Chapter 1

Horn of the bus, screaming children, juniors being bullied by the seniors, boundary of those big school walls, some very special not-to-be-noticed cases of the school stand alone amidst a crowd of somewhat three thousand students like the very great ‘me’. You must be interested in knowing what has made me so ‘special’ in my school. Well no need to credit me, it is not me, yeah you heard it right, err sorry read it right that it is not me but it’s the others those who should be credited for making me the so-very-unwanted creature in the whole lot of tenth graders. But well am I, just like every other citizen of my country, going to blame the system for all that has happened to me? Well in fact I am myself not very sure but at least I am assertive of the fact that one day certainly I would do something to change the peoples’ mindset and the system, just the ‘when’ part is not very clear.

At times a wonder, how do people say the “so very routinely school life” is the best part of one’s lifetime. Surely they must have had a real school life and not the hell that I experience. Truly speaking, I sometimes feel like it is my personal hell. But leaving the moral world behind, I am proceeding towards the danger zone. Level 1- “The school bus” and here comes the first the monster. I suppose everyone must have seen those retro movies in which the villain has quite a fan following and everyone in 5-person radius does not dare insult him. Yeah! That’s quite an interesting topic but coming back to the agenda in front of us, the don of the bus, a popular guy, liked by all those I don’t like (obviously), the great ‘Danish’.

He was like those perfect, loved by most, prankster-types (definitely not made to suit me); his hobbies included cricket, insulting others, reading, insulting others, bossing around, insulting others, etc. Just like all other days, everyone in the bus waits anxiously for ‘Mr. D’ to arrive.

But I don’t remember why that I wasn’t terrified by the idea of his arriving. Whether it was the effect of the area he lived or the weather the surroundings, I can’t well comment on that but as far that day goes I was busy looking out of my window for signs of something that would distract me for the time being. Eureka! I saw a lady bathing four-five puppies down the road. Oh! I so wish I had a camera with me. Pure black, snow white, patchy skinned. All variants available. It was such a blissful sight. Those politicians in our country should learn some humanity from these indigent people. Who the hell says that humanity has lost its importance in this country?

Nevertheless I should concentrate on the matter at hand rather than discussing the Indian political scenario or else the discussion will continue forever. So ‘Mr. D’ had arrived finally, following him came a brood of about seven eight children and some brilliant errant thought made me forget what I was seeing and I had to concentrate outside once again. Thankfully I was not the topic of the morning discussion as Danish had had a fight with his to-be girlfriend (and my so-called friend) Manasvita, which was to be resolved at the back-of-the-bus teenage court.

“This isn’t the way, god-damn it” said Manasvita or Mandy, as she was lovingly called. “How can you not answer my 32 missed calls?” Well I had always thought that my brother Aditya was the greatest pea-brain in the w.orld. My apologies for calling him so, as I had not had not had my encounter with Danish amd his friends