near the school or my home. I
can’t get absconded for these silly reasons. I will take care.’ I convinced
myself.

These useless-heroic dialects were only due to the intoxication,

the first knock down gave. I didn’t realize it then. We reached Mahesh’s
home, where his mother was waiting out of the gate for his son.

‘Let’s meet on Monday,’ I bid the valediction and rode back home, thinking
of the possible hoodoo that could happen to me.

Yet, I was certain to face anything.

I was sitting in the city bus, traveling through the longest route to
get to the school on Monday. I took out my text book to read out
something. It went futile because of the words that chronically echoed in
to every deaf cell of my body too. My body tissues went gangrenous.
Those words:
“Let’s have the play on Monday; I’m coming for you with my school guys.
Prove you there let’s see”.

John’s school guys, the extra-ordinarily tough guys, the straight

opposites of any creature in Rosemary. I had the book in my hand, bubble
gum in my jaws and fear in my mind. The Bus reached my stop. I reached
the school by quarter past my usual timing. I strode into my class,
unnoticing whatever happened inside. There was a chemistry exam that
day and, after some two minutes of my arrival, I saw no one in the boys’
side studying.

I turned back to see who ever where present. Sundar, the one whom
I mostly hated in the class due to no reason, was narrating something to
Blessing, Kishore and Ajai. I was not interested in peeping at that then.
Almost half the proportion of girls had already occupied their positions, as
usual. I had to study for the chemistry test, neglecting all those thousand
thoughts that crossed through my mind. I then did wide shut my eyes for a
few moments to overcome all those. I succeeded in fewer seconds and
then opened the horrible chemistry book Volume-1, the physical
chemistry.

‘Don’t you have anything termed as “brain” in your head?’ started

Blessing rudely, who came near me as soon as I gave a thought for
studying.
‘I don’t get your point,’ I bewildered, replying to his absurd question.
‘I have told a lot about that girl and you are still at her back, aren’t you?’
he shrieked, which I stopped chewing my bubble gum.
‘Don’t act. Didn’t you walked with Srinitha in the market road last
Saturday night. I warned you about her and even after that you are
continuing this.’ he ferociously gazed at me.
‘What are you saying? Blessing it must be something………………’ I
started. Before that he took me to the last bench.

He also howled out Sundar to come to the last bench. Along with
Sundar came Ajai and Kishore.

‘Hey, Sundar, tell him what you said us,’ he initiated.

‘Rajkamal, I saw you with that bitch when you were walking in the market
road.’ he confirmed with my looks and turned towards the others.
’Do you guys know what he was doing while walking. He was teaching her
the CONSTRUCTION and WORKING PRINCIPLE of FIZZING OUT A BUBBLE.
What a teaching, what a teaching,’ Sundar jocularly mocked me.
Before I could say anything Arun gopal entered in and asked us why were
we guys occupying his place?
‘Shut your fucks up and sit,’ terrorized Blessing. He then turned towards
Sundar and said ‘You continue,’
‘Ya, Herald and I were riding from Panipuri kadai. Just then we saw these
two. Herald horned out at their ass. But there was no single reaction. They
kept enjoying their company. For dignity’s sake we left the place.’
accomplished Sundar.
‘What are you saying now?’ Blessing imposed the question, for which I was
not prepared to answer any.
‘Blessing, it was just like that, I had to catch the bus at the station and she
had to go home and for no other good reason we walked in couple from
the tuition.’ I told which wasn’t any weird.
.

Blessing stood and went off hearing that reply. The class became
full-packed when our argument was going on. The issue became a rage,
before I could think even. The news spread like a set on fire. I still sat on
the last bench with Arun, Ajai and Kishore with me.

‘Believe anyone except that girl. I’d tell you something new about that
already known stuff, her old proposal. After she rejected him she started
spreading about this to every girl in the school. She made herself popular
by this news. She even made a bad remark on that guy to girls. Fanatic
sadist she is,’ told Kishore, rising from that place.

Every one left the place. I was sitting in the last bench with Arun
and Ajai. It was time for bell.
‘Arun, you know Blessing from your third standard right?’ I asked Arun
with something striking hard in my heart.
‘Ya, what’s that for?’
‘I have got a great doubt. And you have got to clear that.’ I stopped,
looking at his long face with steak of Viboothy.
He nodded.
‘Blessing becomes very emotional and rude while speaking about Srinitha.
I doubt him for her old proposal. Do you know anything about that or the
at least name of that stupid?’ I exasperated.
‘No, I don’t know.’ he gave the most awkward answer.

Just then I got the clue, it may be Blessing. The bell went and the
classes got started. The chemistry class started and we managed to
postpone the exam for the next day. We got the consent to study. As
usual I went out.

Once more Kishore was out near me. Sundar and CT too joined with
him.

CT with his full dismay in the proposal matter said ‘You know something
Kishore; if he hasn’t given any wrong comment about our courage and
other stuffs she would have at least given a thought about this. This fucker
demolished out everything.’

Every one nodded their head as if giving consent to his bit of crap. It
enticed my heat. I started spilling out words which was out of my control.
‘Who told? Do you think she would have accepted you?’ I spat, offering
him a worst look.
‘Ya, if not for me at least for Kishore,’ he said as if it was a very simple
deal.
‘CT, you are an absolute moron, Preethi don’t want both of you. I even
spoke on Kishore’s side. She doesn’t want to be-friend even.’ I tried to give
some clarification.
‘What the fuck, are we nuts to believe this? I’m sure that you wouldn’t
have done this. She did stare at me for weeks together and now how come
she says “NO”. Don’t ever lie.’ CT laughed without any fear for what I said.

This drifted me to tell them some truth. I didn’t know that it was
the worst time to unwrap. I was completely out of my mind then.

‘Okay, guys, I’ll give you a clear cut explanation. She saw CT just for fun
and for no other sake. It’s due to their friends who insisted to do so. And
she doesn’t have any corners in her heart for you.’ I stopped, looking at
his coal-black face turning pale. ‘Speaking about Kishore, she gave a harsh
comment. She asks you to come and propose in person, without any
spectacles. I don’t know why she said this but she doesn’t have any
spaces for you too. If you guys were so keen about this, then you should
have gone. And how come you two gave the thought of proposing at the
same time. Completely ridiculous, but I didn’t want to mention this too till
now.’ I terminated totally.

I shut their mouth; I know for sure, especially the one of CT’s. After I
went through a stream of patience, I discovered my reply to be hurting. I
knew they would be hurt. I had rare choices that made me reply so. I felt
bad for that. My hunch longed to ask a sorry then, which my rational brain
disposed.

To say in precise, I know that they created a teeny hatred for me.

I didn’t forget the John’s school guys. I was waiting all the time for
them. I had the thought of asking the help of my guys to accompany me.
But, how can I?

Naga, who sat near me that day, pestered me about the tuition.
At least he would make my company, only if I were not to say him the
truth. Back in the girls’ row at the time of lunch interval, Srinitha suddenly
called me, by waving her hands. I raised my eye brows expressing a what?
She slightly raised her both hands and moved her lips to which I dubbed
wait a second. She slowly chewed the bubble gum in her mouth. I
understood that she was about to effervesce it. As per the theory, she
went on. I saw her pinky lips coming out with a fine film of bubble gum.
She slowly blew air inside and I expected it to fall down.

But, she did it. A medium sized bubble. Anyways, I had to appreciate
my student for the performance. I clapped without any sound. She smiled
with shrugging her shoulders and chewing the bubble gum again.

That was a medley of feelings. I felt sorry for what I spoke to my

friends. I was afraid, if a gang comes to thrash me. I sensed annoyance
with Naga’s pestering. I rejoiced in my student’s hit. The air passing
through suffocated me. Totally I felt, hell or something more than that. My
heart beat started rising to its zenith, when my clock showed 4’0 clock. I
went out with the exodus. I had Naga at my side. He constantly blathered
about studies and his timetable to study. I reached the Math tuition. No
one attacked me then. They must come during the chemistry tuition, I
determined.

‘Sir, Naga Rajesh. He’s from our A1. He needs to join our tuition Sir,’ I
introduced Naga to Sam Sir, standing out of the class.
‘No problem, come on in. Write your name in the register over there.’ he
said, also accepting the good evening salutations of the girls passing in.
‘Thank you Sir,’ Naga flaunted a flat smile.

The Math tuition went on. Naga sat near me at the last row of
chairs. Girls used to sit in the front rows. I tried to listen the class, despite
aware of the harbinger. Sam Sir was usually criticized for teaching in air.
He omits some of the steps. He scraps them in air, reading it orally. He
used this technique for a special reason. He usually says:
‘If I’m gonna write every step in the black board you too would copy it in
your note book. If I omit some steps, you would think over while revising.
It would enhance your knowledge over the problem.’

The twilight was on the top which filled the ambience. The class got
over and we wore our shoes, which we left in the corridor. I descended the
stairs of the Math tuition, with Naga. I showed the chemistry tuition to
Naga.

‘Oh, this is Chemistry tuition huh, it looks good. Come let’s climb up.’ Naga
hastily said.
‘No, Naga. Another batch will be going on. We will have to wait till the
clock strikes six.’ I answered, putting my right hand around his shoulder.

As usual those three girls went out. I went and sat near the staircase.
Meera smiled with her loosely-braid. Naga also sat there with me.
‘Rajkamal, Why’s your face so dull today?’ Meera asked, putting one of her
two plaits behind her shoulders.
‘Nothing, Just-huh-just nothing,’ I replied, scrubbing my face with both the
hands.
Before I could open my eyes, I heard someone saying ‘hi Rajkamal!’
I turned towards the sound. It’s the root cause of my fear, Saranya from
Ignatius convent.
‘Hi!’ I countered, looking around.

I knew that she was completely unaware of the problem. I saw the
same bubbly face with the same-old-pink lipped-smile. She came in a pink
Salwar-kameez with a net duppatta. Single plaited. Her ear-ring was also a
different kind called jhimiki. Girls wear them only in occasions.

‘Birthday,’ I gave a wild guess.

‘No, no,’ she laughed. ‘I’m coming from a marriage. I didn’t attend school
today. How about you? Why do you look so strange today?’ she narrowed
her face, cuddling the note book close to her bosom.
‘Do I look so, must be because I’m completely worn out today. Sorry for
being so.’ I said, looking at her dampened lips.

She nodded her head, accepting that. I saw her jhimiki oscillating
as her head moved.

The gang-of-three came soon. Naga found it eccentric to sit in

between a horde of girls. He went out saying:
‘I’ll come back after some ten minutes.’

Preethi stood next to Saranya. She saluted a ‘hi’ to Saranya and

confirmed her name. Saranya too joined her company.

Just then I saw those two blood-red-cap guys. They wore the same
cap that day also. My eyes roved and explored also some other six big
guys behind them. They were looking at me from an audible distance
outside the compound wall.
 I heard the sound of my heart’s beat. Interrupting that another
sound reached my ears, it is Preethi’s.

‘Rajkamal is she Saranya?’ she shouted, pointing at Saranya. Those guys

observed what Preethi was saying. Saranya stood still with a reaction that
I didn’t understand. Srinitha heedlessly shouted in her husky voice.

‘Could you repeat the dialogue that you always say about her?’ she
paused for a second, looking at my frightened face. ‘If you don’t
remember its Okay, I remember the dialogue myself. “Saranya, Ignatius
convent, the effervescent girl, and the effigy of being really pretty,” Why
don’t you propose her now?’ she laughed, in the company of Meera and
Carolyn.

I sensed the heat those guys developed in that split second,

especially one of those cap guys. He must be in love with Saranya. I
insisted Preethi to stop it. They didn’t know what was happening. Those
guys then started speaking among themselves. The first batch got over
and students started coming out. They went out of that narrow path only
for that good reason.

We went into the class, removing the shoes. I sat in the second
bench. Boys’ row in the right and the girls’ row by the left. I envisaged the
picture of that octad in my mind. Those girls sat in a group in their third
bench.

I forgot Naga in this hiatus. I felt that he has gone and gone
forever. But, within few seconds he came unto me.

‘When will the teacher come?’ Naga asked, standing near me.
‘He’ll be coming in minutes and where did you go Naga? I’ve been waiting
to tell you something.’ I started, vacating some place for him to sit.
‘Wait, I’ve something to say you too. I went to the opposite shop to eat
some snacks. There, some seven to eight guys sat around my table. They
were talking about thrashing some guy who is inside the tuition now. I
could well understand that there will be a first-class action scene today,
after the tuition. They planned to wait outside the tuition. I know the
place. Let’s go it will be of great entertainment.’ he overwhelmed, without
knowing the truth
‘What else did they say?’ I asked, unable to react to the situation.
‘It’s nothing da, a guy over their group is crazy with some girl in this
tuition and some other fucker is triggering out for her it seems. Some
crap. What’s it for us. Let’s go and enjoy the action block.’ he said.

It won’t be an action block for sure I concluded, from those six

physiques. May be a tragic block, I puzzled. I felt a coronary blockage, this
time not romantic. I however liked to tell the facts to Naga.

‘Naga I’m the guy,’

‘What guy?’
‘Yes, I’m the one about whom they were talking about.’
‘What the fuck, do you know what they were planning?’ he quivered. ‘They
have planned to beat you black and blue.’ panicked Naga, with shriek in
his voice.
‘Naga, cool it, Let us speak with them,’ I said.
‘Let us speak with them___huh___ Please___ change the plural form to
singular form. You go, speak, cool those thugs and you come back. No
problem! I’ll be waiting to carry you to hospital.’
‘Naga, it’s not that big. I’ll handle it.’

I started planning what to say them. I decided a lot of things.

1) To not run
2) To veil the fear under the cover called “courage”
3) To speak politely
4) To cease the problem today
5) To follow the above plan
I didn’t sense, how that would end up. However, I should act
wise, I reckoned.
 THE BREAK
CHAPTER 10

I wished the class to grow till eternity but the class got over in a
second. I wore the shoes and I asked Naga to stand out. The exodus of
students left before me. I waited in the tuition for less than three minutes
for everyone to clear the place.

I walked towards the place where they stood. I saw them amidst
the smoke of cigarette, which some of them had in hand. Why they want
to give such effects, I thought. The place was filled with darkness and
smoke and only one light at the end of that narrow path. I swaggered
towards them. They buzzed among them at the other end. I hardly saw
their face. But, they identified me from the distance. The April air pricked
me hardly. I noticed that I was just a meter away from them. I started
before they could.

‘I think you are searching for a guy named Rajkamal. I’m Rajkamal,’ I
certainly said.

As soon as they heard that, they neared me. I could hardly see
their faces. There was no one in the surrounding except an octad thugs
and me.

‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, here comes the saga-boy,’ one of them bantered,
coming closer.
‘Listen I could explain what happened from the first thing. They could
have…………’

Before I could finish the sentence, a guy plucked both my bag and
my nerve. I got back both back from his hand, pushing him towards the
other side.

‘I said I’ll explain………’ I shouted at my high decibel-deafening voice,

which just silenced them.
‘What the fuck, ____ what are you gonna say, _____ we know and we saw.
We believe our eyes. One of those pros explained clearly for what we
came. Are you gonna deny,’ said a guy, slightly matured.
‘Those girls were kidding with me. I don’t love Saranya. Understand my
point.’ I explicated, with a kind of emotion.
‘Let it be, why did you hit our guys? How can you do that?’ another guy
raised his hands as if to hit me.

I blocked his hand as hard as I can. At once, three others pushed me

back and my bag fell down at that moment. I knew that I can’t fight back. I
had no choice. They pushed me harder and harder. And then I saw a girl
crossing through me. It was Srinitha. Even though they were making hell
of noise, I noticed her. I surprised why she remained back in tuition for this
long gap. To my shock, she passed off even after giving a look at me. She
gawped in a rude manner. She showed no big reactions. It hurt me a lot
than them. How could she go like that?

A surge of angry burst opened from me, due to her. I saw her, she
didn’t even look back. She walked as if I was no one to her. She wasn’t
disturbed. I stood back pertinently when they pushed me for the next step,
with agony of hurt. For the next push I gave a ferocious counter for all the
three. They slowly regained their balance and hopped over me. I fell back
on the ground. They all rolled over me.

The matured guy in the group ceased us from rolling down. I then knew
that my shoe slipped off my feet.

‘Ho, how dare you again touch our guys?’ he roared.

‘That’s not the fact. They start it and not me. This is what happened the
last time too. Your guys took me for granted and they intimidated me too.
How do you think a boy to be tolerant after that? Anyways, you speak for
your side and there is no point in arguing this. How should we end this?
Tell me. I’m ready for anything. What should we do to end this?’ I stood up
and panted, searching my shoe.

They took some time to decide it over and I stood aside. I wore my
shoe and took my bag that fell in ground. They at last came to a
conclusion.
‘Look here, this guy, Meghavannan, loves Saranya and he resides near her
home too. He would propose her within days and we don’t want you to
come in his way.’ he concluded.

‘That’s fine and if Mr. Meghavannan has said in this same way there
wouldn’t have been any fights. Okay, however I don’t love Saranya and
swear that I won’t come in your way.’

They went off and Naga came near me. We went to Ruchi hotel,
the hotel known for its tasty parottas, for two reasons. First, we were
hungry and next we partied for that unnamed incident that took place.

‘I was afraid that you would be beaten to death. You are sitting in front of
me and eating now and I can’t believe this.’
‘Naga leave that, did you see Srinitha? Why did she come from the tuition
after such a long time gap?’
‘Yeah, I saw her when she strolled near me. I found her a little bit annoyed
and I don’t know the reason.’

We then caught our bus and went to home. I turned on my music

player and I slept before I knew.
Why she walked away least caring when I was at stakes, I
asked myself.

The next day, I and Blessing arm-wrestled power before the second
bell, in front of PKS. We were both struggling to win. I sat facing the board
and Blessing to the girls’ side. Rashideen, Soma and Ajai were the viewers.
First, I went half-down and then he tried to take the winning slam. I knew
girls would be watching this too. Suddenly, I hauled my energy to my arms
and gave a great sound neutralizing his power. The sound was like
 Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
It was no minute that every one started laughing and PKS ordered us to
kneel down.

He was correcting something. I wondered from where he got that

much answer papers. He spends the three-fourth of his time in evaluating.
He was fond of making the students to kneel down.
The E1 class girls came to our class to get their corrected answer
papers. He flaunted his 32 long and half the way leaping out teeth to
them. He managed to flirt them. He also loves to speak in pun-double
meaning- in a blue manner. He lost his respect, even though he didn’t
have any. His punishments started being a point of joy. Every one of us
enjoyed that. He used to pass jokes, double meaning, in front of the girls.
Every time I saw him I remembered how he opened the door of his home.
Precisely, we started playing, sitting on his top. A lot of guys had joined his
tuition centre. The reason was he would out the question before the exam.

That day we had the questioning session in Tamil. It sucked that I

didn’t answer. The day went slowly without any events. The day went very
slowly. I tried to look at Srinitha and she kept her face very weird that I
decided to vent the anger in the physics tuition.

The evening bell rang. I started to the physics tuition. I saw those
two Scotties passing me.

I went inside the tuition. I took my path to the upstairs. I felt a pin-
drop silence there. All the three sat showing their back to me. They didn’t
utter a word to themselves too. I found the situation bizarre. I dragged a
chair for me and sat in my usual domain.
I liked to start as I already planned.

‘Srinitha, you saw me in the hands of those thugs and you went off
without showing any small disturbance. How could you do this to me?’ I
shouted.
The next few words were unexpected for me and it shook my total
system.
‘Who are you to me? Why should I bother for you?’ she turned her head
slightly and spilled her anger through the words.
‘What are you saying?’ I bawled.
‘Oh, you don’t know what happened isn’t that?’ she mocked.
‘Seriously, Srini, I don’t know, temme,’

I saw her emotions stagnated as tears. She stopped for a few

seconds and started explicating with an angry vigor.

‘Two guys stopped me after the tuition got over; I couldn’t even see their
faces clearly in that darkness. They asked Preethi and Carolyn to get off
from the place. They simply asked “Do you love Rajkamal?” I just turned
aside and started walking without answering. One of them suddenly
caught my hand hardly. I tried to pull the hand from him and I can’t.’

Without her knowledge, tears started rolling down her eyes. I saw her
sobbing for the first time, the very first time. She mopped it away from her
cheeks and continued.

‘One of those nutcases pulled me back and said “You silly strumpet,
answer my question”. I strongly shouted “NO”. Even then they clutched
my hand tightly. There was no one to help me. I knew I was crying. They
still said “We know every thing and here after keep away from him”. They
left my hand then. They warned me and went off.’ She finished.

Preethi tried to console her. She too looked me indifferent.

‘Oh, they warned you and so you are keeping away from me, right?’ I
questioned.
‘No, not for that, those guys were from our school and I inferred that from
their uniform code. Who else could have said them that we are in love.
Why do you do this?’ she raised her voice.
‘What the hell, how could you say this? Do you think I’d have done that?
I’m not a guy who goes behind and do things like that. Rajkamal isn’t that
type of guy madam. Understand,’
 I saw her becoming a little bit cooler. Actually, I had to confess
something; the above dialogue was an adaptation from the film

“Sachein”, which I saw just a week before. I liked that dialogue very
much and I got a similitude incident to recite it.

‘Srini, why do you want to take these kinds of stuffs seriously? You know
something; I too have been constantly questioned about our relation. I
don’t even mind them. Our class guys also cautioned for being in your
company. They added the reasons too. A lot of them gave a lot of opinion
about you, mostly bad. Do I bother them? I don’t. If somebody says
something, first think and then react. Don’t just explode. I knew my Srini!
She explodes a minute and suddenly gets cool the other minute. But you
know some people they tend to get hurt.’

I gave that long advice to her and went down to get some water. I
took a jar of water and climbed the stairs. I gave the jar to Srini. She gave
a bland look, with some traces of doubt in me.

‘Srinitha, again I’m saying this, don’t give any dubious looks.’ I went and
stood near the window.
‘Okay, in the middle, you said that a lot gave a lot of bad opinion about
me. What are they and who are they?’ she drank the water and came near
me.
‘Skip it Srini you would get hurt.’ I answered without looking at her, even
though she was just a step behind me.
‘No I won’t. I had to know. I had to know what they think about me.’ she
twirled my shoulders.
‘No, how can I say that?’ I stumbled, unable to see her dampened eyes.
‘I won’t say this to anyone. I swear. Temme,’ she sure-footedly gestured.
‘That’s why I tell you this Srini. Every thing was a result of wrong analysis
and false information. I don’t believe them. And I didn’t believe them. So
should be you when it comes to me. That is what is called as trust, an
adhesive stuff for any relation bond. I have that. Do you?’ I imponderably
said.
 The last one was my own dialogue. It truly came from my heart.
She gave her trademark-snigger. What did that mean? I bewildered.
Prabha, Aishwarya and others climbed upstairs then.

‘No body is perfect Srinitha,’ I terminated.

We settled back as if we were casual.

‘Rajkamal, we saw you today in your Tamil class. You were standing for
not answering your questions, weren’t you?’ mocked Aishwarya, dragging
chairs from my side.
‘That’s why we took French instead. No problem. No question. Even the
teacher doesn’t know any answers.’ Prabha bantered.

After the tuition got over, I sat out of the home with my socks and
shoes. I just inquired Srini if she was clear, wearing my socks. She nodded
her head. Her Auto halted there near the tuition. She nodded again, wore
her socks and embarked the Auto. She showed her valediction with her
eyes and I accepted it with my eyes tying my shoe laces tightly.

I thought she understood every thing, but……………….

THE NEXT DAY

I alighted from a city bus, which stooped in our school stopping.

The day was too sunny then. I strolled inside the school. To my surprise,
Srinitha, Preethi and Prenitha were only present in the class. I kept my bag
in my place. I smiled at them and as usual dragged a small bench and
desk to the middle of the class. I placed them beneath the fan. I
experienced the same dullness in Srinitha’s eyes. She took her eyes out of
the text book in her hand and gave a sly look.
‘Preethi, Why’s your friend so dull?’ I asked.
‘Hey, why do you drag me into your issue? Ask her.’

After a long gap we started our gesticulated conversation.

Did you cry then?

She nodded her head.
No! No!

So, I thought she was fine. Even though she looked dull, I came to
that conclusion. I was wrong, which I didn’t determine then.

The clock showed quarter past eight and the class started occupying.
That day had something in store for me. I had to study for the botany test
that day. I sat with Naga in the first bench. We both started studying and
reciting to each other. The first bell went and then the second. No one
came to the class. The class was filled with a hell of commotion, both
studying and chatting. It was Tamil period. Only then, Rashideen said:

‘Today there is a marriage function of a teacher. All the teachers went

there. There is only the Pt instructor in the campus to control. We are free
for at least two hours from now.’
However, we had a botany test at noonday. I had to study, never
minding the noise in the class.

Every thing was fine till the clock stroked nine. I was studying and
some boys were chatting. Many girls were studying with a chronic
uncontrollable cacophony. It’s a very rare situation in Rosemary. I was
reciting something to Naga.
‘Don’t blether stories of your own.’ said Naga. ‘If you write this same in
test she would strike it out fully.’

I desperately once again read the tome. Only then I felt something,
similar to the clairvoyance, and turned back. I was unable to believe that.
A girl was turning to the boy’s side and shouting a name:
‘Shuhail, Shuhail.’

She was called “NISHA”. She used to sit near Preethi. She sat at
the left end of the third bench.

She was calling out the name continuously. In that micro second, I
saw Srinitha and Preethi sitting at her side. I then knew something wrong
was about to happen. I felt the coronary blockage again. I was sweltering
then. Suddenly, Shuhail turned to their side, who was sitting in the
opposite edge of her, the third bench right end in boys’ row.

‘Shuhail, we had to know something.’ said Nisha.

‘What’s happening? My goodness,’ I whispered to Naga, who suddenly

twirled back.
‘You would be torn into pieces, I think.’ Naga quipped.

‘What? What do you want to know?’ Shuhail suddenly countered.

At that split second, the class became silent. Every boy and girl
keenly wanted to listen to that rare happening.

‘We heard that you guys speak ill about Srinitha. Is that true?’
interrogated Nisha.
‘Why should we speak about her? Don’t we have any other job?’ added
Shuhail, with a smile.
‘No, we know.’ she confidently said.
‘Who told you so?’ joined Swaminathan.

I was scared to death then.

‘Rajkamal said so,’ she divulged the truth.

Abruptly, Swaminathan stood with one leg on bench the other

leg kneeled on the desk. His stumpy look was comic at that time.

‘Hay, Rajkamal, come here, what have you done? Come here.’ he shouted.
 I rose from my bench and went back. I dragged a small bench and
desk to the end wall of the class. Every eye was looking me. I sat as if a
judge would sit. To my right side the girls’ row, who needed me to vouch,
and to the left side the boys’ row, who were boiling in heat already.
I had to tackle the situation but how?

‘Tell the truth. What did you say them?’ shouted Swaminathan, the
stumpy guy.
‘What to say?’ I mellowed, without any answer.

I saw Srinitha. How could she do this to me? She was filled with both
fear and angry at the same time. Simply, she had betrayed me. It stuck
my mind. She didn’t dare to look at me. I knew she can’t stand with my
look then.

‘He should have lied to you girls. Why should we speak about Srinitha?’
said Swaminathan.

I sat still. I knew he was lying.

‘No, how could you term it as a lie.’ Srinitha started.
‘How do you believe that?’ stopped Swaminathan.

That is when Blessing, who was sitting aloof, jumped into the
scene with a staggering question.

‘Do you love him?’ he frightened her.

She rotated her head and eyes randomly here and there. I fixed
my eyes to her. I too needed the answer. She gawked at me. There was an
absolute silence.

‘Temme, we need the answer, badly. How could you certainly believe
him?’ he added.
CT came from nowhere and said ‘I’ve seen the poem he wrote for you. It
could clearly explain. You are keeping it safe in your bag. Don’t you love
him?’

At some point she had to answer for the question. She started
sweating down. She mopped her sweat. There was a silence. I again
smiled, looking at her face. I nodded my head pouted my lips and raised
my eyebrows.

‘Why do you guys question her like this? Are you guys perfect?’ came
Preethi.
‘Hey, Preethi why are you poking your nose?’ investigated Swaminathan.
‘Didn’t Kishore and CT send a proposal for me? Are you guys perfect to
question them?’ Preethi bellowed.

Without even a second thought Kishore immediately came with an

answer that hardly smacked my mind.

‘Proposal, huh, me, are you nuts, what rubbish, he must have lied in this
too.’ Kishore said.

Preethi looked at me dubiously. I was out of my mind when she too

mistook me. I nodded my head to say “NO”. It was useless. Kishore then
continued.
‘He also told what you girls said about us. Did you comment on my
spectacle or CT’s color?’ he asked straight away.

Preethi and Srinitha suddenly said “NO” in unison.

Sundar swiftly came in and added for his part and added the Market road
stuffs to annoy her.

. “Circumstantial-lies” was what I would put it. At the end, I was

termed a betrayer.

‘So girls, He is a bloody two-timer. Gotcha,’ Swaminathan added.

 Srinitha then became effusive. She looked straight into my eyes
and started venting her feelings. She stood off from her place.

‘You two-timer, I believed you and you have played a double game.’ she
shouted, which evoked my anger then.
‘Are you telling me, you stupid, I did discourse you a lot yesterday but still
you are standing on your point isn’t that?’
‘Don’t tell me these stories.’
‘Fine, hear this. I’m a guy. I too have my stand. I won’t let it down for any
cause.’
‘Oh, why didn’t you realize this, when you spoke that one whole dialogue
from the movie SACHEIN, yesterday,’

It shook me suddenly. Even after knowing that the dialogue was from a
movie, she sat without showing any reactions. ‘What kind of girl is she,’ I
awed.
There came a hell of noise from the boys’ side. Our class guys were
damn ardent fans of VIJAY, the hero of that movie, SACHEIN.

‘Sachein dialogue huh, which dialogue?’ Blessing asked Srinitha with his
smiling myopic eyes.
‘Ask him. He could tell that without even changing the reactions. Ask him.’
she replied putting one of her plaits to her back.

Once again there was a helluva noise amongst boys. I stared at her
and the vice-versa. I didn’t know how to react.

‘Why did you use our thalaivar’s dialogue?’ angered Arun.

‘Which dialogue?’ asked Shuhail.
‘Oh, you think you are Sachein and she is SHALINI. Isn’t that so? Good
one,’ laughed Ajai.

Shalini was the name of the love interest of Sachein, played by

GENELIA, in the movie. When every one enjoyed their conversation in this
topic, CT asked her about the poem in her bag.
‘Temme, what about that poem in your bag, I know that.’

Srinitha got thawed by his word and raised her first finger against
me. She thought that I told every thing to CT. She didn’t know what really
it was.
She rose from her bench and went to her bag. She unzipped and took my
poem out of it. She tore it into two pieces and threw it near my foot. I
could never explain how I felt that instant. I saw those couple of piece
near my foot and the guys who were enjoying the play distant from my
foot. I bent down and took those pieces. It had no value then.

‘Keep it with you.’ she said, which I just heard, without seeing her face.

I just had one thought. I had to give a counter for her. Without
giving a second thought, I pushed the little bench and stood from my
place and every one became hushed. I took those two papers and again
tore that paper into pieces. Four, eight, sixteen, and thirty two and then I
blew it towards her face.

‘I don’t want this any more.’ As soon as I said that, I saw her eyes. There
was a well of tears. Just few seconds, I knew, she was about to break into
tears. She saw the piece of papers down. It took few more seconds for me
to realize what I had done to her.
‘Get the hell outta my life. This is my last ever thing I have to tell you, go,’
she rolled down to tears.
‘Yeah, I’ll get the hell out of your life. What’s there between us here after?
Nothing,’
‘Yeah, nothing,’
‘Fine, nothing and I don’t want to have any kind of relation with a girl
without trust.’
‘Oh,’ she exclaimed, wiping away the tears which rolled near her lips.
‘So thank you for whatever you had done to me. Including this,’ I showed
the pieces of papers that were flying around her legs.
 Even those papers would have known the value of the words in it.
She didn’t.

‘Hey, Shalini, Why are you crying?’ shouted CT, bantering at her.

High decibel chorus laughter followed the dialogue. She turned

back to her side and sank her face to her desk. Preethi tried to console her
then. The sound of the laughter again took its crest.

‘Guys, this is what the end of the tale. Happy?’ I shouted against them.
‘Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh!’ they shouted in unison.

Every girl turned to her side. Every boy was enjoying that different
episode. They loved it very much. They saw the rise in anger and
desperation filled in the girls’ side, especially Srinitha. She lifted her face
and traced a look at me. A look filled with tears. I felt like I was drowning
into it. I liked to say her “Don’t cry”. But how will I say. Why should I say?
She is the reason for everything.
The bell rang.

Those two periods proved to about-turn the way our days went.
That was the recess break and every one dispersed. Srinitha after some
minutes regained her confidence and went out to wash her face. I left that
place and went near Mahesh.

‘Mahesh, why did this happen to me?’ I questioned him, who had listened
keenly.
‘Because of you.’ he answered.

He was true, hundred percent.

‘But Mahesh, she mustn’t have done that. She would feel for this one day
or the other.’

The topic suddenly within an interval of fifteen minutes became

the hot topic of the school. Every guy who passed by the class came in
and asked about the things happened and some of them were interested
in the result of our relation. The name SACHEIN became the rage. I felt like
hell in class. She too must have felt that, but at least one step lesser than
me. The botany exam sucked that day. I felt like sitting on a pyre. The
echo sounds of boys shouting at me and Srinitha’s tears drove me mad.

‘Hey, therefore all your shows were over.’ started Blessing. ‘You should
have been loyal to any one side, to the boys or at least to the girls. Get
the lesson from here. One can never make a static balanced relation ship
with boys and girls at the same time.’
‘Right said Blessing,’ praised Rashideen. ‘I’d tell you something, you will
see a great veer in the manner the classes would go here after, mark
these words.’
‘She herself came and fell into our trap and it would be impassable for her
to get out of this.’ Kishore said, patting my shoulders.

The final bell rang and we dispersed after a prayer. I felt like going
home and get some sleep, which I knew I can’t. I had to attend two
tuitions then, the Math and the chemistry. I went out and gaited towards
the Math tuition. When I was about to climb the stairs of Math tuition, CT
stood there in the chemistry tuition. I went unto him and he laughed and
started.

‘Hey, I forgot to tell you this in the morning. I have joined in the Chemistry
tuition. But, your good luck, I had to come for the first batch and you fall
on the second batch. Any ways, I’ll look after you. Its time for my batch,’

I went inside the Math tuition. Every thing was in order. Already I
suffered from head ache. Head ache and Math class, the horrible combo. I
stifled and felt the exacerbation in each and every cell of my body.

I came out of the tuition after an hour and drank half the bottle of
water and rained down another half to my head.
‘Hey, fool, what are you doing? You have gone lunatic. Stop this,’ shouted
Naga, who was consoling me for the whole day.
‘No Naga, I’m unable to stand this.’ I said him, throwing the water bottle
down.

It fell down near Preethi’s descending foot. I saw Srinitha at a

considerable distance away from Preethi. I went near Preethi, with water
running down my face, shoulder and all over the body. She stood still.

‘What do you girls think?’ I bellowed.

‘What did we do?’ she questioned again.
Only girls could answer for a question with another question.
‘Nice, tell your friend that I deserve this.’
‘Rajkamal, what will she do? You try to empathize yourself in her position
and you will know.’
‘Good one Preethi, I’m a bad guy and she’s good, isn’t it?’
‘No one is good. No one is bad. Leave this topic. She was hurt a lot today.
Don’t hurt her more.’
Before she ended, Srinitha strode nearer.
‘Do you people know how much I’m hurt. I’m hurt by betrayal, by hatred,
by lies. It kills me. It chops me. It thaws me.’ I swabbed the water in my
face.

Srinitha came near and Naga pulled me back. I stared at her

moving back and we went back without attending the chemistry tuition. It
was a breezy evening but the breeze jabbed into my brain.

I went home and jumped into the bed. I wouldn’t be able to stand
my pain with my eyes open, I felt. Lot of things perturbed my sleep. To
begin with, the small bench where I was seated with boys on one side and
girls on the other, Srinitha’s bloated face, Sachein, Shalini, the hailing
sound, the wailing eyes, the tuition class, CT, Blessing, Mahesh, Preethi,
Sam Sir, Math tuition, the head ache and then…………………. at last we
broke.
 AFTER THE BREAK
Chapter 11

The CLASS A1 budged into PLANET A1, an Alien

planet in the Rosemarian Galaxy. The morning breeze blew its air on my
face, as I sat in the window seat of the city bus, which was leading to
school. The bus was filled with two-third school students. I was psycho-
analyzing myself then. To say simply, I spoke to my self.

“Look here you! If that girl doesn’t wants you. You too don’t want her.
Perfect! Don’t ever feel for her. She was the reason for all this. You keep
your cool and bring the same-old-RAJKAMAL back. Srinitha is not the only
girl in the world.”

The bus screeched and stopped. It was my stop. Rosemary stop

or widely called as the Library stop. The central library of our city was just
near-by our school. I disembarked the bus. I strolled towards the school
gate. Again I assured myself.
“Okay, every thing is gonna be fine here after and keep your face as if
nothing hurt you yesterday and as if she means nothing to you. If not at
the least try to pretend. Bring back your SYNDROME. The RAJKAMAL
SYNDROME”

I’ve to tell this I struggled a lot to become normal, nominally. As

soon I entered my block, Soma called me from somewhere.

‘Oy, Rajkamal, come over here.’

‘Soma, why are you here?’
‘They have changed our class room, from first floor to Ground floor, come
on.’

He brought me to the end of the Ground floor. The same V-

junction class, but in the ground floor, semi-darkness prevailed in that
room even in that sunny day.

‘Is there any class test today?’ I asked Soma, entering inside the class
room.
‘Yeah, English test,’ he answered, positioning his eye-glass.

As soon as I entered I saw Mercy sitting over a small bench and

studying something, seriously. The Boys sat on the right most end of the
class. It was perfectly the very corner of the school edifice. There was an
unusual mumbling in the class. Srinitha sat in the third bench and I just
squinted and never gave a look to her. She was reading something. My
hunch again said me keep your face as if nothing hurt you yesterday. I
started some trivial topic with Soma.
‘Soma, Kamal has started his next film it seems. I saw the advertisement
just morning. Gautham is directing it.’
‘Really, what’s the name?’
‘Vettayadu vilayadu,’

I went to the third bench and sat over there. Blessing and Kishore
took a look at me.
‘But Rajkamal, you have a very stubborn heart. You were humiliated
madly yesterday and still you are the same. People like you have the
qualification to become a terrorist. Well done,’ Kishore quipped at me.

He didn’t know how badly I felt inside.

The classes started in that new class room. At the dead end corner
of the school. Naga arrived later and sat near me. The Math class was the
first class. Sam Sir came in.
He gave a bizarre treatment to the subject. He wanted us to write the
notes down in a rough note and in the next class we had to write it in the
class work note.

PHYSICS TUITION

‘Preethi, I had been a brainless idiot. I desperately pinned my belief on

useless persons.’ I said, fizzing out a bubble.

Preethi and Carolyn sat facing me and Srinitha alone sat facing
the board.

‘Rajkamal, I already said you what happened.’ Preethi tear opened a

bubble gum.
‘It’s all Okay, no need to speak of things which has nothing to do with me
now and forever. Skip it, give your physics observation. I need it badly.’

Srinitha didn’t speak a word even. I too didn’t. Despite, both of

us had a bag full of chances to open up. Within few minutes Prabha,
Aishwarya and others climb came inside the tuition. I liked not to irritate
Srinitha, but I wanted to show her that I was not at all disturbed by her.
 AFTER 3 MINUTES
‘So Prabha, there are three types of men, according to Anandha sanga.’ I
said, correcting my readings in the observation.
‘Anandha sanga?’ she sat cross legged.
‘Yeah, an old book, it tells about the three types of men Shasha,
Vrishabha, and Ashwa.’
‘Oh, what are they?
‘Shasha is the first type, simply, HARE MEN. They would be short and
stumpy. They would run over here and there like a hare. They would be
shrewd sometimes and they don’t get anger that sooner.’
‘The next type,’ Aishwarya hauled her chair a little closer to me with
eagerness.
‘The next type is Vrishabha. You can also call them the BULL MEN. They
would be of an average height and broad shoulders. They act defensively
than offensively and they would have the characteristics of a Bull. They
believe on them mostly’ I closed my observation and kept in my bag and
continued. ‘The last type is ASHWA, the HORSE MEN. They would be
usually six footers and they usually like to sleep more but to work. The
same thing and………..’
‘He has the characters of a horse, right?’ joined Preethi.
‘Exactly,’ I threw her observation note book back to her and swung the
pen to my pocket.
‘You fall under the category “Vrishabha” am I right?’ Aishwarya waited for
the confirmation.
‘Wow, girls you are shrewd too. Good one Aishwarya. I’m a Vrishabha.’
‘And next thing is that there are four kinds of girls. I would explain it some
day or the other.’

They all dragged me to tell that at once. I saw Srinitha. She

sat aloof and I knew she had been thwarted.

What to do? I had to say

A TAMIL CLASS
 Tamil Miss was teaching about Silappadhigaram. She
spoke about the character of Kannagi. It was mentioned as
“PERUNKANUDAIYAAL” in Silappadhigaram, which meant, a girl with big
eyes. That suddenly evoked my thoughts about Srinitha. She too had big
eyes. Surya Miss praised the character of Kannagi a lot. I swiftly rose from
the bench.
‘I don’t accept this Miss. I think her character should not be taken as a role
model. Why did she show her anguish to the city of Poompukar? It’s
completely absurd and ridiculous. I would say something; all these girls
who were entitled as beautiful girls and “big-eyed girls” are all foolishly
anguish. They don’t know where to show their anguish and were to show
their loyalty and love.’

Surya Miss thought that I was rhapsodizing about

Literature. She started arguing against me. My actual target was unknown
to her. But the class knew.

That day after having a gal time at Panipuri kadai, I went to

physics tuition at five. It was late for me. Technically, I didn’t like to go to
that small room with Srinitha sitting just half a meter away from me,
without talking to me. At five, I went inside. I was about to climb the stairs
and before I climbed I heard the girls speaking.

‘It’s totally my fault, Preethi.’ Srinitha confessed for something.

‘Cool it.’
‘No, he was right. I’m foolishly anguished that day. He warned me not to
ask to any one.’

CHEMISTRY TUITION

As already said Chemistry tuition was a place of mixed

students, unlike Physics tuition. Students from almost every school studied
there. I had been notorious there too. The reason was CT. He sometimes
attends the second batch tuition with us and he publicized my name as
SACHEIN and Srinitha’s name as SHALINI.

It was one of the days when CT was with us in the second

batch. On that day Blessing also came to the tuition just to time-pass.
There was a heavy strength in the tuition and the Sir can’t tell his tuition
students from the outsiders. There had been constant power cuts in the
chemistry tuition. There was a power-cut that day. Sir went out to bring a
candle.

Blessing knew every Rosemarian over there and CT had

expertise in making acquaintances to any guys out there. They took the
power-cut as their advantage and planned something against me. Before I
could find what it was. I heard a cacophony that nearly all the boys
shouted.

SHALINI…..SHALINI……..SACHEIN……..SACHEIN………… (In a
rhythmic pattern)

I didn’t know how to react.

SHALINI SITS IN THE THIRD BENCH AND SACHEIN MUST

HAVE GONE THERE NOW IN THE DARK.

That one was CT. I could tell his lean voice in the middle of a
thousand even. Sir came back with candles. He gave one for every three
benches. He took it to Srinitha’s side and gave it to my sister, who sat
next to her. Srinitha was slightly sniggering after all this. I didn’t know
why.

CT took the privilege of making me popular as Sachein in the tuition.

From then on, whoever had an acquaintance with me knew me well as
Sachein.
‘Nambi, what’s there between you and Srinitha? Tell me,’ my sister asked
after the tuition got over.
‘Nothing, simply nothing, till now,’ I said, walking through that narrow path
way.
‘What do you actually mean?’ she rolled her cycle as we got out of the
tuition premises.
‘Just like that, I mean nothing,’ I said and started walking.

I started to walk unto the bus stand. I stopped near a shop while
passing by and bought a bubble gum. I opened the cover and threw it
away. I saw the cover falling under the legs of a girl. For a split second, my
brain told me ‘hey Rajkamal you have seen this girl somewhere’. I chided
my awkward brain ‘You useless! She’s the girl to whom we fought a
lousy-week before. Srinitha’

We both gaped at each other. Just for a second. I blew a bubble

and I once again remembered the last word of hers.
‘Get the hell outta my life. This is my last ever thing I have to tell you. Go,’
I felt the welt of words strongly. I let her walk front. I
remembered Irfan Pathan, the bubble gum she spat, my last dialogue and
every thing. I broke my own record by blowing out nearly 8 bubbles in a
minute. She suddenly above-turned to my side, I determined that it was
Clairvoyance. She strode towards me swiftly. I confirmed that to be my
power of Clairvoyance. I stopped there and smirked pouting my lips.
Suddenly an Ignatius friend of hers had already stopped her
Scooty near me and waited for her. She climbed the buggy with her khaki
bag and turned to my side. The buggy rolled for a few meters and she
turned back. I bubbled out. She too bubbled out and turned back again.

Clairvoyance! What the fuck!

 Chapter 12

‘Oy, Blessing I forgot the formula, why don’t you show me?’

It was during a physics class test. The hands of sun hardly touched
our new classroom, semi-dark classroom, where we launched all our
brand-new monkey business.
Even though Blessing heard my voice, he didn’t even turn to my
side. That was one of his bizarre characters. He never copied or helped
copying.

PKS invigilated most of the class tests. We had zero difference

between PKS’s invigilation and a test without any invigilator. CT, Sundar
and Arun called the tests during PKS’s periods as “COPY WRITING
PERIOD”.

Before I peered into Soma’s paper, the voice of our school

watchman took the whole class’ attention. It was the stuff which would
have created an obstinate stir all through the state at that instant.
‘Sir, the results were out for standard twelve,’ said the watchman. ‘We got
state rank Sir.’

We guys started clapping relentlessly. Within a fraction of second

he filled his face with tooth. It’s completely a teacher’s thing to explain.
‘Is that? Who’s it?’ he stood from his seat.
‘Come to office room Sir,’
‘Students, keep you quiet and I’ll be back’ he went off, least bothering
about the noise we made out of clapping or the on-going test.
 The whole school went mad over the news and there was only one
reason that reduced the level of joy. We got “State Second”. We missed
“State First”. The title was owned by a student of my opposite gender.
“AASHA BENAZIR”

‘Wow! Great isn’t it?’ I gasped to Shuhail.

‘What’s great in this? Look here she already got state first in tenth
standard and now she got state second.’ said Shuhail.
‘Whatever you say, the girl deserves it.’
‘Do you know something? She got State First in standard ten in another
school and our Rosemary faculties suddenly flew to her home. They
offered a lot to her. The school management took a home for lease and
shifted her near the school. They gave every thing for her and at last see
what they have achieved; they have transformed a State First into a State
Second.’
‘Dude, however it’s not a fruit cake to have it easily.’

An hour later
Physics tuition

I entered the tuition with a surprise. Ravishankar Sir sat in a chair, in the
ground floor. I removed my socks and I heard the dying sound of two
automobile engines and a group of other girls. I went inside and saluted a
“Good evening”
‘Come on Rosemarians, it’s surely a good evening to you. Got State
Second this time uh?’ he said with a smile, which hid a lot of things in it.
I shrugged and went inside. To speak about Ravi Sir, he’s an ex-
teacher of Rosemary. For some unspeakable reasons he flew to IIPE, one
among the top schools.
‘How do your teachers feel? How about PKS?’ he added, with an enforced
smile.
PKS and Ravi Sir were good friends, when Ravi Sir worked in
Rosemary. By now they developed an inward hatred between them.
‘But our school has got more number of centum in subjects than your
school.’

The day however went with a lot of discussions for the first half an
hour. For another instance:
‘Actually, IIPE too went to Aasha’s home when she took state first. We too
offered every thing that your management offered. The only thing we
slipped was the home shifting process. Your Vice principal shifted her
slightly less than the speed of a light. Otherwise, we could have titled her.’

That day taught me a lot. These schools didn’t create State ranks or
titanic scorers, especially Rosemary. They induce the rank holders and ex-
scorers. It’s not that they have no role but they are not worth for the hype
they had created.

In classroom
Next day

‘Miss, he knows Palmistry,’ said CT to Jacquelin Miss.

It was when we were seated apart and asked to study for the next
day’s zoology test. Jacquelin Miss, the Vice principal, was very much
interested in chatting with CT. During one of those chats they caught this
topic and I was caught.

‘No Miss,’ I told for the first time, not interested in looking at a teacher’s
hand.
‘Miss he knows to analyze the hands,’ CT conceded to her and turned to
my side.
‘Udayar, why don’t you?’ Miss called me.
‘Okay,’ I stood up from my place.
 I went near her and sank in a small bench near her. I started as
usual

1) the life line

2) the pelf line
3) the heart line
4) miscellaneous marks
When I was analyzing, my sister’s class girls came in. Prabha and
Aishwarya were among them. They came for a correction in their class
test papers. After knowing that they came for correction, I disengaged my
hand from her palm as the bell too rang and Jacquelin Miss got out of the
class with that bunch of girls, who argued a lot for which we don’t even
bother. For no reason or for an unknown reason, my brain neurons sent
the signal to my spinal chord to look at Srinitha instantly. I only obey to
the orders of my nervous system. She was completely unperturbed from
any of my actions, I thought. So I turned back. Within a fraction of second,
one more signal ordered me to look at her again and then my nervous
system was meticulous. She drastically looked at me. Reflexively, she
blithered something in her lips and steered her eyes into the book. But I’d
already seen it. So, my lips stretched to nearly five millimeters. CT, who
sat between me and Jacquelin Miss, caught hold of the sight and clutched
my head and turned towards him.

‘Don’t you remember her last words, how can you do this again,’ CT
whispered in my ears. ‘Don’t try too hard. A squeezed out Tooth paste can
never get inside its tube’

But, do you know………

 How the TOOTH PASTE went back
into Its TUBE
Chapter 13

CT sat in a separate bench in the class as the teachers went berserk

because of him. It was totally a decision by Surya Miss and Buyla Miss. He
had a separate small bench and desk. This gave him dramatically great
chances to banter and intimidate the girls. Radically, our class girls feared
for every boy in the class but they pondered CT even more crucially in this
case.

To take cases in point:

When any girl was about to get out of the class, he instantly pushes
his desk down to the ground and frightens her.
He calls out the girl passing him with some other name, usually
some guys’ name, to which she is assigned to be. Actually, every boy in
our class was linked, at least for the sake of fun. CT used that.
He pours water in girls’ bench and some girls had sat down without
knowing that. Girls terrorized at the sheer sight of CT.
 But that day he executed an extra-ordinarily different plan to make
the episode thrilling for the whole class and twirling for me and Srinitha.

‘CT, this is too much.’ I said.

‘Nothing would happen. Wait and watch this would be interesting.’
answered CT, opening the cap of a water bottle.

It was just before the last period. I and CT came back sooner from
the chemistry lab. No one was there in the class. He switched off the fan in
the girls’ side. Before the fan immobilized completely, he took Ajai’s pen
box, which was steel made. He emptied it fully and filled it with a mixture
of water and ink.

‘What are you going to do CT?’ I baffled at him.

‘I’m gonna place this box on the girls’ fan’s blade and as soon as the girls
come in they will switch the fan on and it would surely fall on some one’s
head.’
‘You fool! It would come to our side as the fan rotates.’
‘No, No. This is not a plastic box. This is steel and weighs heavily. If the fan
gets switched on, it will fall vertically downwards within their premise. No
chance of coming to our side.’
‘They will complaint and you will be caught then.’
‘No problem, its PKS’ class and we could manage it. Go off the fan in our
side too; if not it may give any hint to them.’

I switched off our side fan too. He went to the girls’ side and
climbed a desk and safely placed the box on the fan’s blade. At the same
instant, I peered out of the window to see a horde of our class girls coming
inside.

‘CT, come down. They came.’ I shouted.

The time when CT jumped from the desk synchronized with the time
when Prenitha came in and saw him. She for sure knew that he did
something not at all innocuous to them. He stood still and she too ceased
at the threshold. She stared and deliberately walked inside and CT
slouched along with her walk to his bench. She looked everywhere to find
his mischief and she warned every girl before even entering the class.

Within seconds, the class was occupied back usually. CT told the
matter to every boy and asked them not to look at the fan, which may
give them the clue.
The girls checked all their benches for any trace of water or any
thing else. They didn’t get the slightest clue even. The fan’s switch was at
the girls’ side. After a few minutes, Rani stood off her place. We all
confirmed that she got up to switch on the fan. We eagerly remained
silent. There were three girls, who had the chance of being the victim and
Srinitha was one amongst them. Rani went near the switch board and all
of our eyes went to the fan’s blade, which was involuntary. She placed her
fingers on the two switches and heedlessly clicked them down. We were
shocked. Both the fans didn’t spin. Then we knew that there was a Power-
cut.
Sshhhhhhhhhhhhh!
We hissed and the Nisha found out the box on the top when we all
had our eyes in the fan. She showed every one the box and asked Rani to
switch their fan off. Rani took a look at the fan and stood off her place.

Unexpectedly Sam Sir, the math teacher, the strictest of all

teachers, the ex-vice principal, came in. Along with Rani every body stood
up, syncing.

‘Sit down Sit down. You must have expected PKS. I got the class from him.’
he said and turned to the board.

He wrote on board. “Differential Ca”. Rani slowly got up from her

place and strolled towards the switch board. Sam sir steered his head
towards her side, abruptly.

‘What’s the problem Rani?’ he questioned, without ending something he

was about to write.
‘Sir, fan, power cut,’ she blabbered.
‘There’s a power cut already. Why do you off it, leave it ON, what’s your
problem in it?’ he quipped, seriously.

Without any other choice, Rani left it ON. He then continued to write
the name of the topic “Differential Calculus”

Sir started the class with his characteristic way of teaching in the
air. The girls under the fan sweltered uncomfortably. The girls were unable
to tell the truth because of the reason which I don’t know. CT was
shivering because he would be caught red-handedly. Ajai too trembled as
it was his box where he had written his name with marker. No one could
listen to the class. The scene could turn to any side. There was only one
guy who could save CT. The electricity board line man.

‘So, they use calculus in space crafts and Rockets,’ said Sam Sir and with
his hands showing the symbol of rocket and his eyes seeing the top. CT
trembled at that instant. But, Sam Sir didn’t notice the fan blade.

When ten more minutes were left in the clock, Sam Sir was called
from the office room (as usually). He went out. We all hove a sigh of relief
and Rani again got up to switch it off. Before she reached the switch board
the power was back and the fan spun.

Rani swiftly put it off but it was in vain. I saw the box slowly
displacing from its position and it fell on Srinitha’s head and the ink-water
mixture poured on her desk luckily. But, a very little trace of the liquid ran
over her face. She suddenly wiped it off and got out of the class. CT
thanked his goodness and praised the electric line man, who saved him
from Sam Sir. He didn’t feel bad for Srinitha until he saw her complaining
to PKS. Just then CT got his fear. He came near me.

‘Look here you, be serious about this.’

‘What?’
‘You go and say her not to blow this issue. She’s complaining to PKS and
it’s Okay. We shall manage him. If she goes to any other except PKS or if
she drags me for any other reason then I’ll have to drag you into this issue
in a different manner.’
‘Different manner means,’
‘I mean I’ll lug your old stuffs which would perfectly sound awful.’
‘Why me, what could I do in this matter?’
‘A lot and go-speak to her in the tuition and ask her to bb....’

Before he could pronounce the syllable, Srinitha came in wiping her

face with her hanky.

‘I think she’s crying and don’t leave the matter to become serious and it
will harm you too.’ CT threatened after seeing her.

Before I opened my mouth to speak anything the school bell

deafened our ears.

‘What shall I do Naga?’ I questioned him.

I pedaled my cycle slowly with Naga towards the Math tuition. I was badly
threatened by CT. Nonetheless, I have to solve the issue.

‘Hey, why do you poke your nose in this issue? CT can do nothing. Let him
get the reward for what he did.’
‘No, Naga. He will do anything to get him out of the problem. I have to do
something. But, what to do,’
‘There is a way to deal this. Go to your sister after the Math tuition and tell
her what happened. Ask her to convince Srinitha.’

I took Naga’s suggestion. The tuition got over pretty soon that day
and I went to my sister’s home. She had already reached home. I
explained whatever happened that day to her with gentle emotion.

‘Fine, what do you expect me to do now?’ she puzzled at me.

‘Please, can you ask her not to complain about anyone and not to cry.’
diffidently gave the idea.
‘This is totally awry, Nambi. And why do they call you “Sachein”. What’s
it?’
‘It’s again a big story and I would explain it some other day.’
‘See, I’ve already told about these Rosemarians and their etiquette and
still you are the same. Don’t jab yourself into unwanted issues.’
‘I understood every thing clearly and do this one help for me.’
‘Okay, I would just tell her.’ she effused.
‘That’s enough, more than enough.’ I said, insatiably.

I reached the chemistry tuition before my sister reached. I parked

my cycle and the first batch already got over. I climbed the upstairs,
without remembering to remove the socks or its fragrance.

‘Naga, I told my sister everything.’

‘Good, good job,’

We perched over the second bench. Srinitha and Preethi sat on the
fifth bench. I waited for my sister to come. I could hardly read anything
from Srinitha’s face that day. I received a medley of emotions from her.
Before my sister came, Vasee Sir entered the class. He talked about trivial
things. I turned back to see my sister. She came in and sat near Srinitha.

‘Naga, she came in.’

‘Just turn this side. Your sister will look after it.’

I turned back. But I was unable to keep myself from turning back.
Srinitha was laughing when I turned to her side.

‘Naga, she’s laughing.’

‘What?’
I too can’t believe that. What was there so funny to laugh? Every
thing happened was serious. So, I again turned back and something
happened, which I thought won’t happen again. Srinitha responded me.
Our same-old gesture language.

‘I wasn’t crying.’ she gestured.

I turned towards Naga and said, ‘Naga she’s gesturing me.’

‘Goddammit, really,’

I didn’t answer him. I didn’t hear them any way. I controlled all my
smiling reflexes and turned back with a rough face.

‘Who said I was crying?’ she gesticulated again.

‘Okay wait down after the tuition and let’s speak out there.’ I gave
it back, without giving her even a minor clue that I enjoyed that minute.

‘Naga, this is unbelievable.’

‘God should save you.’

I didn’t know why Vasee Sir took the class muting his voice. I waited
for one butterfly-in-stomach-mute hour but didn’t plan what to speak. I
postulated that she’s willing to talk with me. The class got over. Every one
descended down the steps. My sister stood near the threshold of the
classroom and I went unto her.

‘What is she telling?’ I asked her, zipping my bag.

‘She has no plans of complaining and she didn’t take this as hard as you
have taken. Here after its left up to you.’ she said, wearing her vertical
bag on her right shoulder and left the place.

From the first floor I looked down to see Srinitha and Preethi and
looked up to see the moon and stars. Everything was beautiful. I implied
Naga to wait outside the tuition premise. I slowly descended down the
steps and wore my shoes. I walked near her. I commended my impertinent
lips to keep the smile tightly inside. I strolled near her and felt the warmth
in her eyes and smile in her lips. I was very much in a drowsy state to
smile.
‘Who said you I was crying?’ she started because any other starting won’t
be good.
‘We saw you wiping your face, when you came inside.’ I said in a baritone.
She laughed out loudly.
‘Didn’t you?’ I asked, despised by it.
‘No.’ she nodded her head.
‘What were you telling PKS?’
‘I went out to tell him that I have paid the fees and still I haven’t gotten
my receipt.’
‘What the hell,’
‘Truly, and did CT fear for complaining. Oh, so sad. Tell him that I won’t.’
‘Okay, fine’
‘But it was pretty interesting today, uh?’
‘Yeah,’ I said, without knowing what to say then.
‘Yeah,’ she repeated, she too didn’t know what to say next.
‘Come let’s walk out.’ I said, walking through that narrow path.

The path had no light; it was completely dark except for Srinitha.
Preethi and Carolyn went a step ahead. We both came without knowing
what to speak next. Nevertheless, she started.

‘One guy told me “I’ll forget that I met a girl called Srinitha in my life” Do
you know that guy?’ she bantered me.
‘Oh, one pretty girl too told me “Get the hell outta my life. This is my last
ever thing I have to tell you. Go,’’ Do you know that girl?’ I countered her.

We both then laughed at each other. We understood that those

were words out of emotion so they didn’t haunt us.

‘How were these days without me?’ she asked, tilting her head towards
me.
‘Happy and fine,’ I lied, suddenly.
‘Don’t lie. I know you. You weren’t.’
‘How do you say that?’
‘Because I wasn’t happy or fine,’
 We just stopped there for a moment. Those last words pricked me
hardly.

‘This must be as true as our love.’ I caught her hand, leaning to the
nearest wall.

I saw her lethal eyes. They spoke a lot undecipherable. I saw her
sniggering lips which spoke nothing.

‘Don’t look like that, you may kill me instead.’ I said.

She suddenly slipped her bag from her hand and opened the zip.
She took a piece of paper.
‘What’s this?’
‘Read it.’

S tories of fairies depicted a girl of thee kind.

R omance expounds for a lass of thou splendor’ I
choked reading it.

‘Didn’t you tear this poem on that day?’ I gasped at her, unable to come
out of the startle.
‘No, that was another paper.’
‘Anoth... pap…’ every syllable chocked in the middle.
‘Yeah, that was a blank paper, without any words or without any love.’
‘Hmmm,’
‘Of course,’ she laughed, lifting the bag back to its position.
‘So you remember everything?’
‘Nothing’s to forget Rajkamal.’

She heard her Auto’s horn. She plucked the paper from my hand
and sprinted.

‘Do I have to get the hell outta your life,’ I shouted, still standing in the
same place.
‘No, don’t leave me alone.’ she bellowed back.
 It took me a minute to move out from that place and saw Naga
waiting for me. He heard her last words. She embarked her Auto and
waved her hands. I too waved back. I jumped simply after she got out of
my sight.

‘What’s all this?’ asked Naga, hardly believing his receptor organ.
‘The Tooth paste went back into its tube.’ I said.

‘Was she convinced?’ asked CT, with a great eagerness in voice.

It was just an hour after Srinitha virtually left me. It was his phone
call that perturbed me when I entered home, before even I changed my
dress.

‘No problem, nothing to fear, CT,’ I vouched him.

‘Oh, fine. What did she say?’
‘She said that she can’t be there without me.’
‘What are you saying?’

I slammed the phone down. I didn’t want to know why I was

persistently laughing that day. But I didn’t sleep that night nor kept me
awake. My eyes lids kissed each other. I felt my body lifted above the bed.
I don’t remember what I thought in that bed. I only know that I will not
forget that night till my last bed. She too must have had such a feel. Who
knows? Let’s ask her, I reckoned.

I slept awaken.
 Chapter 14
The Bet

‘Insane, absolutely,’ excited Mahesh, pedaling his cycle.

From that day there was no problem of going by bus as the bridge
works were completed. I took my cycle back. I and Mahesh helped our
cycles to help us reach the school. We went in parallel. I explained him
how I felt last night.

‘Mahesh, I doubt if she could have had it.’

‘This is completely a boy thing. Ask her, she would have slept nicely.’
‘I’d bet you. You are wrong.’

We entered into the class room. CT must have said them what I
have said him and Naga too was there and he must have added for his
part, I believed with obstinacy. They grew too pale to believe it. But they
had too. I checked Blessing’s reaction. His reactions were dubious. He
might be Srinitha’s old proposal, I thought.

PANIPURI KADAI

That evening I, Swaminathan, Arun and Kishore held

our usual symposium in the Panipuri kadai. We had our usual relishing talk
with that devotional song back ground in the nearby temple.

‘Guys, I have grown a bush of beard and I’ve got to shave this. I’m
leaving.’ I paid my snack and climbed my cycle.
‘Rajkamal, just a minute.’ shouted Arun, coming near me.
‘Hmmm,’ I shrugged my shoulders.
‘Park the cycle here, I’ll give you the ride to barber shop.’ he started his
buggy.

Arun had never been so kind with me, except that day.
So, I gave no second thought. He either had any beard to shave or over
grown hair to cut but why is he accompanying me, I puzzled. I left my
cycle near the open air shop and climbed for a doubles.

‘Rajkamal, I heard that you reunited with her.’ he raised his accelerator.
‘Yeah,’ I ceased, brushing my hair which waved a lot by the air.
‘You have always been eager to find the old proposal of Srinitha, haven’t
you?’
‘Not anymore, I strongly doubt only one guy.’
‘Oh, who’s it?’
‘Blessing,’
‘You are wrong.’
‘Really, if not Blessing who’s it,’
‘Me.’ he pronounced the shocking one-syllable word.
‘What?’ I bewildered.
‘It’s me.’ he strongly said.
We didn’t speak till he stopped near the saloon. Then I
started.
‘Arun, this is shocking.’
‘No matters, I’d like to say you a lot.’
‘About?’
‘About the girl you like and the girl I loved.’
‘Let me go get my shave and come.’
‘Come, I’ll be sitting outside.’

I went inside and he sat outside reading the magazines

scattered outside. A lot of deliberate thoughts crossed my mind, when
they sprayed water on my face. What does he want? Will he say any
mysterious truth about Srinitha and him? Why did he conceal these days.
After I clean shaved, we both traveled silently to the VOC ground, the
liveliest place. He parked his buggy and we both sat in the top of the
stadium seating. The breeze soothingly touched my face in which I already
got the cologne.

‘Rajkamal, I can see the happiness in your eyes, ecstatically.’

‘Ha, it’s not only today. Then what’s the matter.’
‘It’s so simple. I’d like to talk to you. Do you know how much I loved her?
From the day I saw her in the twilight near my home. I can’t still come out
of the days I followed her, till she reached her home. I can’t throw those
singing greeting card that I bought for her two years before. Still I have it
in my room. I didn’t know how to propose her.’
‘Arun, I have never seen you like this. What happened today?’ I clutched
his shoulders, after viewing his flooded eyes.
‘You never know me. That’s it. Nothing was happening between us. The
day when she refused my proposal, I cried. I was unable to control it.
Every one in the class room saw me crying. I got out of the class. I went to
bathroom. I cried till my eyes dried. She could have left me. But, one
Raksha bandhan day she came to me and tied a Rakhi to my hand. She
wanted me as her brother it seems. I was broken into atoms.’

I had to thank my goodness; he didn’t become the anti

matter. I knew the story already in another vantage point. This is Arun’s. I
pitied for Arun. But what does he need. I still didn’t know.

‘Rajkamal, You know her birth day, don’t you?’

‘Yeah, April 16, a day after my birth date,’
‘Yeah, April 16, a day before my birth date,’
‘What?’
‘My birthday is on April 17.’
‘I don’t believe this,’
‘I too didn’t at first.’
I wondered how such a big co-incidence could happen
in this world. We had born consecutively. I thought that the planets drove
us so.

‘Okay, I liked to tell you these. Because, you should know what truth is,
above the fact that the girl is dangerous.’
 All girls are dangerous, I thought which I didn’t say
him.

He took me back to my cycle. He had opened up to me.

He was a very soft-spoken guy with sensitive and fragile heart. These
things had no effect on me. I again thought that destiny loves playing by
putting an Arun and a Srinitha in the same basket and adding a new
Rajkamal to the same basket.

‘I have to ask this to you,’ asked Srinitha, nudging herself near me on that
Sunday night inside the physics tuition, nearly eight, after completing a
test in third chapter.
‘What?’ I smiled confirming that there was no one else there except
Preethi, who was still trembling with her test.
‘How did you feel on that day?’
‘Which day,’
‘When you sat in the middle of the class with every one posing questions
on you?’
‘Not a step lesser than how you felt.’ I gave it back, checking out her red
color t-shirt and black color frock.
‘Oh, really,’ she brushed her loose hair with fingers.
‘But, you did a heck of attacks, didn’t you?’
‘Of course, but please consider them as sitcoms.’
‘No way, SHALINI,’
‘Please SACHEIN; Do I have to ask you Sorry?’

Preethi was perturbed by us and she shouted, will you

guys please stop this.
‘Preethi, make it fast. I have got to go.’ I responded.
‘Wait a minute silently guys, last question.’
‘Where did I stop?’ Srinitha turned to my side.
‘Sorry.’ I laughed.
‘Yeah, sorry, do you expect a sorry from me.’
‘No, if so then this night won’t be enough.’
‘Things happened were emotional and to escape from the situation I lied
too.’
‘I know you lied. But, list them without disturbing Preethi.’
‘Mostly every thing, Rajkamal,’
‘Everything,’
‘When Kishore questioned about Preethi and CT’s bantering and__huh__’
‘And how about Blessing’s question.’

Srinitha grew silent. Preethi who completed her test

closed the note and saw our silence.

‘What did he ask? I don’t remember.’ Preethi bewildered.

‘Do you love Rajkamal, is the question.’ I reminiscently smirked.
‘Oh,’ Preethi incited.
‘Did you lie for this question Srinitha?’
‘I don’t remember my lies.’
‘Fine, then do you remember this one?’
‘Not exactly,’
‘Then shall I consider this to be a lie because when I’m writing the story
I’ve to mention this for sure. Tell me?’

She didn’t answer. After seconds we were out. I kick

started my father’s bike which I bought to tuition that day and Preethi
button started her Scooty, with Srinitha behind her. Both the Vehicles
went in parallel in that Market road.

‘Srinitha, you don’t believe any one. I’m sure that we would have a fight
and break up once more.’ I said, looking at the road and her alternatively.
‘No, No chance,’ she vouched, clutching Preethi’s shoulders.
‘It’s your character. You are a cynic,’
‘Please Rajkamal, Don’t call me so or frame my character like that in the
story you would write. We won’t part away here after. I swear,’
‘You swear it on me or you?’
‘On us,’
‘Then both of us would die. Before that, tell me whether you lied on that
day for Blessing’s question.’
‘I don’t want to say this in public.’
‘Oh, you want me to come to your home and ask it in front of your
mother.’
‘Good joke, I know you don’t have that guts.’

It suddenly shook me. I thought I was brave enough.

But how could a girl, especially Srinitha, think that I don’t have guts, as
she puts it.

‘Insult, how can you say this?’

‘If you can then come to my home, No 6, Meenakshi Amman koil Street,
Madurai road, Tirunelveli, Bye Sachein’ said Shalini.
Preethi steered her bike towards the left side and waved her right hand.

Chagrined by Srinitha’s words, I maneuvered my bike

towards the right side and waved my left hand. She spoke something
about my guts. I had had to prove it to her. I throttled my accelerator and
my bike’s engine was put off. I forgot to open the petrol valve.

‘Rajkamal, I’m sure you have extra-chillies in your food. Go prove her that
you are a boy.’ said my alter, simply, my conscience.
‘Don’t be a moron. How could I go to her home?’ I repeated back to my
image that reflected in the mirror in my home.
‘That’s unimportant for me. Go speak to her in front of her mother. That’s
what makes you manly and proves your guts.’
‘Wait, just a minute, why shouldn’t I try it in a phone?’
‘Unmanly,’
‘What’s unmanly?’
‘Speaking in a phone,’
‘You remember something. We already have our bet.’
‘On?’
‘A bet on finding her new landline number,’
‘Useless stupid,’
‘Shut it up. I’ve got the idea. I’d call her home and speak to her mom. It
would be fun.’
‘What fun does ……?’
‘I told you to shut.’ I turned my face from the mirror.

Our telephone department has a lot of good systems

and one among them was the NUMBER ENQUIRY system. She gave her
new address herself. The enquiry gave her number.
‘2572629’

I slammed the phone down and looked at the number. I

dialed the number after a second. The ring went. Nearly thirty seconds
and then someone picked the phone up.
‘Hello,’ started a lady voice.
‘Hello,’ I responded, confirming it to be a middle aged voice.
‘Hello, who’s on the other side?’ enquired the lady.
‘Well, can I speak to Malar Aunty?’ I asked. The name was Srinitha’s
Mom’s.
‘Yeah, I’m Malar speaking.’ she acted in response.
‘Hi aunty, how are you?’
‘Yeah, fine, But I can’t identify the person. Who are you?’
‘Who are you? Me? You are asking me aunty. This is a great insult for me.’
‘I can’t get you.’
‘Think over Aunty. Who it must be,’

She mulled it over. I doubted whether she could suspect me for

someone who could have had a bet with her daughter. Suddenly, she said
something that was completely comic.

‘Yeah, I found out. You are Babu Ganesh.’ she said with a surge of
emotion.
‘Yes, Yes, You are so clever Aunty. I already knew that you would find me.
But you took time isn’t it?’
‘How will I forget your voice Babu? And when are you coming here?’
‘Soon Aunty, Soon, how’s Srinitha and Nirosha?’
‘They are fine. Nirosha is yet to come from the college and Srinitha is
here. Let me give it to her.’
‘Sure Aunty, Sure,’

A typical woman, without any further argument from my side,

she herself gave the receiver to Srinitha.

‘Hay Bro, how are you?’

‘Yeah, I’m fine. But don’t call me bro,’
‘Hello Babu,’
‘Do I need to introduce myself Shalini?’

There was silence. Her brain took some time to identify my voice
and the corresponding name.

‘Raaaaaajkamalll,’ she dragged as silently as she could.

‘That’s my Girl; you are cleverer than your Mom.’
‘Hey, have you gone crazy?’ she spoke, which was hardly audible.
‘Absolutely, truly, deeply,’ I roared at my high pitch.
‘I’m gonna hang it up. Are you kidding?’
‘Srinitha, hang on, you spoke about my guts, didn’t you? I just called your
home and you are nearly dying. What if I come to your home?’
‘Skip it. I’m gonna hang it up.’
‘I’d call you again.’
‘Oh, hmm, what do you need?’ she seductively asked.
‘Tell me, you love me,’ I demanded.
‘No, No way,’
‘Why, is your Mom near you?’
‘Yes,’
‘No problem,’
‘My hell, my mom is seeing.’
‘Let it be, tell me,’
‘My goodness, please leave me. I’ve already sworn you Babu. I’d keep up
my words.’
‘Okay, I think this is enough for today.’
‘Yeah,’
‘Give it to your Mom; let me wish her a bye.’
‘What?’
‘Other wise she may doubt you. Hand it over.’
‘Mom,’ she called out her Mom.
‘Babu, that’s nice to have you. Niro would feel bad if she comes.’
‘No problem Aunty, Give my best to Niro. I’d call some other time.’
‘Okay, Bye, let god bless you.’
‘For sure, love you aunty, Bye.’

Chapter 15
An August
 August, thirty one days of concocted climates,
came again. It hopefully carried a desperate panorama. The thirty one
insomniac nights are infused eternally into me. Unwarily, I was intoxicated
by the most powerful and legal drug the world has ever discovered to use.
Intoxications always steal time to leave us sobered. Untowardly, it burgled
my identity too. It had forsaken me.

‘Srinitha, would you believe me if I say you something?’ I asked, as

soon as she entered into that vacant class of A1.
‘Mmmm, sure,’ she dragged a desk towards her side.
‘I have never proposed any girl.’ I slowly stood up from my place.
‘That’s not bad,’ she arranged her bench properly with a laughter
and settled down.
‘Seriously, I have never dreamt of any girl too.’ I walked from my
place and pulled a small bench in the middle of the class and sat in
it.
‘This is too much,’ she folded her arms near her waist.
‘You came into my dream yesterday.’ I half stood from the bench
and pushed the bench near her, just leaving a gap for no human,
and sat again.
‘What did I do?’ she mumbled in the lowest octave she had ever
spoken.
‘I said you something.’ I saw her lips reddening.
‘What?’ she whispered tightening the grip in her hand.
‘I told, “Srinitha, I’ve never opened my pen to write things like this.
I’ve never opened my lips to say things like this. I’ve never had a
girl like you to express this”. sitting in a white park bench and I
didn’t know why snow was falling.’
‘What did I reply?’
‘You replied not in words.’
‘Then,’
‘You just………..’
Before I could say anything we saw Preethi entering in. I hauled my
bench back satisfied with her reddening cheeks. I gesticulated that I
would continue afterwards.

I continued it to her again when the crescent moon spread its light
to her full moon face. After the tuition classes got over. In that narrow
tuition passage, when it was half past seven, after the exodus had gone.
We stood in a pretty gloomy place where no one could see us with their
naked eyes.

‘Tell me anything but tell me soon. My auto would come to pick me now.’
she said.
‘Yeah,’ I went closer. ‘Then in my dream you didn’t say anything, you
smiled. Your cheeks reddened as red as your lips.’
‘Why?’
‘Because of that thing which epics, poems, musicals and movies interpret
as love.’
‘How do you decipher it?’
‘Chemical imbalance, because my hormones dance on my blood dance
floor, when I see your face, when I think your words, when I smell your
fragrance etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.’
‘This is pulverizing me,’
‘And Srinitha, do you know what I did after you smiled in my dream?’

I searched for her hands in that moon light. I got it, wet and soft. I
took it till my bosom. I held it tight. Words penetrated out of my lips. I
wanted to give her those words. I just whispered her name twice to her
ears. I slightly touched her cheeks, which was as soft as her cheeks. I
inhaled her fragrance, closer than ever. One of her hands was still near my
bosom which was ice-cold.

‘Srinitha,’ I whispered to her ears and drew her close to my waist space. ‘I
want this minute always. Would you like to give it to me?’
‘Hmmmm,’
‘I said I want this minute and you always.’
 For the first time she smiled with a musical note in her voice. Even
though I felt like hugging her, I loved to see her eyes before that. It was
completely dark. Abruptly, a light beamed from nowhere and I clearly saw
her dopamine amplified eyes and the redness of her cheeks competing
with the redness of her smiling lips. I was electrified completely with her
fragrance.

The light was from a bike. As soon as I took my eyes out of hers, I
tried to figure out that rider, still holding her hand. In that obscurity, I was
unable to deduce anything. In a speed, slightly less than that of light,
Srinitha slid her hands out of mine and ran away. I veered to her direction
and found out the reason to be her auto. Simultaneously, I heard the
throttling sound of that bike and it sped past me. I presumed it to be some
student from any one of those tuitions, who spoiled the scene.

I inhaled my palms which still had the fragrance of her cheeks, even
after hours.

If you think I’d have slept that night then ask my Rotamac
pen which got emptied that night writing a poem about her which I liked to
give her the next day.

NEXT DAY

I didn’t get to class at usual time that I was unable to give it to her.
Wait till evening, I said myself.

We always had a chronic debate on one single topic. It’s more of a

feud than a debate. The topic is “Who’s the best, AJITH OR VIJAY”? Ajith,
the most contemporary handsome actor, had a string of flops during our
high-school days. Especially, our sophomore year was a great debacle for
him. On the other hand, Vijay, the most commercial hero on the market,
had a history of success then. Class A1 had almost an equal contribution
of fans to both of them. I and Blessing were neutral in this topic. That day
the feud took a catastrophic take-off, no-where to land.

‘Except for dancing, what Vijay has done well on screen?’ fumed
Swaminathan, hard-core fan of Ajith.
‘We have a great doubt about your Ajith. Is he an actor or racer?’
answered Arun, a six footed fan of Vijay.
‘I would give a great solution for this today.’ started Blessing
‘What is it?’ interrupted CT who takes the side of Ajith.
‘Let us take a hit percentage of both and calculate it,’ he exclaimed.
‘Nice idea’ said Sundar, an Anti-Ajith fan.

Blessing took a calculator. We all joined together and started

finalizing the number of hits for both of them. Those who feel that this is
silly are those who don’t know about Tamil film industry. Those who feel
that this is a useless thing are those who studied in Rosemary excluding
us.

‘Vijay’s comes to a total of 42 films till now.’ said Suhail, a Vijay fan.
‘Ajith is coming to a total of 44 till now.’ shouted Kishore.

The crucial part of the survey started then. We started counting the
number of hit movies. Each didn’t accept a lot of movies.

‘We can’t accept “Badri” to be a hit movie.’ annoyed CT.

‘Didn’t we accept your “Attakasam” as a hit.’ replied Sundar.
‘Hey “Attakasam” is a real hit.’ confirmed Kishore.
‘Oh, you would ask us to accept ‘Ji’ to be a hit too, isn’t that?’ mocked
Suhail.

Blessing was simply torn into pieces before the surveying got over.
At last, the calculation was held. Every one waited silently till that tiny
calculator gave us some number to verdict. The spinning fan stopped. The
power was cut.
‘Sshhhhhhhhhhhhh.’ we accosted in union. Blessing silenced everyone for
the announcement.

‘As per the calculation Vijay has got the highest percentage of hits than
Ajith.’ he announced.

Not a second they waited. The commotion filled the class heavily.

‘Most of the hit films of Vijay are Re-makes and how come this is a fair
victory.’ shouted Siva.
‘That doesn’t matters.’ laughed Arun.
‘Ajith has a lot of good films that didn’t do well. He has acted in a Hindi
film. What is Vijay capable of?’ firmly asked CT.
‘Who has the largest girls’ fan following?’ asked Sundar.
‘No doubt it’s Ajith.’ answered CT.

I well noticed that they simply answer a question with another

question. Finally, they decided to write in a piece of paper with a row for
Ajith and the other for Vijay and give it to girls. The girls should give their
tick on the row of their favourite actor. Every one accepted and CT and
Sundar got into this committee. CT wrote Ajith’s name on the top and then
Vijay’s name. Sundar asked to change the order and suddenly they got
into a fight with the paper. Even though it looked serious from out, it was a
comic fight for us. Sundar grabbed CT’s hip and pushed him in the gap
between a bench and a desk. CT was helpless. Every one of us was
enjoying it. Notably, Blessing shouted with a howling sound to encourage
them. Sundar stood on CT’s body which was in ground. Only CT’s legs
were visible, which were above the bench. The whole class was enjoying
it. In no minute there was a pristine silence. The reason was Sam Sir.

He entered the class like a storm with his stick, which he calls
“magic stick”. He witnessed two legs on air and Sundar jumping over the
body of those legs. He was annoyed by Blessing’s horrified exclamation.

‘What the hell,’ he excited with rage.

‘My goodness,’ I mellowed to Naga who sat near me and opened a book
suddenly.
‘You monkeys,’ he whipped harshly on Sundar.
‘Sir,’ he trembled.

He clutched Sundar’s collars and dragged him out of the bench. CT,
who was unaware of anything happening around, got up with his white-
turned-black shirt and his white-turned-red eyes. When Sam Sir got him
out of the bench he started acting, in his own way.

‘Sir, Sundar is the reason for everything, Sir. He carried me from my bench
and beat me, Sir. I’m no way involved in any fight, Sir.’ he cried.

Sam Sir believed CT. He put his magic stick down and slapped
Sundar on his cheek. Sundar fell down. Sundar got up again only to be
beat with the stick.

‘What’s your father?’ he asked.

‘Doctor, Sir,’ mellowed Sundar.
‘You won’t become a compounder even.’ he thrashed again.

Sam Sir took him out of the class and asked him to kneel in the
middle of the school edifice. He was visible to every eye in the school. He
didn’t cry like CT. CT was scolded by every one for his acting.

‘You little fucker, why did you act like this?’ asked Kishore seriously.
‘I had no other go.’ he answered.
‘You FX guys are always crooked.’ Blessing shouted.
‘Hey Blessing, don’t categorize like that.’ I replied.

Sam Sir came again into the class. He asked Blessing to stand.
‘Blessing, you were shouting as if watching a wrestling show. Is this what
you have learnt from your Bible?’
‘No Sir,’ he started.
‘You don’t utter a word.’
 There was a small Creech sound then, the sound of our fan. The
power was back. Sam Sir was sweating and he went under the fan and
kept his stick on the teacher’s table. He swabbed off his sweat with his
kerchief and started his advice.

‘I’m totally disappointed with your class. If you go through the History of
A1, you can see a lot of doctors and well admitted engineers. I’ve lost my
hopes on your class, completely. Speaking with your performance, it is
worse incomparably. But you have hands in all the other departments
except studies, haven’t you?’ he said straightly looking into my eyes.

I didn’t have the power of filtering the meaning from his bifocal
look. He widened his already big eyes. Before I mulled it over, I heard him
saying something.
‘Get the hell up,’ he shouted for which I stood up spontaneously.
‘Sir, me,’ I mellowed, narrowing my face and lifting my eyebrows up.
‘Absolutely, and go back. Stand in the back of the class. You know why I
ask you to go back. You are an element to be erased out of this class.
Bring your father tomorrow. Otherwise never come to my class.’ he
ejected the words.

I slowly dampened my lips and gave an apologizing look for an

unknown mistake of mine. I had gotten to obey him to abate his fury.
Naga moved away to give me the way out of my bench. I stepped out and
walked into the silence of my class room. I saw Naga’s face, Sam Sir’s
face. Then I turned towards the rear side and reflexively saw Srinitha’s
face, her eyeballs, and the fear in it. It was just a micro-second. I removed
my sight away from her. I reached the last bench bewildered about her
fear.

At last, I ball park figured the reason.

 Chapter 16
Dad’s words

AFTER THE CLASS GOT OVER

‘Naga, you where there when I came out of the tuition yesterday, weren’t
you?’ I shook Naga’s shoulders.
‘Yes,’ he puzzlingly answered.
‘Some one came out in a bike before me.’
‘Yes,’
‘Who’s that?’
‘Sam Sir,’ he casually pronounced.
‘Oh……..Oh………Oh…….My…….goodness….’ I shocked, expectedly.

OVER THE CORRIDOR OF MY SISTER’S CLASS

‘Anbu, I did nothing.’

‘Nambi, it’s the nth time you say this to me in Rosemary.’
‘It’s true this time too.’
‘What can I do, Nambi?’
‘What will Sam Sir do?’
‘I don’t know. Apologize to him, he might change his mind.’

IN MATH TUITION

‘Excuse me Sir,’ I politely begged my entry when the whole mass of the
tuition was already inside the room.
‘Please don’t come here. What I said was applicable to tuition too. Go
bring your father.’ he politely roared.
 Naga was in there. My sister was there. My sister’s class girls and
other students were also there. My face looked totally disgraced. I tried to
hide it. I walked out, caring a lot about what my tuition-mates would have
thought about me.

IN MY FATHER’S OFFICE

‘Dad, are you free?’

‘What,’
‘Today there was a small duel in the class and I was completely out of it.
But, Sir mistook me for it and has asked to bring you.’
‘Oh, didn’t you do anything?’
‘No, dad,’
‘Could you get me his number?’
‘Yes,’

I got my dad’s cell phone and called my sister’s number. My dad

stood out of his office room. I went a considerable distance out of his
reach.

‘Anbu, I want Sam Sir’s number.’

‘Why, I don’t have it.’
‘Oh my,’
‘Hey, why do you need it?’
‘Prabha must have it. Please make a call to her and get it. Dad wants to
speak with him.’
‘Wait, I would ask her.’

Prabha was Sam Sir’s favourite student. She would surely have his
number, I thought. I saw my dad’s face filled with dismay. The phone rang.

‘Nambi, I’ve got his cell phone number. I’d send a business card of it.
Handle the problem with care.’
‘I’m trying to do so.’
‘Okay, bye,’
 I received the business card. I saved the number. I went unto my
dad.

‘Dad, I’ve got the number.’

‘Dial it.’
‘Shall I speak first or will you?’
‘I’d speak.’

I dialed the number and handed over the phone to my dad. He

started speaking. I heard just one-way of the conversation. I was
unintelligible to judge anything from that. My heart pulsated to about
some 90, I felt. Before it stopped my father disconnected the line.

‘What did he say, dad?’

‘He said that it was nothing. He added that he just wanted to meet me
tomorrow for some reason hooked up with your studies.’
‘Oh,’ I terminated.

I then started towards home. I entered inside and I saw my mom

speaking in phone. Her eyes were stagnated with tears.

‘Mom, what happened?’

‘What have you done?’
‘What’s it Mom?’
‘Your Aunt wants to speak with you.’

It was Anbu’s Mom or my aunt. She was the eldest daughter of my

grand parents. My mom was the second one. She lost her husband over a
road accident. I always had a regard for her ruthless determination.

‘Hello,’ I usually said, knowing that the situation was unusual.

‘Nambi, don’t step into my home any more. You are getting involved in all
kinds of waywardness that disturbs my daughter. Samuel Sir has stopped
you from the tuition it seems and I scare that this would affect my
daughter. Don’t speak with her anymore. I have let your mom know all
your saga boy stories. She too must know them and,’
‘It’s Okay,’ I slammed the down before even she could finish it and turned
back to remove my uniform.
‘What’s all this?’ sobbed my Mom.
‘Nothing Mom, your sister wants me not to enter her home. You don’t
worry because this is not going to let me down.’ I firmly acted.

Next Morning

I didn’t wake up the next morning because I never slept. I left a

considerable distance from my dad and gaited into the school.

‘Dad, take the steps,’ I sprinted, not allowing him to see my reddened
eyes.
‘Where’s his room?’ he ascended the steps.
‘First floor,’

Sam Sir, sans his glasses, was scrutinizing something in his room.
At the very sight of my father, he half stood up.

‘Welcome Sir, Please take your weight off your feet, Sir,’ he offered his
right hand.
‘With pleasure,’ said my dad, shaking his hand.
‘And Rajkamal, could you wait a minute out.’ he showed me out.

I nodded my head and toddled out. That was too much, I thought. I
feared that he may extra-add loads of bad stuffs about me. I warily saw
my wrist watch, every nano-second. After a minute, Sam sir shouted my
name.
‘Come on in,’ he said.
I noticed my dad’s restless face, Sam Sir’s clear face and confirmed
that he would have elucidated everything.
‘I’ve said everything. You apologize to your father with your mistakes and
I’d let you in my class.’ he donned his glasses.
‘I’m sorry dad. It was my mistake.’ I stopped.
‘I asked you to confess your mistake too.’
‘Sir, I’d like to admit this to both of you. I didn’t indulge in anything awry.
It was just a platonic talk that we had. Besides any of my explanations,
what I did was ultimately out of the school etiquette. And I swear you Sir; I
would break out the bond I had with that girl.’
‘What are you saying?’ puzzled my father.

I puzzled too.

‘Rajkamal, I didn’t say anything to your father. I wanted you to admit the
mistake yourself. And it was good that you admitted everything. My part
would be easy now.’ he shocked me and my dad at the same time.
‘Sir…’
I was speechless. My dad was not clear about what I said. Then,
Sam Sir narrated the scene in a clearer way. The meeting lasted for fifteen
more minutes. My dad looked at me like a different person when he spoke
with me after that. We both stood in the entrance of the school.

‘I’ve pinned up lots of hope on you. Fifteen minutes back, I never had a
doubt that you may shatter my hopes. I feel ashamed. I ask you two things
today. Firstly, let this be the last time I come to your school. Secondly,
make me again feel that my hopes would come true a day. And get back
to your class and not to that girl of yours.’ he softly exhorted me.

‘Happy?’ asked CT, receiving me inside the class.

‘Very happy,’ I acted, as if I were heedless about my dad’s words.

I deliberately took that poem I wrote two nights before and blew it
after I tore them into tiny bits.
 Chapter 17
An Accident

THAT AFTER NOON

Some of our afternoons were blessed with a meal outside the

school. After Jacquelin Miss came in charge, we easily got our permission
for the lunch pass. We strictly ate in New Ruchi, known for its tastiest
parottas and my favourite butter chicken. Four of us got permission that
day. It means four bikes, pithily, eight members.

‘Blessing, I’ve gotten the permission. Come on out. Take your bike’ I
compelled him.
‘Wait a minute, who else coming?’
‘Arun, Kishore and Sundar have gotten the pass. Come on, I need to take a
leak.’

From that sea of bikes and buggies he took out his sting and we
started towards New Ruchi.

‘And how did you manage with Sam Sir today?’ he asked, shifting the gear
rapidly and throttling recklessly.
‘Kind of bad, I screen played a lot to my dad. But all went in vain. Sam Sir
was cruelly tricky that he got the truth out of me.’ I poignantly brushed my
waving hair.

“Screenplay” is the substitutive noun we use instead of “Lies”. I

don’t remember who devised it in our class. It must be Blessing or I.

‘I don’t believe that you would break your relation with her, at least now.’
laughed Blessing, overtaking a lorry.
‘No, I have broken it already.’
‘I have already seen your break-up dramas. And don’t you get any other
girl to love? ’
‘Blessing, I’ve always suspected that you are involved in Srinitha’s old
proposal.’
‘What the hell, you little fucker, what made you think so?’ he infuriated.
‘Every time you ask me about her, it sounds like you are getting green-
eyed on us. Don’t get red for this.’
‘I can’t take this.’ he turned his head completely.
‘Okay, skip it.’
‘How can I, you fucking idiot.’ he abused me, throttling it high.

I patted his shoulders as a sign of cooling down him. He quivered

his body making my hands get out of his body. Speaking about the old
proposal, Arun came to my mind. I turned back and saw him racing in his
buggy with Swaminathan. Before I could turn front, the Sting’s balance got
missed, for an unknown reason. I witnessed a bus in front of us, a small
boy with his cycle by the side and Blessing trying to hold his balance. The
bike skidded away. I was in air. Blessing and his Sting were skidding
somewhere. The bus stopped with a great Creech sound. My body got
parked. It took me few seconds to know where I was. I squashed my
already-red eyes. I saw the bus parked a little before me. I searched for
Blessing. I was unable to spot him. His Sting was some meters away from
me. I got up. I heard nothing. I went unto the bus and looked under the
tires.

NEXT DAY
‘I fell just behind him and he went under the tires in search of me, moron.’
Blessing bantered at me.

It was in the class room by morning. Every one circled Blessing to

know what happened. Blessing, with his toothy laugh, had his right-hand
immobilized with a plaster-of-paris dressing. Precisely, his left-hand
fractured.

‘Was it your fault?’ asked Rashideen, combing his hair.

‘No, I just overtook the bus and unexpectedly one small boy sped crossed
the bus and then me. I was scared that I may hit him. So, I lost my
balance. I sudden-braked and my back wheel skidded. To balance it I
gripped the front brake and the bike lifted up in air. I landed down with my
left-hand and started rolling. The bus stopped with a Creech sound. This
guy fell just before me. Without looking back, he got up and searched for
me under the bus’ tires. Then I shouted at him.’ he laughed at me.
‘How are you adjusting in bathroom with your right-hand?’ doubted Suhail,
jocularly.
‘How do you think of questions like this?’ laughed Siva.
‘Seriously, how do you manage in loo?’ quipped Suhail.
‘I wish I were an American, when I’m in loo. I wipe it out.’ responded
Blessing for which the boys’ row laughed like hell.
‘Thank your goodness; you didn’t get fractured in your right-hand.’ said
Swaminathan with his moustache completely shaved that day.
‘Why?’ asked Blessing
‘Raksha Bandhan is nearing and the girls would need your right hand
more’
‘Yes, it’s good in that way. If I had broken my right hand, these Miss
Universes and Miss Worlds would think that I did it to escape from them. I
like to be a brother to every one out here.’
‘Oh, when is Raksha bandhan?’ I asked curiously.

Raksha bandhan, the day when Indian sisters festoon their brothers’
hand by tying a band called “RAKHI”. But, a few Indian girls tie this Rakhi
to someone who love them. The reasons might be to humiliate the boy or
safeguard them. (Kindly excuse me for one thing. I have used the word
“Rakhi”, defying all the rules of grammar. I have coined a new verb and a
new gerund out of the word “Rakhi”, only to make things lucid)

‘August 20th.’ said Swaminathan.

I didn’t know that it would become another important day in the

history of the class A1.

Chapter 18
Raksha bandhan Plans

‘You are writing your night-exams this time.’ announced Jacquelin Miss.

Night-exams, actually they were not held at night, between 5 and 8

in the evening, were usual in Rosemary. They were pre-quarter yearly
exams. They rushed up nearly half the portion. But, only E1 and E2
sections used to write. That year we were compelled to write it.

‘Oh, No, that would be bad’ we howled.

‘Correspondent has taken this decision’ she said.
‘Miss, how should we get back home after eight.’ asked Blessing.
‘How do you go after your tuitions? Go the same way.’
‘I don’t go to any tuition.’
‘Blessing, aren’t you brave enough to go back home?’

He didn’t speak anything then. Jacquelin Miss herself created this

idea. To earn good name, she made us suffer through the night exams.

PHYSICS TUITION

‘Preethi, Where is Srinitha?’ I asked, politely, in that vacant room.

‘She’s on the way. And what happened that day?’
‘Sam Sir trickily complained a lot about me to my dad. So, I’ve taken some
decisions.’ I explicated, politely, again.
‘Rajkamal, Sam Sir asked Srinitha too to bring her father today.’
‘What?’
‘Yeah, that’s why she’s late.’ she puzzled, offering me a bubble gum.
‘Did she bring her father?’

Srinitha climbed up her stairs hearing my question. I calmed down. I

slowly took the bubble gum from Preethi’s hand and tear-opened it. She
warily kept her eyes on her feet. I chewed the gum until she took her
weight off her feet.

‘Srinitha,’ I spelled.
‘Yeah.’ she looked at me, blandly.
‘Did you bring your father?’ I whispered.
‘No. I brought my sister.’
‘What did he say?’
‘A lot,’ She mellowed.
‘A lot of what, I’m asking you.’ I shouted.
‘A lot of,’ she yelled, rolling down to tears. ‘A lot of what portrayed me a
third-rated girl. A lot of which shattered me. A lot which broke me into
tears,’
‘No, No,’ I shouted again. ‘Don’t cry.’
‘I’m not crying.’ She swabbed her tears.
‘Listen; Let us decide on something today.’ I fizzed out a bubble, lowering
my voice.
‘What?’ she trembled in her voice, still trying to swab the ceaseless tears.
‘Let us break our relationship, Srinitha’ I clinched out.
‘Till,’
‘Till what that break-up is stronger than our bond. Till what the break-up
could take us,’ I caressed my slightly grown beard.
‘Okay, Let us part away.’
‘From now on, no morning chats, no poems or songs, nothing romantic or
comic. We must part away with no hatred. Let it be the smoothest break-
up, the planet could ever have or had.’ I emoted, closing my face with my
hand.

‘Don’t laugh, Mahesh, We have parted away, seriously.’ I roared, pedaling

in the school road, by some half past eight in the morning.
‘How can you both keep away from yourselves? I think this is zero percent
possible’ laughed Mahesh.

Rapidly, we heard a bike racing behind us. Before we turned, it

came in front of us and blocked us. A Rosemary student, I inferred it from
his uniform, with a helmet. For only a micro-second we puzzled. It was a
much known physique for us. I slid the helmet.

‘CT, what the hell, you have gotten your new bike,’ I took the helmet away
from his face.
‘Yeahhhhhhh,’ he shouted.
‘Why did you choose “Splendor”? Why not “Pulsar”?’ said Mahesh.
‘I’ve always needed a bike with good mileage.’ CT convinced Mahesh.
‘Hey, guys look at there’ exclaimed Mahesh.
 It was Srinitha. Our break-up norms had already instructed to not
have morning chats. That’s why I was late. And she too was late. She went
in Preethi’s Scooty. (What happened to her auto? Why is she coming with
Preethi? I wondered)

‘My god, guys, you are gonna see a great show’ CT started his bike and
wore his helmet.

Before I and Mahesh could get his words, he raced away. He went
near Preethi’s Scooty and throttled, making a helluva sound. Srinitha
turned back and gaped at me, when CT was nearly hitting them. It was not
a part of our break-up norms to not see at each other. So, I pedaled my
cycle and saw her too. Preethi wasn’t able to get above CT’s speed. They
went a considerable distance away from us. CT made a noisy throttling
sound, deafening the ears. I figured out Preethi to miss her balance. He
intimidated again by throttling and Preethi sudden-braked. Srinitha’s body
was unable to respond to that suddenness and slipped away from the
Scooty.

‘My goodness, Mahesh, she fell down,’ I shocked.

I pedaled faster. Before I could reach there, Srinitha climbed up

rapidly and Preethi took to the air. CT stood there laughing.
‘Don’t you have brain, CT?’ I inquired him.
‘Didn’t I tell you that it would be great?’ he laughed, in his own style.
‘Why do you want to bully them over like this? Are you nuts?’ I
interrogated, with aggressive eyes.
‘Fine, Sachein, Your Shalini hasn’t gone lame. You may still marry and
bonk with her. You won’t be disappointed in bed.’ he mocked.

It was an intrinsic feel that transformed my inquiry into

interrogation, abruptly. CT’s show didn’t get over that soon. It continued,
back in class room.
‘Guys, Shalini fell down from the bike today. Sachein is too worried that
she might have gone disabled in any way. He is worried about those after-
marriage-acts.’ CT openly stated in front of the class, when PKS went away
to get his attendance register.
‘Who rode the bike?’ enquired Arun from his last bench.
‘It was Preethi and I think she must learn riding from a distinctive
personality like me. I could teach her to ride anything if she comes to me’
he cracked a double-entendre.

Preethi and Srinitha stayed silently till he jocularly hurt them. His
last mockery raised Preethi’s pressure level that she spoke out, furiously.

‘Sure, CT, I’d learn anything from you. Wait till August 20. I’d tie you a
rakhi on that day and you may teach me anything after that.’ Preethi
informed, which was hard for CT to digest.

Everyone took few seconds to relieve us out of Preethi’s shock.

Before her echo could abate its effect, Nisha jolted us again.

‘Not only Preethi. We would all love to tie you the Rakhi.’ Nisha joined, as
a representative.

‘That’s cool, Girls, I’d greatly accept it from you all. Especially, from
Preethi, but on one condition. Srinitha should tie a Rakhi for Rajkamal.’ he
conditioned.

Srinitha and I looked into our eyes at the same instant to learn that
both of us were terrified.

‘Are you ready for this?’ he coolly solicited.

PKS entered in at the right time. CT turned back to me and giggled,

aggravatingly. The day was August 17, Wednesday, three more days for
Raksha bandhan. I was pretty sure that she won’t accept to tie me a
Rakhi. But, the reason for my desperateness was Nisha. For those first two
periods, I squinted towards Srinitha’s side, in a constant interval. Every
time, I saw Nisha telling Srinitha something. Those girls transformed their
fear into braveness, from that day. The reason was CT’s haranguing.
Mulling over these trivia, the first interval bell squawked. Before Buyla
Miss could get out of the class, some girls (Srinitha included) got out of the
class.

‘CT, why do you drag me into this issue?’ I jumped into him as soon as the
class was sans control.
‘Hey, However she’s not gonna tie or you are not gonna accept. I got no
other idea to shut those strumpets’ mouth.’ he coolly said.

At that instant, a cacophony disturbed my ears. The wailing noise

came from the corridor of our class. I and CT pushed ourselves out of the
class to see it. It was B-section boys, classifying more clearly, Suhail’s
Friends. There were small benches and desks arranged in the corridor, on
the both sides. Suhail’s friends sat on both ends. Srinitha, gaited through
the aisle of the corridor, only to get harassed by them.

‘Oy, Shalini, how’s your love-life going?’ blocked Imran, a guy who
accompanied me in the dance show.
‘We have parted away. Wouldja please, leave me my way?’ she requested,
clutching Nisha’s wrist.
‘Sure,’ Herald skeptically laughed, a B-section guy, again. ‘But, don’t ever
lie so. Recently I saw you both romancing in tuition road that night.’
‘What bothers you?’ Nisha, fumed out.
‘Hey, we are arguing with her and you up yours’ Imran, roared.

I suddenly sprinted towards Imran to negotiate. CT followed me, not

to negotiate. I saw Nisha and Imran responding back furiously and I
reached them.

‘Stop it, Guys’ I surpassed their voice.

‘Here comes the Sui-generis,’ invited Imran, with a laugh. ‘Just now we
were talking about you, Welcome.’
‘Sachein,’ called out Herald. ‘She is lying us that you both have parted
away. We don’t want to be fooled around. I have seen you guys romancing
in lots of place. Ask her to accept.’
‘We have parted away, herald. There is no kind of bond, binding us any
more.’ I stressed the word “any more”, reading Srinitha’s angst in her
eyes and Herald’s shock in face.
‘What the fuck, man,’ Imran scratched his head. ‘I’m not ready to believe
this crap.’
‘I too, Imran’ joined CT. ‘Morning I demanded her to tie a Rakhi to him and
there is no reply still.’
‘Why are doing this, Imran,’ Srinitha pronounced with anguish. ‘I have
suffered enough of harassment, humiliation and pangs of pain. This is
killing me and I can’t stand more of it. Please, let me go.’
‘Okay, but promise us that you would Rakhi him on August the 20th.’ Imran
demanded.
‘If she’s tying the Rakhi, will you guys stop calling her Shalini and stop
mocking at her?’ enquired Nisha.
‘Ask her to tie. We would stop everything’ confirmed CT and Imran in
unison.

Those girls stopped a second to answer them. CT’s promises are

like liquid nitrogen in room temperature. These guys won’t stop any of
their monkey business even if she is goanna tie any Rakhi, I determined
then. Nevertheless, those girls weren’t aware of that.

‘Srinitha would tie Rakhi to Rajkamal.’ confirmed Nisha, clutching

Srinitha’s hand tightly.
‘Srinitha should tell that, not you.’ resented Imran.

I raised my eyebrows and also my indignation, when Nisha said

that. Srinitha grew dumb when Imran asked so. Why she didn’t stop Nisha,
I wondered.

‘She won’t tell so.’ confided Swaminathan, who came from nowhere.
 Only then, I looked around to see a crowd eagerly gathered there
already, to know Srinitha’s conclusion. Half of A1 class (girls included) and
the rest from B section, A2 and C. They gathered like a symposium and
harked in silence. It was the voice of Imran and Herald, hauling Srinitha’s
words. Just for a second she noticed the silent crowd. Nisha cued her to
say yes, then. I had a coronary blockage, not romantic. Nisha looked at me
and again cued Srinitha. Imran too sank in silence, when he saw Nisha’s
cuing. Srinitha then pronounced that lethal single syllable word.

‘Okay’ she terminated, looking not into my eyes which she knew she can’t.
‘Okay for what?’ dragged CT.
‘I would tie a Rakhi for Rajkamal.’ she quivered in her voice and body.

The crowd intensified my anguish with their howling noise. Srinitha

penetrated through the crowd and crossed me, diffident to see me. She is
no different for a girl, I clinched.
I rested my hands in my hip and bit my lower lip with a small smile
(from pain) curving out. I tilted my head and turned to the side she went.
At that instant, I didn’t empathize her. She must have undergone
an intense pain in her heart. She must have bled inside. But, how can she
accept to Rakhi me. She is a beast, I thought.

‘The game is over, I think.’ mocked CT, dragging me into the class room.

I drank half the bottle of water and rained down another half to my
head still fuming out at her. I’m not gonna get Rakhied or go and cry in
bathroom, I knew.

‘Mahesh, that’s really too much. Wait for my action. However, she should
come near me to Rakhi, isn’t it? I’d show what I’m.’ I vented out to
Mahesh, sitting in his home.
‘Despite of anything, she shouldn’t have accepted.’ he felt as distressed
as I was.

August 18th
 We were left free to study for the night exam that started the
next day, except Sam Sir’s class. That day a lot of other things got decided
by girls. A lot of other girls summoned us their list.

1) Prenitha liked to tie Rakhi to Siva.

2) Roma would tie Rakhi to CT.
3) Srinitha would also tie Rakhi to CT.
4) Nisha would tie Rakhi to CT.
5) Nisha would tie to Sundar.

These girls were paired with those guys. Those girls thought that
Rakhying would cease that all. That day went with lot of Rakhi proposals
and denials. I kept mum and so did Srinitha.

I and Naga came out of the school premise. I saw my grandpa

outside the campus with his buggy, Sunny zip.

My grand pa was a ruthless philanthropist, to his family.

My grandpa, father of four children, all feminine was 72 then. From

not so rich family, he brought up all those four, haughtily. After all the four
got married, after accomplishing his "euphoric responsibility”, he intensely
got delighted by the way his family shaped up. He was in the seventh
heaven, with his seven grand children. Seventeen members structured his
family, with four sons-in law included. Happy was the only simple adjective
he used to describe our family till the count of the family descended to
sixteen. It was an accident, which killed my uncle, Anbu’s father. His
rapture got ruptured from that day. He shunted himself as a benefactor to
Anbu’s family.

‘Naga, that’s my grand pa’ I showed Naga rajesh, sprinting towards that
ten-year old Sunny zip.
‘Oh, Okay I’d wait here.’ he shouted.
 He saw me before I reached him. I well knew that he was waiting to
pick Anbu from school.

‘Hey, how is it going?’ he politely asked.

‘Kind of good,’ I smiled at him.
‘I don’t know if this is the right time to say this or not,’ he paused,
watching the exodus of students getting out. ‘Don’t take your aunt’s rage
as hatred towards you.’
‘It’s Okay. I won’t.’ I skeptically said.
‘Okay, its time. Go home and you study for the exam.’
‘Okay, bye.’ I bid the valediction.

‘What’s he waiting for?’ Naga asked when we walked into the cycle lot.
‘He’s waiting for my sister.’ I replied, spotting my cycle from that sea of
cycles.

Within minutes, my cycle brought us outside the chemistry tuition.

‘Should we go to class today?’ Naga asked, adjusting his eye glasses.

‘You are asking this question daily, Naga.’
‘Tomorrow we have our exams and should we waste time here?’
‘I think…’
‘Let’s go, Sachein.’ Naga flattered, climbing the cycle again.

Naga used to call me Sachein in only two situations. Firstly, to make

me turn immediately to him when I’d gotten concentrated in any other
jobs and secondly, when he wants things to happen in his way.

I dropped him in the near-by Bus stand and waited for his bus to
come. I got down the cycle and shocked seeing Saranya there. The
effervescent girl, an effigy of being really pretty, I blabbered to Naga,
reminiscing the action blocks that happened three months before.

She turned to my side recognizing me. I smiled at her again as that

was my intrinsically my congenital characters.
‘Naga, danger, do you remember those eight guys? Same girl, Saranya,
look at there.’ I turned opposite to her and trembled.
‘Why are you smiling at her then?’
‘My lips aren’t receptive to my brain.’
‘That’s why you were beaten by those eight guys.’ Naga said, never
looking at me or Saranya. ‘But I’m lucky. Do you know why?’
‘Why?’
‘My bus came.’ he hove a sigh of relief.

He embarked the bus and I waved him a bye. Let’s pedal away
waving a bye to Saranya too, I decided. But when I turned back she was a
bit closer to me.

‘How are you?’ she caringly asked, seductively single.

‘I’m fine, Saranya, and, how’s your Meghavannan?’ I sniggered, getting
down from my cycle.

Chapter 19
Raksha Bandhan
August 19th

‘Blessing, you look handsome with this Plaster-of-paris, really.’ I extolled,

taking my chemistry book out of the bag.

That day the exam was chemistry. I entered the class to see
Blessing, CT, Kishore in the boys’ side and Srinitha, Preethi, Prenitha and
Nisha in the girls’ side. The clock stroke quarter past eight.

‘I’mmmm…’ he dragged and ceased the words, facing the girls’ side.
‘What?’ I frowned, turning to the girls’ side.
 Nisha took out a bundle of Rakhi and handed it over to Preethi and
Srinitha.

‘What the hell, is Raksha bandhan today?’ I said in my lowest-high pitch

voice.
‘No, today is just 19.’ Blessing smiled.
‘Yeah, then why did they bring Rakhi today?’
‘Must be for a rehearsal.’ he chortled again.

I saw Preethi getting out of her bench with a hardnosed

determination of rakhying CT. Why are they doing it a day before, I
puzzled. They wanted to do it one day before because boys won’t be pre-
planned or ready to defend them, I finalized. The idea was class. But they
should have remembered that I always like to outclass.

‘CT,’ mellowed Preethi. ‘Shall I?’ She hung the Rakhi in front of her face.

I expected a defense from CT, like, hooking up me. But, he

electrified us by slouching near her. She was too much shocked to tie the
Rakhi. He offered his right hand and shrugged, gesturing a why-don’t-you-
tie kind of reaction. She abruptly stood up and positioned the Rakhi in his
hand.

‘What’s this, Blessing, unbelievable,’ I exclaimed.

‘Me too,’

Preethi Rakhied him tightly and sank back with a sigh of relief. CT
came back to us widening his lips.

‘Bad on your part, CT.’ moaned Blessing.

‘Hey, I missed it,’ sadly said Swaminathan, who just then entered the
class.
‘The reason is as simple as that,’ started CT, unfastening the Rakhi.
‘Blessing, however, she is not gonna love me in this birth of mine. This is
my only chance to touch her or get touched by her. Just to fly in that
ecstasy, I got the Rakhi tied. I went near her. She held my hands and
positioned the Rakhi in place and both her thumb touched my wrist. Then
she laced the rope around my wrist and both the first fingers traveled
through my wrist. During fastening, her right second finger caressed my
wrist a lot. I was simply seduced.’
We all laughed out, uncontrollably. When we stopped laughing the
class was half-filled.
‘Good one CT.’ admired Kishore.
‘And, did Srinitha Rakhi Rajkamal?’ Swaminathan raised the question.
‘No.’ I gave back myself.
‘Call her, Swami.’ said CT.
‘Hey, Srinitha,’ malevolently yelled Swaminathan. ‘When are you gonna tie
him the Rakhi, tomorrow or today?’
‘No tomorrow business.’ antagonized CT. ‘Preethi, I conformed to you. It’s
unfair if you defy me.’

Nisha gave a Rakhi to Srinitha and asked her to go to me. Nearly,

three-fourth the boys took up their positions in the class, then. I sat cross-
legged, resting my left hand over Blessing’s shoulders and right hand
brushing my hair that didn’t wave at all. She gained enough pluck to get
up, I saw. She toddled through the benches and desks to reach me. I
stably stared at her every tiny movement gnashing my teeth. The
commotion in the class diminished gradually as she neared me. I
sniggered biting my teeth and she stood just leaving a gap for no human
to enter. Diffidently, she looked at her totally depreciated shoes. The
diminished commotion faded away to silence.

‘What?’ I stressed hardly that it echoed.

‘Rakhi.’ she pronounced, softer than a whisper, which gained me a lot of
confidence.
‘Do you know the meaning of Rakhi,’ I posed the question. ‘Do you know
what Raksha bandhan is?’
‘Please, let me to do this. I’d like to stop everything.’ she looked straight
into my eyes.
‘Listen, Raksha bandhan means strengthening up the relation between a
brother and sister. Rakhi is a sacred rope to bind their relation. And,’ I
increased my tone to a higher note. ‘Srinitha, did we make out a brother
and sister relationship these days. I didn’t.’
‘I’m checked, Rajkamal. I want to have at least temperate days here after.
So, accept this.’ she whispered again, this time looking not at me.
‘How selfish are you, Srinitha,’
‘Yes, I’m selfish, accept this.’
‘What the hell,’ I shouted to my highest pitch and stood up to notice a
surge widening of her eyes. ‘Can’t you rationalize anything? You stupid,
This Rakhi won’t change any stuff that’s gonna happen tomorrow.’ I
plucked the Rakhi from her hand. ‘Only cheap girls would get ideas like
this. Get away. Get the hell away.’ I threw the Rakhi to the threshold of the
class and sank back to my bench. She had already gone three steps back.

I was out of my mind totally. The last word of mine just then echoed
back. She still stood a certain distance away from me. Nisha cued from
something.

‘Nisha, mind yours.’ I roared.

Arun unexpectedly entered the class then. He took the Rakhi in his
hand. He noticed Srinitha near me and madness in my eyes. He must have
deciphered the incident.

‘That was too much, Rajkamal.’ she said, when Arun came near her.
‘Srinitha,’ called out Arun. ‘Rakhi me.’ He pronounced very coolly offering
her that Rakhi.

I astounded. Srinitha toddled towards that six-footed figure and

Rakhied him. He grew dumb. She turned to my side after that. I still don’t
know why Arun did that stupidity.

‘So, you are using me as an element to make your notorious image. You
want every one to talk about you and bothered about none. What are you
gonna get out of this popularity. Do you feel great when people call you
Sachein? You wanted to show them all that you are a saga-boy. I
understood you, clearly.’
‘Thank you, and, I’m not so proud. You never understood me, Srinitha.
Everything happened because of you. You started it, not me.’
‘You have shattered everything. Let I be your last victim.’ she infuriated
and not cried.
‘I completely hate the fact that I liked you. I at least had the guts to admit
that. And today you really look no less than a third-rated girl. You are so
cheap, Srinitha.’ I countered back in high-pitch.
Her eyes widened to its maximum as soon as I said that word. She
started fuming and quested for words to scold me. Her face distorted to a
lot of shapes when she started reprimanding me.

‘You are the worst guy I’ve ever met in my life. I had to delete even the
traces that would remember you. And,’ she stepped back to her place
increasing the voice. ‘Curses from a girl would never let you up in your
life. Who’s third-rated, me or you, I’m certain to see your downfall.’
‘I can’t fall any more down than this, baby. Never come back to me.’

Time was quarter to nine. The class waited in silence to ensure our
break-up. They don’t want any Rakhi to prove it. The break-up ceremony
went on satisfactorily with x amount of maledictions and y amount of
hatred. I don’t know how much she was hurt. But I was hurt twice as she
was because I understood her hurt too. PKS entered into the class.

‘I still have doubts that you both are acting in front of the class.’ doubted
CT.

One day before Raksha bandhan everything occurred away. In the

first interval, the incident deployed as speed as light. B-section guys,
hearing this, fed up that they didn’t witness it. Nisha went up to my
Sister’s class and brought her down. She explicated everything in the
corridor of our class. As per my aunt’s demand I owed to leave Anbu,
unperturbed. But how could I stop those girls.

The Chemistry exam was effortless. After the exam got over, I saw
those girls clarifying something to my sister which I least bothered. I went
out to see my grandpa near the entrance gate. I didn’t talk with him. I
went to Ruchi that night.

August the 20th

I entered in the class by nearly half past eight and learnt that none
was interested about the Physics exam that evening. All were busy
discussing about the Raksha bandhan and the bundle of Rakhies in the
girls’ row. I sat in my bench and waited for a good show that day. A usual
rumpus existed in the class.

‘What’s your plan today CT?’ I yelled to make my sound audible to him
and he came near me.
‘Today my plan is different. The victim is Roma. Don’t miss the show. I
would rock it.’ he confirmed.

Roma, a tom-boyish girl from E2, got acquainted to CT, few months
before. The way they knew each other was indelibly out-of-ordinary. I
smiled rewinding them back.

Few months before

Our old-class was near E2 section and there was a common test for
all of us. We were sitting on the small benches in the corridor. I sat behind
CT. Roma (I didn’t know the name then.) sat to the right of CT. It was
Zoology exam. We absolutely knew nothing.

‘CT, have you gotten the book with you?’ I unprofessionally performed
ventriloquism.
‘Are you nuts, is this a class test? I can’t manage a book for three hours
under my ass.’ he replied taking the advantage of Jacquelin miss’
invigilation.
 Only then we saw that girl besides him to take out a bit of paper
from her purse. She placidly spread out the paper and started copying.

‘CT, it’s a great insult for us. How dare the girl is.’
‘Yes, shall we ask her for the bit?’
‘It’s your wish, CT.’

CT’s way of conversation or communication with a girl is always

rough. He gained enough courage to start with her.

‘Hey, you,’ he called the girl. ‘I know you have a bit. I too don’t know the
answers. After you finish copying, pass it to me.’ He forcefully said.

She nodded her head flaunting her canine tooth. She accompanied
CT to copy the whole exam. She passed the bit, she showed her paper. CT
was too much impressed with her. He was unable to believe that for a girl
in Rosemary. He didn’t even thank her for the help.

‘She is totally my kind of girl.’ he excitedly said after the exam got over.
‘How do you say that?’
‘She copies the way I copy. I have never seen a girl copying this braver.’
‘So?’
‘So, I love her.’
‘Oh, nice, your second love in this school. Shall I help you?’
‘Help huh? You huh, no thanks, the way you helped me in Preethi’s love is
still haunting me. Nooooooo neeeeeeed. I would help myself.’
‘No, CT, what I say is…’
‘No, No, No thanks’

CT followed her a lot. I told Srinitha to inform Roma that CT’s in love
with her. One fine morning she came to our class to speak with CT.

‘I’m Roma and I know you want to tell me something, tell me.’
‘Nothing, just thanks for what you did on that day,’
‘What’s your name?’
‘CT muthuraman, they call me CT.’
‘Peculiar name and I heard from your friends that you have fallen in love
with me.’
‘Wow, and what do you say?’
‘CT, I don’t want to waste my time over silly stuffs like love.’
‘Oh, good policy, but this is the second time I fall in love in this school. I
don’t want to let it fail. So, I won’t let you till you love me.’

Then she came to the class on August 18th and did her Rakhi
proposal to CT.

Back to August the 20th

I reminiscently chuckled and saw Nisha entering the class. She

was outfitted in a white color churidhar with golden borders and she wore
“jhimiki” in her ears. Obviously, that day was her birthday. All of us
screamed out to invite her inside. She was unable to hide the smile under
her lips. She settled down in her bench. As like planning a terrorist attack,
she started planning. First of all, Nisha sent Prenitha to Rakhi Siva.
Prenitha got up from her bench with the Rakhi.

‘Siva, she’s coming for you.’ Suhail shouted.

She went near Siva with bashful eyes. Siva sat without seeing her
eyes, in the last bench. He had Mahesh and Swaminathan on either side.
Siva, one of the handsomest guys in Rosemary’s sophomore year, didn’t
respond when she came nearer.

‘I would like to Rakhi you.’ she said in a very soft tone.

‘Why did you choose me? There are lots of boys in the class. Go Rakhi
them and then come to me.’ Siva yelled, looking at the physics book in
front of him.
She went off. Girls should have had nearly fifteen Rakhies with
them, we determined. It won’t be enough, conforming to what Siva said.
The girls decided to buy it from the shop nearer. Nisha, Prenitha and
Carolyn went out to buy.
 The second bell rang and PKS started taking the attendance. Nisha
and groups postponed the plan to first interval. That day we had an
assembly prayer. Time ran as fast as anything that the interval bell rang in
a second.

‘CT told that he would make a great show today. I’m waiting for Roma to
come.’ I informed Blessing.
‘Oh, CT is planning for something. Let’s make a plan out of CT.’
‘What?’ I puzzled.
Blessing suddenly called Swaminathan and Ajai with an idea. He
explained the plan secretively.

‘When Roma comes to the class let’s grab CT from all side. After we
immobilize him, she could easily Rakhi him. She’s a brave girl.’ said
Blessing and he turned to Arun’s yell.
‘CT, Roma is coming in.’

She entered the class, well prepared. She stopped in the girls’ row
and opened her pouch.

‘CT, I’m going to Rakhi you.’ she still stood there taking a Rakhi out of the
pouch. ‘I heard that you went easy with Preethi. Go easy with me too. I’ve
bought a special Rakhi for you. A costly one,’
‘Wow, how nice are you. I’d accept it. But you have to go easy with me.
I’ve a Thaali for you. It’s just a yellow rope. It’s not special. It’s not costly.
It has only one tamarind in it. Come on. I won’t waste your time. I’d tie it
simultaneously. Just three knots.’ CT stood up from his place and
intimidated her by penetrating his hand inside his bag.

She was shocked too much to close her pouch. Swaminathan cued
us and we abruptly attacked CT from all the four sides. Swaminathan
caught both his hands and wielded them back. I was about to clutch CT’s
body and CT alarmed. He understood the plan and rapidly released
Swaminathan’s hold. Roma was still standing there and CT ran out of the
class. A horde of guys ran behind him.

‘Wait a minute, Roma, they would be back with CT, soon.’ assured
Blessing.

At the same time Roma and Prenitha started Rakhying the other
guys. In the original rite of Raksha bandhan, brothers need to give money
to their sister. So, Roma collected money from all. Prenitha followed Roma,
but didn’t ask for money, because she had a worthy reason (speaking
from her side) to Rakhi.

‘Roma, we have caught him…’ shouted Swaminathan from our class

threshold.

Four of our guys immobilized CT and brought him inside the class
on Swaminathan’s captaincy.

‘Come on, Roma, Rakhi him.’ he yelled.

Roma sprinted towards CT taking that special Rakhi from her pouch.
CT was trembling to get out of their lock. I remembered what CT said that
morning. “Don’t miss the show. I would rock it”. I pitied for him.

Roma stood in a considerable distance from CT frightened at how

he waggled his body. CT then frightened her in his own way.

‘Hey, Roma, watch out carefully, they are holding only my body and hand.
My face is not arrested. If you come near me, I would kiss you on your lips.
I’ve been longing for that all the way. Or otherwise I would fall on you,
totally. It would be more ecstatic and easy to do. Come on.’ he said
‘No, Roma,’ smilingly said Swaminathan. ‘He won’t do that.’
‘Listen, Roma, all are waiting to see hot romance. As soon as you come
nearer all would loosen their grip to see me kissing you. I’m not
responsible for anything after you come nearer. You know me, I think.’ he
promised, constantly wagging his body.
 Roma, the brave girl, trembled. She refused to come nearer. She
kept the Rakhi inside her pouch and CT was released. He went near Roma,
then.

‘No, CT.’ she cried seeing CT.

‘Don’t shout. I won’t rape you. I’ve already told you. This is my prestige
issue. I don’t want my second love to fail, officially.’ stopped CT, looking at
the bunch of coins in her pouch. ‘Are you Rakhying or begging? Poor little
girl.’ He mocked, coolly and plucked that special Rakhi from her hand and
gave it to Prenitha.
‘Use it for your Siva. It’s so costly.’ he said to Prenitha.

At last, it was kind of good show. And the next show was at the row.
Prenitha Rakhied every one, before Roma-CT episode got over.

‘Siva, I have Rakhied all.’ Prenitha mellowed, getting nearer to him.

‘So,’
‘Accept this.’
‘I think it’s ridiculous. Piss off.’ he said.
‘Hey, Suhail,’ she called. ‘Can you please hold him so that I could easily
Rakhi him?’ She suggested which must be inspired from Roma-CT episode.
‘You illiterate Slut,’ fumed Siva. ‘What do you think of yourself? Would you
please get the damn out of here?’ he infuriated, calmly.

Prenitha got routed in her mission. Girls’ plan totally got sucked that
day. CT allowed Srinitha to Rakhi him and Sundar allowed Nisha to Rakhi
him. That was it. All those notable Rakhi episodes got over.
 Chapter 20
Girls’ fantasy

That after noon

Girls and boys became closer after that string of feuds that day.
Nisha, dole out the chocolates after the lunch bell. The comfort level
increased between us.

‘Nisha, what’s your special in lunch?’ asked Kishore.

‘Briyani.’ she said.
‘Your brother Sundar is asking for it. Don’t you have to treat him for
Raksha bandhan?’
‘Sure, brothers.’

She gave three boxes of Briyani to the boys’ row. We emptied the
Briyani in a second.

‘A brother should money or some valuable gift to a sister on the day of

Raksha bandhan. Today is my birthday too. I have treated you and
where’s my gift’ demanded Nisha.

Boys, planned to get her a greeting card. We collected our money

and Sundar got the lunch pass permission from Jacquelin Miss.
‘Rajkamal, come with me. At least to select the card,’

I didn’t struggle too much to select the card from that biggest
shopping centre. Randomly, I took out one card and opened it. The card
was designed in a way that as soon as you open the card you may see two
donkeys hopping out. I opened it and moved my head back and then burst
into laughter. So, I determined to vouchsafe them all a comic shock.

‘Write something in.’ told Sundar.

Not may any down trod occur

In your life, till you reach the stars in
the
Sky, jump out all those,
Hurdles that come, Win, win and win
All with affections SACHEIN

- Rajkamal
I wrote in a piece of paper and wrapped it. I and Sundar rode
back to school. That was Saturday and only twelfth students had school.
We had physics exam at five, which was already a forgotten thing. Sundar
went to Nisha and gave the greeting.

‘So nice of you, thanks.’ she said to Sundar.

Nisha was too lucky, I’d say. Because she was the only girl who got
a greeting card from the boys of class A1. Also, she was the only other girl
in Rosemary for whom I wrote a poem in my style, but not a romantic one.
 All the girls gathered together to see the greeting card. Srinitha sat
near Nisha and she knew well that I went for the selection of greeting.
Boys too waited for the girls to open it. Nisha slowly opened it.

‘Mahesh, they are gonna laugh out loudly now.’ I said just a second before
they laughed.

I turned to their side and just then Nisha took out that piece of
paper to read. Srinitha plucked it from her hand before she could read it.
She grew a bit jealous, when she started reading. (Even though this
sounds pompous, I had gotten to say this.) I concentrated on her lips till it
read the word “Sachein”. She threw the paper to Nisha and clenched her
teeth. I shifted my look to her eyes, then. It stared at me. I raised my left
eye-brow and sniggered, showing arrogance in the look. I purely did that
to annoy her. Again, Nisha called me and gestured that the poem was
excellent. I saw the poem in Prenitha’s hands. She read it voraciously and
smiled at me saying, excellent. I constantly shifted my looks to Srinitha
and other girls who read the poem. She was annoyed.

While writing Physics exam I noticed the girls. They felt blissful,
except for Srinitha, because they imagined that the problems were solved.

‘Hey, Srinitha’s sister has come. She’s waiting to pick up Srinitha.’ Arun
whispered in my ear.

This was after the exam got over.

I glanced out her. She was studying final year in an engineering

college. Nothing’s there to write about her except that she’s Srinitha’s
sister. Blessing accompanied my dinner that night. We spoke about
everything except the biology exam, the day after the next day. We had a
Sunday to study and Monday we had the exam. August 22, Monday, the
worst day in my existence, the day that made me cry, was just about to
come. Unwarily, I was enjoying my dinner.
 August 21

‘Hello,’ I picked my phone. ‘This is Rajkamal.’

‘This is CT. Shall we go to the city exhibition?’
‘Hey, did you study for the exam?’
‘No. I’m getting too bored to study. Get ready in minutes. I’d pick you up.’

That night

‘Hello, Mahesh?’
‘Yeah, tell me.’
‘I went to city exhibition and returned just now.’
‘Ha ha…. Skip it. The time is just ten thirty. Sit through out the night.’
‘My goodness, I’m not a nocturnal being like you. Tell me the important
questions. I’d study them and sleep.’
‘Okay, Note it down.’
I slept at eleven and it was nearly forty past ten when I finished
noting down the important questions.

Chapter 21
Escapology

August 22
 My hunch must have known that I would not sleep for the next
thirty-four hours. So, it woke me up only when it was seven in the
morning. I went in a bus that day because I was so tired to pedal.

‘Kishore, did you study?’ I panted, placing my bag in my bench.

‘No, I went to exhibition yesterday.’
‘Incredulous, I and CT too went.’
‘How much have you studied?’

At nine, the class was full and incredibly, we, I used the noun “we”
to mean the boys, didn’t study for the test, with varying reasons. Girls
usually came prepared.

‘Blessing, I’m gonna flunk for the first time in Rosemary.’ I confirmed him.
‘Shall we abandon the exam.’ he questioned me.

Before the first interval came to an end, we, again the same noun
usage, decided to abandon the exam. The next minute all of us stepped
out of the class, to negotiate with Jacquelin Miss about this.

‘Guys, she won’t accept this because, she is conducting this exam for her
personal gains. This is her subject too.’ advised Suhail.
‘Suhail lets give a whirl.’ countered Arun, the class leader.

We strode towards Jacquelin Miss’ cabin, all the seventeen.

Jacquelin Miss came down the stairs, unexpectedly, and got shocked.

‘Idiots, where are you roaming without revising for your exam?’
‘Miss, we are not writing this exam.’ sure-footedly said Blessing.
‘Why, what’s your problem?’ she shocked again.
‘We haven’t studied.’ said Swaminathan.
‘You got one full day to study and still you are saying this. I can’t allow
this.’
 All the eighteen, including Jacquelin Miss, stood near the stairs,
negotiating. I was dubious in this matter and didn’t speak any word. And I
saw Anbu, my sister, getting down the steps.

She got down the steps with her bag. A lady accompanied her. She
took a notice of my class guys and crossed us. It was just half past ten.
There wasn’t any reason my mind could think at that time. She gaited
outside the school. As per my aunt’s demand I didn’t disturb her.

‘You are writing this exam, for sure.’ she concluded that we came back to
our class, vexed.

‘Let’s run away from the school.’ said Blessing, settling down in his bench

All puzzled at what he said. Then he comprehensively explained the

whole plan.

‘Listen, at 5’0 clock sharp the bell would ring. The watch man would open
the gate and the eleventh standard students would get out of the school.
Let us run away with them.’
‘Ridiculous,’ I defied. ‘We would run into consequences. We have to come
to school tomorrow. They would call our parents. I’m not ready for this.’

But, unfortunately none was at my side. All got ready to take the
risk. After third period all quitted studying.

‘Mahesh, are you going with them.’

‘Yes, it’s thrilling for me.’

The clock showed 4:55. Everyone packed their bags and stood in
the threshold of the class. For five minutes they all waited in silence. The
bell rang and they waited for the eleventh standard students. Seeing the
exodus, they all ran out. I stood in the threshold as I was not ready to
bring my dad the next day. I was the only boy in the class and girls came
to the threshold to see the boys’ escapology. Double-mindedly I came
inside and sat for my dad. There’s nothing I would do to bring him school.
Precisely, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

I sensed that drastic change in my guys. They asked me not to rebel

against any rules when I came in, a year before. I defied them, then. Now
they are defying the laws, straightly and confidently. And I’m obeying it.

Before I could sit, the girls got flocked in there and awed.

‘They were caught.’ scared Mercy.

I ran back to the threshold and saw the guys struggling to take out
their vehicle from the parking lot. Jacquelin Miss got ferocious seeing
them.

‘Watch man, close the gate.’ she ordered.

That was it. No one went out. I hove a sigh of relief. Jacquelin Miss
caught them and wrote the names of those who struggled to take their
bikes out.

It was 6’0 clock, in the middle of that night exam. All of us ran out
of answers.

‘I’ve finished the exam.’ stood Sundar, unknowing the fury in Jacquelin
Miss.
‘Sundar, don’t test my temper. I’d lose my nerve if you are gonna standing
like this. Are you fooling me around? I’ve a list of your names. I’m gonna
give this to correspondent. He would decide on you. I would see that you
guys get suspended for a week, at least.’

The time was half past eight and we all stood in the correspondent
room with Jacquelin Miss and her list. Fortunately, my name wasn’t there
in the list. But I stood there for the sake of my friends.

‘Correspondent would come here at any time and I’d see to you then’
‘Miss, please excuse us for this one time.’ pleaded Blessing.
‘Miss,’ I joined. ‘Physics Sir asked us to complete the Record in the neck of
the moment and we were unable to study.’

We thought that it would be easy to convince Jacquelin Miss. But, it

took us one whole hour. It was quarter to ten when we came out. All of us
then decided to go for a dinner. I suggested Ruchi. Eleven of us started
towards Ruchi. I climbed for a doubles in Sundar’s buggy. We went inside
the A/c hall.

‘Jacquelin is suffering us to death to make up her name to correspondent.’

Arun said, relishing his Parotta.
‘I thought she would get convince easily but she acts like she is too
stubborn. We should spoil her name before we leave the school. She is not
at all fit to be a Vice-principal.’ Kishore distressed.

More or less it was like a partying that night. We were out of home
till half past ten. We all dismissed. Sundar gave me the lift.

‘I would drop you in home, its too late, Rajkamal.’

‘Oh, thank you.’
‘Hop on.’

Sundar and I had dueled for a lot of stuffs. I hated him till that day.
Most of them are kind and compassionate when they speak in person. A
mob transforms them. I and Sundar chatted about the new names devised
for our class girls. As expected, those Rakhi had no effect, I thought. I
didn’t want Sundar as my acquaintance till then. But I didn’t know that we
would end up with a good bonding later. Sundar rode through the roads of
my street. I showed him my home and stopped near that. The time was
eleven and he took off as soon as I disembarked.

‘Okay, Rajkamal, I’ve got to go.’ he said.

I waved him a bye and saw him disappearing in the darkness of that
compassion less night. I then climbed the stairs of my home and saw it
closed. That was unusual. I descended down and went to the petty shop
opposite.

‘Uncle, do you know where my mom is? Did she give you any key?’ I asked
to the uncle in that shop.
A silence prevailed in his face with a frown.
‘You still don’t know what happened, huh?’ he said.

My heart almost stopped when he said that.

‘What happened?’ I frowned, lowering my voice.

‘Your grandfather died in an accident.’

Chapter 22
A Vicious
Circle
 I didn’t react. How should I react for that?

‘When,’
‘Morning 10’0 clock,’
‘10’0 clock, huh,’
‘And your mother gave me the keys to me and they are in your grandpa’s
home.’

I got the keys and ran inside the home. I threw my bag somewhere.
I picked the phone and dialed to my grandpa’s home. No reply.

I started from there quickly in an Auto towards my grandpa’s home.

Tears stagnated in my eyes. I controlled. It was nearly eleven. City was
drowned in silence. I felt like the auto sailed into an infinite darkness. I
remembered the last time I saw my grandpa. He was waiting to pick up
Anbu. I didn’t even speak with him. After a few minutes, I remembered
Anbu getting out of the school after the first interval. She must have
known. She just passed away seeing me. Why did she do so? What’s there
in informing me? A heartless thing, Anbu, I quivered.

I reached the compound of his home. I got down from the auto and
heard a distant outcry. I kept small and unsteady steps that I heard only
the rattling sound of my slippers. The volume of the loud cry increased. It
churned my heart. With stagnating tears, I walked in to see a big crowd of
ladies. They all had known before me, I thought. I searched for my
grandma in the crowd. I saw her with my mom and my aunt in a corner. I
saw them broken down to tears. They saw me and rolled down to tears
again. I was not bold enough to console them. In fact, I had to be
consoled. I didn’t like to stand there. I walked inside the kitchen. I saw
Anbu there.

‘How did this happen?’

 I wanted to ask her “why didn’t you tell me?” But my fury towards
her was abated by my ignorance about my grandpa’s death.

‘An accident, a bus collided with his buggy. He was admitted in hospital.
But nothing was efficacious. The body is still in GH.’

I didn’t ask her “why didn’t you tell me” because I knew the answer.
I was the last person to know about my grandpa’s death in our family,
which descended its count to fifteen that day. I went to the hall and sat in
another corner unable to console my self. Their tears didn’t dry. And I’m
not ready to tell you anything more about how I felt there because I don’t
want to feel it again.

My grandma called me, a few hours later.

‘Morning your grandpa was speaking with me,’ she had her baritone with
cry. ‘He said that you are behind some girl. You also have to know that her
sister came to him and spoke about you. And everything was ill about you
to frustrate him.’ She caught my hands.
I was not ready for anymore shocks. Though, she continued.

‘He whined me about this before he took his vehicle out,’ she paused for a
wail. ‘He told me that he wanted to speak about this after your test is
over. He must have ridden thinking about you. Who’s that girl,’ she asked
with her cheeks getting wet a lot again. ‘See, what has happened, and,
you need to know this.’

She cried out loudly continuing something. I shattered down to

tears. I didn’t hear anything from her then. I slid my hand out of hers and
faded out. I already was broken for that they least bothered about me in
the family. This one pulverized me. I cried after many days, deeply,
silently.

Next Morning
 It was the body. They brought it from Government Hospital. All got
up and loud cried. I ran up the stairs. The yelling cacophony deafened my
ears. I lay on the bed. I still heard their sound. I closed my ears with my
hand. It was silent.

‘Come down, dear.’ called one of my distant relation.

‘No.’
‘It looks not like he is dead. Come on.’

I showed deaf ears to her. I had a very strong reason that I didn’t
see the body of my grandpa. The last time, when I was 11, my uncle was
dead. Every one hauled me to look at his body. The face was swollen. He
was not what he was. I’m unable to remember his original face, still.

So, I didn’t go. Instead, I remembered him burying my head in the

pillow. I’d rather remember him with his last words, his last smiles, not a
swollen one. Something big choked in my heart. It slowly condensed in my
eyes, hushed and grimly. This silence is more agonizing than their
outcries, I cried.

I didn’t involve in any rituals my family performed. Rationally, I

can’t explain for the question “why”.

I went to school and sat in my place. I waited for Srinitha to come. I

remembered the moment I saw her sister. I envisaged her face to increase
the fury. She stood in the same place my grandpa used to stand. She must
have met him there. I heard the click of some shoes. I recognized it and
stood up before even she entered in.

‘You little Slut,’ I shouted.

‘What?’ she gasped and frightened.
‘Didn’t your sister speak with my grandpa last Saturday?’ I fumed.
‘Don’t know. I think no. Why,’ she trembled back.
‘Did she speak?’

I removed that Kaki bag from her shoulders and threw it off. I
clutched her hand and walked to the nearby PCO. It was just by the side of
my class. Before I could see her reaction, I took her in.

‘Call your sister,’ I picked the phone in my hand.

‘For what,’ she asked, embarrassed at the shop-keeper who looked at us.
‘Call her,’ I shouted that she immediately dialed the number.

I kept the receiver at her ear. The phone was still ringing. She was
totally afraid of what was happening.

‘Niro, this is Srini,’ she started.

I suddenly dragged the receiver from her ears and she got a step
back with a shiver in her lips and eyes.

‘Rajkamal, I’m Rajkamal. I think you know me.

‘Yeah, what are…….’

Before she could speak any thing I continued.

‘Did you speak with my grandpa last Saturday?’

‘What’s it for you? I’ve always wanted to warn you. Srini would….’
‘My grandpa is dead, you filthy slut. Your sister means nothing to me,’
‘What,’ she paused.
‘Yes, he’s no more. And don’t ever come into my life, any more. I would
not fear to cut you into pieces.’

I slammed the phone. I panted. She stepped near me.

‘Rajkamal, what happened?’ Srinitha moaned, with tears again.

‘One rupee.’ said the shop-keeper tearing out the bill.
‘I’m asking you Rajkamal, what happened?’
‘I’m paying for what I did.’ I softly said her.
 I then understood the meaning of “vicious circle”, which Mahesh
used to describe about the whole situation.

Chapter 23
End of the
episodes

It was the instigation of September. I kept a distance with

problems and girls. But, they came near me, instinctively.

‘Hey, I’ve got you a serious problem’ panted Arun, sweating all through his
face.

That Saturday we were in the school till eight in the night. The
reason was Zoology record. It was Jacquelin Miss’ order to finish it that
night. I submitted my record to her and stood out of the class, when Arun
came running towards me and said so.

‘What, Arun?’
‘I, Kishore and Swaminathan were eating in Panipuri kadai. Four guys
came to us and sat with us. They asked us if we knew Rajkamal. We
answered in positive. They asked us whether we knew your where-abouts.
We again answered in positive. Then, they asked whether we could send
you to the central library. We were positive, again.’
‘What have you done, Arun?’
‘They are waiting for you. Go, go soon.’
‘Have you guys gone nuts, who are they?’
‘We don’t know. Must be any of your girl-friends’ lover. Don’t waste time.
They will be waiting.’

I went to the bike stand and took my buggy. It was Sunny, my

grandpa’s buggy. I took it for the school.

‘Come safely.’ Arun shouted from the corridor, paradox involved.

I kick-started and got my way out of the school. It must be

Meghavannan, Saranya’s one-side-lover, I determined. I reminisced my
last meeting with Saranya.

August 18th

Naga embarked the bus and I waved him a bye. Let’s pedal away
waving a bye to Saranya too, I decided. But when I turned back Saranya
was a bit closer to me.

‘How are you?’ she caringly asked, seductively single.

‘I’m fine, Saranya, and, how’s your Meghavannan?’ I sniggered, getting
down from my cycle.
‘Sorry, I heard that he came with some guys and threatened you. I really
felt bad hearing that. Srinitha told those stuffs to me. She wanted me to
tell Meghavannan not to disturb you anymore. She was very sweet that
she cared a lot for you.’
‘Oh,’ I choked hearing those truths which Srinitha didn’t tell me at all.
‘Nice one. How’s your life with Meghavannan?’
‘Ha ha ha,’ she chortled. ‘I refused his proposal. I rejected him. And what
have you decided about your Shalini?’
‘Ha ha, we broke up.’
‘What the hell, I can’t believe this?’

I explained the whole story.

‘My god, how did she accept to tie you Rakhi.’ She awed, incredulously.
‘That agonize me a lot, Saranya.’
‘I feel like telling her not to do this.’
‘Would you like to tell her so?’

I took her to the near by PCO. I called Srinitha’s home. I closed

the mouthpiece and gave it to Saranya.

‘I won’t tell her my name. I’d speak like a stranger.’ she said.
‘Don’t speak like a stranger. Tell some name.’
‘What name?’
‘Tell her that,’ I thought for a second. ‘Tell her that your name is Robitha.’

Subtly, she changed her reaction, which denoted me that

somebody took the phone on the other side.

‘Hello, may I speak with Srinitha?’

She waited and gestured me that Srinitha’s coming.
‘Hello, Srinitha, I’m Robitha. Rajkamal’s relative. I want to say you
something.’ She waited for a reply and then started. ‘Rajkamal told me
that you are gonna tie him a Rakhi. Please don’t believe the promises of
your class guys. They do these things only for fun. Nothing would change
with your Rakhi in his hand. Rajkamal doesn’t know that I’m calling you.
He is severely hurt already and don’t hurt him more.’ She recited the
words of mine.

Then she listened to the words of Srinitha’s. She replaced the

phone to its place after 8 “Oks”, 2 “fines” and 1 “good night”.

‘What did she say?’

‘She said that she is undergoing a great mental tension. She wants me to
show empathy to her. At last she said that she would think over.’
‘Not bad. Thank you, dear.’

Back to the September

 I was pretty sure that it was Meghavannan back. I had no
explanations to give that time. The cool air slapped my face when I
throttled my Sunny to 30. I reached the central library. It was dark and
closed. I parked my Sunny in and went inside the darkness. The library
had a big portico. I saw four silhouettes, as Arun said.

‘Hey,’ shouted one of those guys. ‘Are you Rajkamal?’

‘Yes.’ I said, confirming that it was not Meghavannan or his gang, even
though it was dark.
‘We hear a lot of complaints about you.’
‘About me,’ I asked politely.
‘Yeah, we are here to warn you. If you are cooperating with us, you will be
back to home safe and the same.’
‘For sure,’
‘What’s your relation with Srinitha?’ one of them whispered, placing his
hands on my shoulder.

I was frustrated with that question. He was the nth person

asking me and that was the n+1th time (my conscience included, in this
case) I wanted to answer that question.

‘Nothing,’ I ended, without seeing his eyes.

‘Hey,’ yelled another guy from the gang. ‘Don’t fool us around.’
‘We had a kinda relation months back. Now, we have parted away,
completely. No room for the word “relation”.’ I politely convinced.

Then I heard the same story which Meghavannan’s gang

insisted to me. I negotiated with them in a refined manner. No fights. I
returned back.

‘My god,’ shocked Arun. ‘You are back the same. Didn’t they come?’
‘They did.’ I unconcernedly walked inside the class to take my Zoology
record.
 I wanted not to disturb myself and that’s why I surpassed all
my idiosyncrasies. I don’t want my past enfant terrible actions to perturb
me any more. But how do they leave me so.

‘Rajkamal, you have done a lot of mistakes.’ Jacquelin miss said, throwing
my Record.
‘Yes,’ I smiled at her, catching it.

It would be a heartless thing, if I pass over the troubles of

Srinitha. Her poignancy is worthier than many other things. It was not at
all easy to be Srinitha. She tolerated the wails of guys all where. She
tolerated the harassment of CT and his co-stars. She tolerated me, after
all. She too suffered sizably.

One November evening

I was about to climb the stairs of my Physics tuition, few days

after my grandpa’s death. I heard Srinitha speaking something with
Preethi. I stopped there and thought of returning back. But, she was telling
something about me. With a human instinct, I eavesdropped. I sat
secretively in the steps gnawing my bubble gum.

‘He is hurt too much, Preethi,’ Srinitha affectingly said. ‘I saw his tears. My
sister refuses that she spoke with his grandpa. But he is so confident that
he blames her. What should I do? I’ve gone sleepless, crying into my
pillow. I feel guilty. I can’t concentrate in anything. It’s completely his
mistake. He shouldn’t have spotted that I don’t hate him. He shouldn’t
have started any relation with me. He shouldn’t have hit upon me with a
poem. He shouldn’t have taught me to blow a bubble.’ she stopped.
I too stopped chewing the bubble gum. She again started.
‘He shouldn’t have come all the way from his FX school just to see me. He
should have born blind.’ she stopped again. ‘He shouldn’t have born.’
 I wanted to get up from the stairs and see her face. I wanted to.
Could we do everything we wanted to do? Then I heard nothing. She
started whispering something. I closed my eyes and sharpened my ears.

‘Rajkamal,’ Prabha frightened, in a tone with high-pitch.

Prabha and Aishwarya shocked seeing me blocking their way to

the class. I too was shocked.

‘What are you doing here?’ she shouted. ‘You simply intimidated me.’

I saw Srinitha’s face just looking up and fizzed out a bubble.

After that night-exam issues, Jacquelin miss wanted us to shift

our class. They shifted us to the next class. It wasn’t semi-dark. It wasn’t
furtive. It was open. During the fall of November, the syllabus was almost
completed. Most of the time, we wrote exams or left free to study for the
exam.

9611098

PKS read out our Registration numbers. Mine was 9611098.

Naga told me that summing up all those numbers give 7 and it was lucky. I
laughed skeptically. I have been lucky only once. I was lucky when I
entered Rosemary. Paradox involved.

That same day Arun informed me that another group has

summoned me to V.O.C ground. It was Meghavannan, now. I went there.
They were well prepared to beat me to death. But, at last an old friend of
mine, Saravana, who was their friend too, sustained them.

May be I was lucky, as Naga puts it, because, I didn’t die that
day.
 December 31st, 2005

Our class guys had a great “fun”ction on December 31st. We

were all left to study for the biology exam the day after the next day. The
theme of that day was to classify top ten in five different categories. CT
and blessing being the panel of judges, during the first half of the day,
they wrote verdicts and the second half CT announced the results. He
commented for every little thing. I have mentioned down the first two
places for all.

1) Miss 2005 (Preethi and Prenitha)

2) Mister 2005 (Siva and Kishore)
3) Best comedian (Blessing and CT)
4) Best pair (Rajkamal’s pair)
5) Best teacher (PKS and Jacquelin)

Girls waited for CT’s comments. They pretended like reading their book.
While announcing Srinitha in the third place and while announcing in the
best pair category he commented harshly.

‘I take my pleasure in announcing the contestant who has taken the third
place in the First category. If you ask me to give you clue, I would say that
she has powerful eyes. But her vital parts are not as perfect as her eyes.’

‘I take the privilege of announcing the best pair. No other doubts. It’s
Rajkamal and Srinitha. The only problem is they are pretending as if they
had broken up. In spite of the fact that Srinitha is the root cause for
Rajkamal’s grand pa’s death, they are the best couple.’

That day I had to take Sundar home. Till that day, I never wanted
Sundar to be a friend of mine. But, that day formed a great rapport among
us.
‘Come on Sundar, hop on.’

We went to Ruchi and had our Parottas. We started speaking

frankly. I didn’t know why I opened up like that to him. I opened up. We
went to a park and I explained him the full story that happened to me.

‘But now I don’t want her in my life any more.’ I terminated.

Sundar then told me something which disturbed me.

‘Rajkamal, Arun recently went to Srinitha and proposed again. He went to
her and told her that he has been waiting for her for years. He showed her
all the greeting cards he saved for her.’
‘What did she say?’
‘She said that she was not in a mood to take any decision or to move on to
any one.’

My face easily betrayed the reactions. I detested her but it didn’t

mean that there is no scintilla of affection for her. I’m a normal human too.

It was nine when I reached my home. I donned my shorts and tees

just to get to my bed. My brother was busy watching the 31st night
programs in the TV next room. It was dark enough to fall asleep. My eyes
were closed too. I didn’t sleep. How could you sleep when you clearly
envisage all obnoxious episodes to happen to you?

I gave a damn to the New Year that was about to dawn in hours. It
was my last New Year as a school student. I heeded not. I clearly heard
the count down from the television speakers. It must be some VJ of a
music channel. There was fan spinning above my head but I was
sweltering. I didn’t try to part away my eye lids. I distantly heard the count
down.

10, 9, 8, 7……. ……… ….

 Chapter
24
Rajkamal, a
chennaitte
December 31st, 2009
7, 6, 5……………………
Four years later, it was a DJ in a Disco theque who was counting
that. I was not alone then. I was surrounded by a sea of chennaittes, who
accompanied the DJ while counting, and a group of my college friends. I
was animatedly shouting the number 4, inviting the New Year that was
about to dawn in seconds. It was Chennai, the capital city, where I pursued
my final year engineering degree. St. Peter’s engineering college and a
Mechanical engineering student. I was wearing my skin jeans and yellow
tees with jean-sleeveless waist coat. I forgot to mention the black and
white sneakers, which I loved very much. Then again I gave my falsetto for
number 3, raising my hands. Many hands toasted up with their drink for
the New Year. I was sweltering, ecstatically, in that centralized air-
conditioning only because I had been dancing for the past three hours, not
continuously, though. I jumped out for the number 2 to see the aura
growing berserk. My head was clear of any moot point. Inebriated mass
musically distorted them in the gap between the number 2 and number 1.
At last, just some micro-second before the year 2010, DJ cracked the
starting music for the year. No one could keep their low-pitch saying the
number one and the year 2010 dawned.

January 1, 2010

My final New Year as a student in my life filled with enough sound

to dance, enjoy and deafen. I hugged and greeted “Happy New year” to
whoever stood in my vicinity. Most of them where soporific due to the
hostelry attached to the dance-floor. I and my friends continued dancing
for the song the DJ played. The song was “Ilamay Idho Idho” which was a
default song for nearly 25 years in Tamilnadu. Exhaustingly, we sat down
after the song.

‘Shall we go to the banquet hall, Udu?’ amicably asked, Vivek.

‘Yeah, Sure’ I got up slouching towards the banquet hall.

And Udu is how they call me in my college. It was the short form of
Udayar. The person who baptized me this name was Sundar, my
Rosemary friend, during the later sophomore days.

The banquet hall was both ethnic and exotic and it was just out of
the pub. We had paid for the banquet too. The DJ’s music was still audible,
feebly. It was a buffet. I and Vivek took our appetizer and perched down.

‘Great day,’ soporifically said Vivek.

‘Of course,’ I sprinkled some pepper to my chicken clear soup.
 I took out my Cell phone, Sony Ericson W 850i, and opened my
camera. I took a photograph of us. Before I could see the shot, my phone
ringed. It was Blessing. I waited for a second and then attended.

‘Blessing, Happy New Year.’

‘Happy New Year,’
‘And, how’s it going there?’
‘Not bad. Rajkamal, I’ve a great thing to tell you.’
‘What?’
‘We’ve planned for a re-union.’
‘Oh,’
‘Fuckin’ Idiot, don’t you find this great? How could you be indifferent to
this?’
‘No, I’m-huh-sort of –huh- happy, Blessing,’
‘It doesn’t shows in your voice. Aren’t you coming?’
‘When,’
‘It’s not yet decided. But in this month.’
‘Oh, are you inviting every body?’
‘Yes.’
‘Does that include girls?’
‘Yes, Srinitha too,’
‘Blessing, I should think over then.’
‘What’s your problem?’
‘No, nothing, Kind of,’
‘I’m not ready to hear anything. It’s your choice. I’m not gonna compel
you. It’s not my job too. But come home when you come here.’
‘Sure.’
‘Fine,’ he said dragging in a baritone and again started. ‘And how’s the
novel going?’
‘Yeah, I’ve almost finished it. I don’t get a good ending.’
‘Our last day in the school must be the ending.’
‘No, it does not have any punch in it.’
‘Okay, finish the novel and bring it to the re-union.’
‘Okay,’ I said skeptically. ‘Bye, Happy New Year.’
‘Happy New Year,’
 It was an awesome concoction of banquet; I could say this because
my friends accept me as a great connoisseur. And back to the dance floor.
We were dancing for “Hare Raam Hare Raam, Hare Krishna Hare Raam”.

According to law, the disco theque must put up the shutters by mid-
night. But we continued till One’0 clock. And then we forced out. We were
a group of five friends. We all waited out till the girls over there banished
out. All tube tops and mostly model-kind were Chic and inebriated. One of
those models fell down unable to poise in her heels and the inebriation. At
another end there was a couple, the masculine among them was
completely intoxicated to stand. The girl held him in one hand and called a
cab to which every guy over there peeked. The exodus got out of the pub
and then we started. Pompously, I remained sober there. I imbibe only
music in hostelries.

‘Udu, you ride.’ said Vivek, offering his Pulsar’s key.

‘Okay, Sure.’

We needed to ride a long distance to get to our home. We resided

in a rented-house near by the college. Vivek embarked. I throttled through
the December cold. Sorry, January cold. I penetrated through the mist. The
cool air slapped my face.

‘Why did your friend call you?’ asked Vivek, resting his face over my back.
‘There’s a re-union it seems. He’s calling me.’
‘Oh, great, is Srinitha coming?’ He rose up and said in my ears.

Most of my friends knew the whole story. In special case, like Vivek,
I used to tell the story whenever I liked to say. He is damn thorough with
the characters and plot.

‘I don’t know, Vivek.’

‘She must come. At least to see you, you too must go.’
‘I don’t want to meet her again. Not because I hate her. It’s not good for
both of us.’
‘Oh, that’s not true. You haven’t seen her since your farewell. If you both
get to see each other, then I’m sure that there would be a great romance.’

I throttled faster in the fifth gear and sniggered. Vivek clutched my

shoulders and asked what.

‘Vivek, I think during the last few days, we had a chance to speak. It was
Sunday. In Physics tuition, Sir, informed us to write the exam at any time
in Sunday. So, I went to the tuition picked my question paper and went
upstairs by 5’0 clock.

‘Stunningly, Srinitha was there singly. I firstly saw her long plait and
she turned back. We both peeped into our eyes for few unmeasured
seconds. It was the time when Srinitha fathomed my sufferings and I
fathomed her troubles. We both deliberately got out of our eyes,
simultaneously. I dragged a small stool over there and sank over a chair
there. We were just two-arm distance from each other. Her aroma filled
the room when I entered. I sensed her breathing. She too must have
sensed mine. We sat there for three-full hours. But we never parted our
lips for anything.

‘We distanced our selves to keep away from any consequences. To

say truly, I deciphered the love in us when we hated and parted away. We
aren’t meant to be. But the true, ineffable, affection can never be
destroyed.’
‘My God,’ Vivek gasped. ‘Those days you were parted away. But, you both
were in close proximity to each other. But now, you were parted for four
long distant years. So, the chances are more.’
‘Anyways,’ I shrugged. ‘We can’t get together in life.’
‘Hey,’ he high-pitched his tone. ‘In these four years, this would be at least
the million and oneth time you are telling me about her. You can’t forget
her. You have written a novel only to live those moments again with her.
So, you both are meant to be. Don’t drop this chance.’

Vivek, my good omen, construed truths with the halo provided by n

glasses of draught beer. We had to re-fuel the Pulsar that I took into HP
petrol pump near Anna nagar. As like every youngster’s bike our bike was
also in reserve, eternally. There was a small queue as that was New Year.
We slowly moved in the queue.

‘She’s a good girl, isn’t it?’ asked Vivek.

‘Good-huh- hmm,’ I dragged. ‘Who can define good or bad?’
‘Comparatively, temme,’
‘Comparing with whom?’
‘With you,’
‘Comparatively, she’s good, though.’
‘Yeah, you could never get another Srinitha. Mull it over.’

Our turn came and we re-fueled for 50 rupees, which would be

enough to get back to home. I again kick started. The cool air dabbed my
head, when I switched the third gear. It rekindled the thoughts about her.
She was really good.

‘Vivek, we had our entrance classes every Sunday in IIPE, which was
famous for its entrance coaching. We sat in disparate order, where
assorted schools sat with us. There I got to know a guy who sat near me,
Vignesh. He was very chubby and fair. As soon as the teacher tells a
problem, he would work it out in a great speed. I got acquainted to him,
soon.

‘The next morning I and Srinitha were alone in the class. It was
eight in the morning. We were arranging the benches.’

‘Srinitha, out there in IIPE, guys are too shrewd. Yesterday a guy named
Vignesh solved problems like a maniac. I felt bad. How was your class?’
‘Hey, what’s that name you said?’
‘Vig—nesh, Vignesh,’ I said indifferently.
‘Was he fair?’
‘Yeah—yeah,’ I said dubiously.
‘Was he stouter than you?’
‘Absolutely,’ I vouched, growing jealous. ‘Srinitha, do you know him?’
‘Yes.’ She said which annoyed me.
‘Oh, fine,’ I said betraying my envy on my face. ‘How,’
‘Rajkamal, he was my neighbor once when I was eleven.’

I thanked my goodness.
‘Oh, fine,’ I punctuated.
‘He has Cancer,’ she raised her eyebrows. ‘Leukemia,’
‘What the hell, Canc…, this is shocking, Srinitha.’
‘Yeah, we used to be neighbors in my home town. We used to roam in
cycle there. His mother won’t allow him to come out without mask. He
used to hesitate it. He felt it embarrassed to come out with a mask. Do
you know what I’d do?’ she took a pause. ‘I’d wear a mask to accompany
him. We used to roam Ambasamudhram with that mask. Then we came
back here when I was thirteen.’
‘Srinitha, that’s really touching. I’m lucky to have a girl like you.’
‘Why,’ she looked at my eyes. ‘Do you have Leukemia?’

I finished the scene. Pulsar was in its fifth gear and the cool air
slapped my face. Vivek kept mum. I doubted if he fell asleep.

‘Vivek,’ I said in a falsetto. ‘Are you awake?’

‘Yeah,’ he said in a baritone. ‘This is the million and second time you are
telling about her. See, you can’t forget her.’

He was factual. I was factual too. Oh, this is called paradox. We

reached our home by two in the morning. All the five reached. I donned
back my shorts and tees. My body ached from the intense steps I
performed in the dance floor. I perched on the bed.

I slept before I knew.

There were dreams. Definitely, Srinitha was there in it. But, I don’t
remember them. I had a dreamy-sleep.

January 1st, 2010

 Noon
I woke up in my room, with a sizable sprain in my nape. The credit
goes to the back-sway. I heard a distant outcry of my W 850 i, milky white
in color. I got up and slid-opened it.

‘Hi, Happy New Year,’

This greeting was from Anbu. Yes, the same-old-sister of mine. And
I’ve forgotten to say, Anbu was in med school. She was the second-doctor
in her home. Her sister, Muthu, was already a doctor working in Chennai
as the Director of Medical Service office, State coordinator. Matter of factly
speaking, she was the reason for this re-union. It was she who called me.
You must ask me how did you start speaking with her and from when? It
was just a year back. Remember, I still didn’t step at their home, mind it.
It’s a prestigious issue. Okay, let me skip this trifle topic.

‘Yeah,’ I said in the just-now-awoken voice. ‘Happy New Year,’

‘We tried for you from the morning. What are you doing?’
‘Anbu, I’ve a sprain in my nape.’
‘What did you do?’
‘I danced.’

She prescribed me some medicine. I wrote it down.

‘Nambi, Muthu wants to see you, she said.’
‘Oh, for,’
‘To discuss about the invitation,’
‘Okay, I’d meet her today.’
‘And, Nambi, whom should we call. Are you gonna call your Rosemary
friends?’

Yes, Muthu is gonna get married. She got betrothed just few days
back to a Doctor, in MMC, in Preventive Social Medicine department.

‘I haven’t yet decided.’

‘Should we call Srinitha?’
‘No,’ I paused. ‘Definitely no,’
‘I’m gonna call all my friends and she was my friend too. So, I thought…’
‘No, Anbu, I don’t want her in Muthu’s marriage or anywhere.’
‘And…’
‘And, don’t ask me why. You knew it.’

The probability of meeting Srinitha became 2 (1+1). I wanted it to

be zero.

January 6th, 2010

India-Srilanka match was on its second day. Thrillingly, both had

chances to win. Srilanka chose batting and scored 342. In our home, we
sat in the screen, don’t take it too literally, and bit the nails. India then
started gradually to get the rpo to 5 when there were 7 overs left and 3
wickets. The last fifteen overs fell to be batting power play. The chances
for India bloomed. And unexpectedly, there was a power cut.

‘Son of bitches,’ abused, Praveen, my friend. ‘Don’t they get any other
time. Put on the FM, Udu.’
‘Yeah,’ I took the head set out and plugged it into my W 850 i. ‘This is a
great score and do you think we can win.’ I tuned the FM.
‘Why not,’ he opened the main door to let air in. ‘Don’t you remember
Australia-South Africa-435 chase. Any thing is possible.’ he said.
‘Yeah, I remember,’ I gave him my W 850 i and reached the balcony to get
the breeze slap my face.

No single 2006 high-school passed out could forget that match or

that day. That was special for us.

March, 2006
‘Mahesh, what the hell are you doing in front of your TV?’
 The next day was our chemistry board exam. I went to Mahesh’s
home to clear qualms of mine. It was quarter past eight at night. But, he
was watching that historical match.

‘Hey, this is a life time match.’

‘Mahesh, you can get a replay for this and not the chemistry exam.’
‘No one is studying chemistry now or no one can study.’
‘I can.’
‘Rajkamal, come sit down. Australia has made a world record and South
Africa is chasing it. 435 runs is the target.’
‘So what,’
Your ‘so what’ shows how ignorant you are.’
‘No problem, switch it off, I’ve a lot of doubts.’
‘That was a six again and they are rocking.’
The match was his best inclination than anything then. What to do?
I went to another room in his home and opened the book till South Africa
gave its winning slam. Thank my goodness, he didn’t see the ceremony.

If you ask any of those experienced teachers in my state, they

would vouch you that 2006 question paper had been the toughest of all.
Not only the question paper but the syllabus was also the fresh and
toughest of all.

‘I’m gonna fuck those bastards,’ CT tore the chemistry question paper
when we got out of the exam hall. ‘Let their children get bed ridden by
paralysis. How can they frame questions like this?’
The next day we all were standing out of the exam hall which was a
near-by school. Chemistry was the toughest question paper in the whole
set of exams.

The last exam was Math. I was sitting in my hall for the last five
minutes of my schooling. I checked the answers twice. I still remember
how I handed over the papers to the invigilator without any scintilla of
diffidence. I didn’t check the answers. We all went back to our class A1 for
the farewell valediction.
I was sitting in my bench when every one started assembling. There
was an increased commotion and a surge of poignancy. Well, what else
could be there in the last day of school life?

‘Rajkamal,’ called Mahesh holding my shoulders from behind.

‘Yeah,’ I gave it back.
‘You should speak to her.’
I smiled.
‘What do you mean by this smile?’

I smiled because Srinitha was there opposite to me in her bench

silently. It is the last time, I thought. We could never sit so closer like that
without speaking a word to other but thinking about each other, I smiled.

Boys and girls had been exchanging greetings and slam books when
we both sat aloof. I sank my face in my palm which still had the smell of
her cheek. I squinted one of my eyes towards her side. She too saw me.
We both looked at each other. No one noticed as they were busy with
exchanging their greetings. It was an unmeasured period of time.

I wanted to drag her out of her bench and hug and kiss her, for the
last time. I felt my heart heavier than ever and a quake in it. Richter scale
above 9.8, I knew. I had to do something to overcome it. I got up from the
bench and went to the black board. I took a piece of chalk and wrote in it.

“Breaking up

Then I turned to her, straight away. I wanted her to know that I was
writing it for her. She was seeing to it with her eyes coming out. Then I
continued.

“Breaking up means there is someone living remembering you”.

 I threw the chalk to one side and returned back to my bench. Class
was not so silent when I wrote it. I again started feeling the fragrance of
her cheeks in my palm. Suddenly, the class sank to silence. I descended
my palms from my face and turned towards Srinitha. She was not there in
her bench. I then knew why the class grew silent. She went to the dais and
took a chalk in her hand. I didn’t wink. She wrote something and straight
away drove out of the class. I didn’t care about what she wrote and
observed her getting out of the class. Because, I knew that it might be the
last time I see her in my damn life. I wanted to go behind her but I didn’t.
The brightness faded out and then I saw the thing she wrote. I couldn’t
figure out anything for a few seconds. Then I found out. She had
concluded my sentence.

“Breaking up means there is someone living remembering you,

forever”.

Do you think I would have glued to my bench then? If you think yes,
you should ask the corridor in which I ran to see her.

I had the pang in my heart after I read that. I was unable to get out
of it for a few seconds in which she faded out. I came back to my bench
and lay over it. I scowled myself for what I did. I promised myself not to
perturb her any more.

She’s gone and gone forever.

January 6th

I realized that I was standing over the balcony when Praveen shook
me harder to say that the Power has come again. He gave me my phone
back and switched on the television. I stepped inside and I received a
message in my phone, which read:
 Results are out.

In few minutes I was walking towards the net centre near the
college to see the results.

I well remembered my board-exam result which was the worst of

all. I managed some 83% and Srinitha 86%. Blessing, Mahesh and Preethi
managed nearly 90%. CT, Sundar, Arun were took to 80%. As per
statistics, our Class A1 ’06 had broken the reputed history. And again
Anbu is a doctor, I said and so her 96% is needless to say.

In engineering the seventh semester result is considered as almost

the final result. Because that the eighth semester has only three subjects.
Out of 64 subjects in engineering, up to seventh semester it covers 59
subjects. I pondered it as important as my board-exam result. My W 850 i
ringed. It was Sharath. The other good omen of mine. Every time he tells
the result for me and I get my subjects cleared. This time I expected the
same.

But, 11706114104 is my number. Once when I added up all those

numbers it ended up with 8, unlucky they said. I hadn’t come easy with
this all through the way. I slid-attend the call.

‘Yes, Sharath,’ I gave an awkward pause. ‘Did you see the result?’
‘Yeah,’ he answered.
‘Temme, Sharath,’ I mellowed.
‘You have cleared all the subjects.’ He said like an Angel.
‘Thank you,’ I said to my Angel.

Chapter 25
An interview
 January 12, 2010

I, Vivek and Prasath sat tongue-tied in Vivek’s home. The twilight

started fainting. We never had been so hushed like that, especially
Prasath. He speaks nineteen to the dozen, no metaphor. However he
cracked the silence.

‘Come on, guys, let’s get our sleep,’ Prasath lay heedlessly on his bed.
‘After all, we are Mechanical Engineers. Infosys has nothing to do with us.’

Obviously, it was the day before the campus interview, inside our
college. Infosys, one of the finest paying software companies, was about
to come the next day. I was tentative in this case till my W 850 i rang.

‘Hello,’ I accented like an American.

‘This is Mahesh. I’m gonna tell you the biggest shocking news, you would
have ever heard in your life.’
‘What the hell,’
‘CT got placed.’

I literally stood up. Vivek and Prasath jolted, anxiously seeing my

reaction.

‘I think there is a problem in my right ear.’

‘No. Your left ear would interpret the same. They are working perfect. I
repeat it. He got placed in HCL.’
‘I lost my breath.’

Prasath and Vivek knew a lot about CT. Ergo, they equally got
shocked. This single thing gave us the enough momentum to prepare for
Infosys. What a worst nature? (Human nature. It’s meant to be worse.)

It was nearly seven when we started. Prasath slotted in his Reliance

network connection to his laptop and google-searched Infosys question
papers. We read the first simple question over there.
A bear falls from a height of 1metre in 1 second. What’s the color of the
bear?

Prasath nodded his head, pouting his lips. He abruptly closed the
tab. I and Vivek started laughing at his burlesque reaction.

‘Sons of bitches, how can they form questions like this? No need of
Infosys. Come let’s sleep.’ He said.
‘No. We need someone for help. This is one-night-stand too.’
‘Wait,’ I suspended. ‘I’d call a person.’

I called on Choppy, my FX friend, who was there in Chennai, for

help. He came straight away from Kilpauk for me then. It was nearly nine,
when he came.

Choppy, actually my senior in FX had been my friend since my third

standard. He had been the best benefactor for me ever. One of the
greatest instances would be Anna University Counseling and how I entered
into this college.

There are two colleges near Tirunelveli, Noorul Islam College of

Engineering and National Engineering College. Both the colleges are less
than an hour from Tirunelveli. I’d seats in both the colleges as like most of
the Class A1 had.

“Rajkamal, never select a college here. You need to get a lot of exposure.
Go out of our small city. Prefer Chennai, eternally.”

He said this to me, when he was a fresher in Noorul Islam college of

Engineering. He made me select St. Peter’s Engineering College. Only I,
Mahesh, CT, Kishore and Siva came to Chennai. The rest got settled either
in Noorul Islam or National Engineering.
‘You brainless idiot,’ Choppy scolded me. ‘This is an opportunity of your
life. I told you to start preparing before a week. Didn’t I?’
‘Skip it. Now come on. Tell us something.’
‘Fine,’ he said soporifically. ‘First of all see syllogism. Then puzzles and
then bar problems. The verbal ability depends on your talent. And the HR
round would be a breeze.’

We started google-searching. We found an easy method of breaking

syllogism. Prasath’s lap and net connection taught us along with Choppy.
The night had fallen with its characteristic darkness. By some twelve we
closed the lap, put off the lights and went to bed.

I slumbered without having the slightest clue of what was about to

happen the next day.

January 13th, 2010

‘Vivek, get the hell up,’ I shook him. ‘I’m taking your Pulsar. I need to go
home to get dressed up.’
‘Get lost,’ he huskily moaned. ‘Let me sleep.’

My home was about 10 minutes in Pulsar from Vivek’s home. I

came out to see the mist that had spread its hand throughout my vicinity.
I penetrated through the mist. It cleared my head of every squalor thing. I
had crossed that road for at least million times. But that day it looked
particularly special.
 I reached my home and took more than an hour to get ready.
Brand-new blue shirt, full sleeve, bluish-green pants and the black shoes
of my Room-mate was surely ostentatious, I knew. I stepped out of home
by eight in the morning. The next day was Pongal, the most ethnic festival
of my state. I’d already booked a train ticket for Tirunelveli in
Kanyakumari Express. The train departs by six in the evening. (I’m such a
pessimistic idiot.) . I self-started the Pulsar and throttled towards my
college, which was two minutes in bike.

‘Where should I go?’ I asked my placement coordinator.

‘This is your hall ticket and go to the room mentioned and sit in the seat
number prescribed.’ he quoth.

The room number was 243 and the seat number was 13. The day
was thirteen too. Unlucky they said. Statistically, 829 members attended.
In my class I was the only Mechanical Engineer, shrewd seating
arrangement.

Aptitude exam, which contains 30 reasoning questions and 40

verbal ability questions, came first. Reasoning questions were those which
we studied in Prasath’s laptop. Firstly, they distributed the reasoning
questions. Thank Choppy. It was not that tougher. Vivek and Prasath too
would have made it through, I thought, when I finished it off. Then again it
was the verbal questions. When I got the verbal question paper in my
hand, I was positive, a lot. The reason was my novel. I should also thank
my class A1. They do have a great part in this. How could I forget Srinitha?
(That fussy cat too)

Just one and half hour and I came out. I saw Prasath and Vivek near
the Canteen. There was a sea of candidates, who wrote the test along with
me over there. I shouted their name to make them look at me. They
smiled at me, when they neared me. I handed over his Pulsar’s key.

‘Udu,’ started Vivek. ‘I’m pretty confident that you would pass.’
‘Yeah,’ awed Prasath. ‘I’m gonna flunk because of those fucking verbal
questions.’
 We went to our Mechanical block and waited for the result. A horde
of our guys settled down in the stairs. I rested my head over Vivek’s lap
and lay down.

‘Can you guess the time,’ Sharath betted in the crowd. ‘It’s two.’
‘Fuck,’ another guy abused. ‘How long are they fuckin’ correcting the
papers?’

The result was out by five. There were three auditoriums and they
broadcasted through web cam. One of those Infosions was reading out the
names. All the eight hundred and twenty nine crowded in three groups to
know the result. I staggered towards the main hall. There was a sizable
crowd.

I came out five minutes later. I went to a PCO and called my Mom.
The line was busy. I called Anbu.

‘Anbu, I’m unable to start to Tirunelveli today.’

‘You had booked your tickets, didn’t you?’
‘But I have passed the aptitude exam in Infosys.’
‘Hey,’ she excited. ‘Congrats, you got the job, didn’t you?’
‘No, it’s not over. Still HR round is there. Keep your fingers crossed. Call
my Mom and deliver this message.’
‘Where are you now?’
‘I’m out in a PCO. I’ve to get my photograph taken to attach to my
Resume.’
‘Jesus,’ she panted. ‘This is too much.’

I needed a photograph of mine and Mark lists of my seventh

semester, which I didn’t attach in my Resume. I gave pose to the near-by
Kodak. He said it would be fifteen minutes. I readied my Mark list and
attached it to my Resume. Sabari, another friend of mine accompanied
me.
‘Listen carefully,’ commanded the guy who sent me inside the HR room.
‘I’ve already given your Resume inside. You may go. All the best,’

It was two-hours later. I opened the HR room and deliberately raised

my voice to excuse me in.

‘Come on in,’ said the HR, who might be was in his early forties and had
his eyes in my Resume.
‘Thank you, Sir.’
‘Take your seat,’ he suspended. ‘Udaayaaar Nambi @ Raj kamal,’ he
chuckled. ‘Kind of peculiar name and what does this mean?’

I said the history behind my name which was so trifle. And for the
next ten minutes the conversation was around my percentage and
studies. Next he moved on to my Achievements, Hobbies and skills side.
The thing he ceased was “Benches and Desks”.

‘A novel,’ he adjusted his specs.

‘Yes Sir.’ I proudly vouched.
‘Benches and Desks,’ he read the name and kept the Resume aside. ‘What
is it?’
‘Sir,’ I hawked. ‘A high school story, Sir. He is a boy who takes things
lighter. She is a pretty girl whose eyes are more expressive, except for the
fact that no one could learn anything from it. They broke up twice, by the
backdrop, to get even closer. Until the day that death takes place he
believed that they were meant to be. Eternally, they parted away. The tale
of a boy who is unable to forget the girl he missed in his life even after he
fails and suffers a lot due to her.’

Those last two sentences came out from my heart. The HR never
winked. I again hawked, which was a gauche for sure, to signal him that I
finished the blurb.

‘Is that autobiographical?’

‘Yes, Sir,’ I humbly said.
‘Mr.Nambi, I don’t like these autobiographies. I think they are not a good
form of art.’
‘According to me, every fine form of art is taken from an ordinary life. I’ve
my own life to be ordinary and a story worthy to be written too. Adding
again, I can’t keep myself away from the past memories of that girl.’
‘And-well- about the girl in the story?’
‘I liked her at the instant I saw her. A kind of fantasy was always involved
between us. I started a relation with her. From that day on, I started
suffering. She too suffered a lot. But my life was deceived because of her.
I don’t hate her. Actually, I miss her. Though, I never want her back in my
life. Paradoxes involved.’
‘Mr.Nambi,’ he smiled. ‘Good one and it seems you have handled a lot of
crisis.’ he spoke professionally.
‘Yeah,’ I answered undignified.
‘Mr.Nambi,’ he took the Resume in the hand and wrote something in it.
‘You told that she brought all the ordeals in your life and deceived you,
isn’t it?’
‘Yes, Sir,’
‘Have you finished the novel?’
‘No, Sir.’
‘And, she is the girl who is the root cause for giving a transformation in
your life.’
‘Sir,’ I puzzled.
‘You are done Mr.Nambi,’ he hastily said. ‘You may know the result soon.
Thank you.’
‘Thank you Sir.’ I said and rose from my place.

I bewildered and went till the door of the room and I heard him.
‘Mr.Nambi,’ he called out.
‘Sir,’ I turned.
‘Will I occupy at least a page in your novel?’

But he occupied more than one.

It was ten. I stood in the PCO of my college. I was almost drowned in

the darkness.
‘Mom,’ I held the receiver between my left shoulder and left ear. ‘I’ve
gotten placed in Infosys.’

Chapter 26
The journey
I strolled towards my home not solitarily, darkness accompanied.
Srinitha had become an inevitable phenomenon for me. But, how did I
dare to lose her. That nice old man was apparent. She’s made a
transformation in my life and has given a new lease of life for me. Silence
and Srinitha filled me till my brim.
I’d walked through that road for billon times to reach my home but
that day I didn’t feel the same. I reached my home. It was locked. I found
the key over the threshold and opened the door. I undid the cuff buttons
and removed the belt and threw somewhere. I heard my W 850 i ringing
over the shelf. I folded my cuff and pulled it till my biceps and slid opened
the phone. It was Choppy.

‘Hey, congrats, just now Prasath called me.’

‘Oh, thank you, Choppy. This would never have happened without you.’ I
said with heartfelt gratitude.
‘I’m towards home. I’d call you later. Are you coming home?’
‘I don’t know,’
‘Okay, see you,’
He ended the call too soon as he was traveling.

I plugged my phone in the charger. I needed a bath, though it was

so cold out there. I showered for three silent minutes. I swathed the rancid
towel around my waist. I unplugged the phone and took it to the terrace.
The cool breeze along the mist dabbed my head. My hands were still wet. I
dialed Blessing’s number. I heard a caller tune.

‘Blessing, this is Rajkamal.’ I said in a baritone.

‘Yeah, tell me. Where are you?’
‘I need to see Srinitha.’
‘What,’ he said in dismay or shock. I didn’t know. ‘Now, have you gone
nuts?’
‘Kind of,’ I nodded. ‘I want her back in my life.’
‘Rajkamal,’ he said in a falsetto. ‘I don’t know if you remember. Get-
together-huh- the get together of Class A1. We are gonna meet tomorrow.
But you said that you would never come for any get-togethers.’
‘Tomorrow,’ I startled and tousled my hair.
‘Yeah, tomorrow, evening four, at the Science Park,’
‘Is Srinitha coming?’
‘Yeah,’
‘Blessing, did she ask anything?’
‘She asked about you.’
‘What did you say?’
‘I said that you aren’t coming.’
‘My goodness,’ I said myself. ‘Blessing,’ I suspended. ‘I’m coming. I’ll be
there at Tirunelveli tomorrow evening.’
‘Are you in Chennai?’
‘Yes.’
‘It is nearly midnight.’
‘Who cares,’ I ran down the stairs. ‘Meet you tomorrow in Tirunelveli.’
I slid back my phone. I opened my travel bag and crammed the
dresses. I wore the Kurta, which she liked and a blue jeans. I locked the
home and kept the key at the threshold back. Koyambed, I said my self. I
could get a bus to Tirunelveli there, I determined. Remember, the next
day was Pongal. I had to reach Tirunelveli, desperately.

Yeah, for a girl, Srinitha, with whom I’d broken up for three times.
Though, I didn’t count how many times I fell in love for her.
 I reached Koyambed when it was half past midnight. The bus stand
had at least two-hundred people per square feet. I ran to Platform-1. I
checked out the buses for Tirunelveli. There was a Chock-a-blocked bus. I
well knew that I cannot even stand. I waited for the next bus. The time
moved so faster. Another bus arrived when it was half past one. I ran to it
before even it stopped. I jumped inside and sank in a window seat. The
deluxe bus got filled before the driver switched the gear to neutral. But he
again started the bus when it was two. It’s a 12-hour journey from Chennai
to Tirunelveli. But it was a deluxe bus. You can never Judge. I took out my
head phones and plugged in to my phone, walkman series. I selected the
recent album by Rahman and played the song of blues style, and it was
my favourite in the album. I played it. With its background, I spoke to
myself.

‘Rajkamal, you are gonna see her within few hours. She would not expect
you there. She’s gonna forget the way she breathes. But make one thing
clear. Don’t roll down to tears. She might think that you are vulnerable.’

But, what if she burst into tears, I asked my self. The song rocked. I
smiled myself and never closed the window. I liked the cool air to clear my
head. I never knew when I slept. I didn’t put off the songs too.

The sun rays woke up me. The bus was moving in a faster pace
than I thought. I realized that the song was still playing in my ears. I took
off the head set and kept it in my bag. My Sony Ericson showed the time
to be 9. In the right top corner the battery bars went brown. I pressed the
side button to see the percentage. It was 23%. I decided to switch it off
and save it. It hadn’t reached Trichy. I clenched my teeth and waited.

The bus stopped in a motel. It was ten and it reached Trichy. I again
switched on the phone and called Blessing.

‘Blessing,’
‘Yes, where are you?’
‘I’m in Trichy.’
‘You lunatic moron,’ he laughed. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Yes.’
‘Come on. I’d say Srinitha that a crazy idiot is coming for her. She would
wait for you eternally.’
‘No,’ I interrupted. ‘Don’t say her now. Say her when she comes to Science
center. I may reach there by five at least.’
‘No problem.’

I ended the call and the battery descended to 17%. I switched it off.
In Trichy a nice gentle man in his late thirties sat near me. He told me
about his family situation and how he works in a different city missing his
family. I was about to see Srinitha after four years, virtually. I asked
myself, if I would cry. It was the second time. I knew I was growing more
vulnerable. And I reached Tirunelveli and it was forty past four. I had
switched on my cell phone. Science Center was just five minutes from the
by-pass road, where I got down.

‘Science Park,’ I vaguely said the auto driver and climbed.

I’d have given him even a million if he would have demanded. But,
he asked just 30(It is too much, but not at that time. After all, he’s taking
me to my princess.). There was a bridge construction going on besides
Roundanna. So, he had to take a different route. My heart must be
palpitating more than 90, I reckoned. Science Park was just few meters. I
envisaged Srinitha standing amidst the horde of my class A1. Smiling, no,
no, her trademark, sniggering. I’m gonna remove my bag and run up to
her, I determined. I opened my eyes and the Auto slowed down. It came to
a halt. I peeked outside and everything was obscure. I got down and took
out my purse to give him thirty. I turned back if she is ambushing
somewhere around. I took my travel bag and wore it over my shoulders. I
strolled in combing my hair. I stopped before the entrance and tied the
lace of my sneakers. I had a coronary blockage, definitely romantic. I
strolled again.

The Science Park was very lightly crowded and I easily found out my
cluster of A1. I clearly saw. I had the smile in my face, which Srinitha
wants to see. I strolled nigher and nigher. I saw them all seeing me. CT,
Kishore, Siva, Carolyn, Nisha, Preethi and I searched for Srinitha. All their
faces were grim. I searched for Srinitha. I strolled closer. Blessing was
seriously speaking to Preethi. She cued him after seeing me and he turned
with a face of dismay. My smile started fading. But I still struggled to
smile, because Srinitha might be ambushing from nowhere now, I thought.
But she didn’t. Before I neared Blessing, he himself came near me. I
ceased ten steps before. He came unto me.

‘Blessing,’ I called embarrassedly with a slight smile. ‘Hmmm,’

He caught my shoulders and never looked my eyes. I again looked

at the A1. She was not there. No eyes looked similar to those.

‘Blessing, temme, is she yet to come?’ I asked.

‘She came.’ He paused and never opened his mouth again.
‘What happened?’ I forced him in my highest pitch.
‘She came. And just five minutes back I said her that you are coming. She
jerked. I added that you are coming only for her from Chennai. Tears
started stagnating in her eyes. I didn’t know why. Abruptly, she stood from
the place. I included that you are craving to meet her. She burst into
tears.’ He paused.

We both started walking out of the Science Park. My heart churned.

‘Why did she leave?’ I yelled.

‘She started off as soon as I said that. I asked her to wait. But she said
nothing. I followed her till she went out and caught an Auto. I tried a lot to
stop her. But she was crying. I was unable to stop her.’
‘Where did she go?’ I trembled, removing my bag.
‘New Bus Stand, just five minutes back. She has shifted her home from
Tirunelveli. I don’t know where exactly?’
‘Where is your bike?’ I asked as we were out.
‘Yeah over here.’ he showed his Pulsar.
‘Give me the key.’
 I gave my bag to him and kick-started the bike. I throttled with an
animal instinct. I flew off from that place. I started sweating all through my
body. She is going away when I fathomed how important she was. She has
transformed the path of my life. I needed her. She was crying, said
Blessing. How am I gonna keep myself strong when I see her, I thought.
But, am I gonna see her, I reckoned. And I reached New Bus Stand. It must
be a Record time. But who cares. I left the bike locked outside and went
inside.

Where to search her? Where is she going? I quested. I ran through

all the platforms. I ran out of balance in my cell, too. I felt like shouting her
name out loudly. But I had no energy to do that. For more than what I
could run I ran. I searched her as if she is the breath of my life. I lost my
breath. The twilight filled the aura. I was sweltering. I was panting. I had
no water in my mouth. I slowly walked back to the bike, anhydrously.

She doesn’t want me, I determined.

I slowly rode the bike away from the Bus Stand. I fantasized her
face, sobbing. I had seen that constantly from the time I’d admired her
eyes. At least her tears belonged to me. I have hated myself a lot for that,
these four years. I controlled myself to not cry. I crossed my school while
returning. I, like a reflex action, rode through the school road. I
remembered everything. I reached my School. Rose Mary. I loved to at
least see those Benches and Desks which had a very close rapport with
me.

I walked through the corridor, with small benches all over the side.
No one was there. Silence and twilight filled the place. My eyes ached as
much as my blood pumping system. I reached my sophomore class. I
reached up to my bench. I groped it. And again went to Srinitha’s bench,
just opposite to me, I groped it with tears stagnating. I came back and sat
in my bench. I closed my eyes and felt the commotion and students. I also
felt Srinitha who sat there just opposite to me. And I heard a distant
outcry.
 I opened my eyes. It was my W 850 i. I took it out of my pocket and
saw the number. It was a landline number.
‘Hello,’ I said.
There was no response.
‘Hello, this is Rajkamal.’ I said.
‘Rajkamal……..’

Chapter 27

Final act

It was the voice for which I craved for four years. It was still the
same. But it had a twinge of poignancy. She must have been crying, I
reckoned. My hands shivered. I abruptly saw the battery slot which was
red in color. The percentage must be less than 10, I knew.

‘Srinitha,’ I startled with an ineffable pang.

‘Rajkamal,’ she hawked. ‘How were these days without me?’
‘Hell, No less than a hell. But, I was with you. I was living recollecting you.’
I stuttered.
‘Really,’ she gave a deadly pause. I know she was crying closing the
mouthpiece. She would never give pauses otherwise. Again I started
hearing sound. ‘I thought you had forgotten me.’
‘Srinitha,’ I stood up. ‘Come back. I’m waiting for you in the same class we
had waited for us. I’m rolling down to tears in the same class where you
used to burst out in to tears because of me. Don’t go away.’ I pled.
‘No, Rajkamal,’ she pronounced my name as beautiful as no one can.
‘Where were you these days?’
‘Srinitha, I didn’t want to perturb you. The fault was mine. Come back.
Where are you?’
‘I’m far away.’ she laughed with enough poignancy to kill me. ‘Do you
know why I left you?’
‘No.’
‘The past,’ she stopped for a second. ‘Those past hurts would never
tolerate us to bind again. And also our family is a reason. I feel the guilt.
And also, am I not the shade of the darkest part of your life?’
‘No, you are the Sun of my days, now on, you idiot.’
‘Oh,’ she tried to make the laugh look like a real one. ‘You are still
rhetoric. I’ve always loved this in you.’
‘Come back, damn it, at least this would be the last time I would see you.
Where are you?’
‘If we are gonna meet then it won’t be the last time, Rajkamal. I can’t
make it the last time.’
‘So,’ I saw the battery slot. It was penultimately empty like my life.
‘So, sorry for coming into your,’ she stuttered. ‘For coming into your life
once, will you accept my sorry?’
‘Oh, damn it, Srinitha,’ I didn’t cease my tears. ‘You have shaped me up
into a different human, unknowingly. Everything I wrote in my life, yet,
was only for you and because of you. How can I miss you? Everything I do
diverged from you and converges into you.’
‘I’m proud.’ she stammered and gasped. Again she gave a deadly pause.
‘I’m really proud. But, let us end up here. Let’s break up. Let’s not search
or get to us again anymore as we did for four anguish years. After all,
breaking-up means there is someone living remembering you, forever.’
‘No,’
‘Don’t you like to remember me forever?’

She paused. My phone beeped and gave me the attention that the
battery is drawing to its close.

‘Let us part away for the fourth time. But merrily, won’t you do this for
me?’ she said.
‘Hmmmm.’ I bit my lower lip and raised my eyebrows.

I had no other choice. I’d never done anything she asked till that
date. That was the only thing I did for her.

‘Tell me,’
‘What?’ I mellowed.
‘Tell me something that I’d remember in my whole goddamn life.’
‘Okay, Srinitha,’ I strengthened up myself. I exhaled heavily. My girl is
asking me to tell me something. I know I can’t tell her an acrostic poem,
immediately. I just told her few words. ‘I’d never search you out, forever.’
‘Clever,’ she hawked. ‘It’s my turn.’ Again she paused. ‘Tell that girl you
would marry that I’m a nice girl and I feel sorry that I’d be unable to meet
her. And for the last time I’d say this from my heart that
I…………………………….

I didn’t hear anything. My cell phone got switched off,

automatically. I saw the display which showed Sony Ericson. Fuck, I said
and threw it down to the corner where she used to sit. I went to her bench
and sat. She left my cheeks wet. I didn’t dry them. I was surrounded only
by the Benches and Desks which had given me shoulders whenever I
wanted. I lay on them. I closed my eyes to rewind every thing. The first
time I saw her on the dais. The mornings I cracked down for her. The
poems I wrote for her. The songs I sang for her. The roads I walked with
her. The nights I burned up for her. The love I had for her. And also the
novel I wrote for her.
 April 2010

Now, I’ve started living my new life not in my home town. I’ve valid
excuses like career to keep me busy. Of course, I still have touch with all
my old friends. I call them once in a month or we meet during festivals,
mostly in theatres. We reminisce the past when we gather and sometimes
I think that, that was life. The city I live gives me a lot of other friends and
amusements to keep me satisfied with what, Udayar Nambi @ Rajkamal,
am is. I’m 21 and still single not because I didn’t get any other girl. Writing
is still my passion so I’m learning to search for new things, places and
lives. But every time I come to Tirunelveli I never resist coming to
Rosemary and the Class A1. Amidst those Benches and desks I’m always
searching for the true joy and smile that I’ve lost forever.

And also, I’ve always been thinking what Srinitha’s last words to me
were:

Did she try to say I love you?

The End