PHOENIX - The Rebirth Of Hope

Chapter 4 : Bullies

It was lunch period when the bullies came.

The classroom was filled with the hue and cry of children. There wasn't any teacher and so the bullies were roaming freely, showing their true character.

Madhav was in the lead, a fat, chubby boy of 13 with an intimidating look in his eyes.

He stopped in front of Samarth bringing his face as close as a lover's.

Samarth backed away on instinct. He shuffled his feet and twiddled his thumb nervously. Trying to bring some steel into his eyes he looked up but flinched when Madhav's became cold and ten times harder than they already were.

Samarth felt panic creeping up his back as he looked at Madhav. Madhav's gang stood ready as if to back up their leader if needed...though that was a little untrue. Madhav could very easily take up on Samarth without any help. His gang was just there to laugh when Madhav called someone insults or beat them.

"So, Samarth, no lunch again", Madhav drawled. One of his jobs as bullies was to snatch away lunch of unfortunate children, but well.....as Samarth never brought any, it irritated Madhav.

The chipmunk, Samarth thought it even as he didn't dare to say it.

"Looks like your father does not even know how to farm.", Madhav continued. Insults about his parents were common every time they met and that happened a lot of times (their meetings). Samarth had learned to tolerate them. "I am afraid he will not even get a sweeper's job in a nearby town." Madhav pushed his shoulder into Samarth, making him stumble. He repeated it until Samarth was embracing the wall with his back. All the while his gang laughed. then looked at Samarth and smirked. Samarth felt himself shiver a little.

"Has your little—", Madhav said pronouncing 'little' with emphasis and producing 'li' like 'lee'. "—baby brother got himself struck by a car again and is licking dirt in your house. Must be pretty clean by now, your house I mean. Oh, or is he—" He made a swishing signature with his hand in front of his neck. His gang screamed with laughter.

Samarth flinched at the insult but this time it was from shock. Madhav had unknowingly put a toe out of line. But it was too late to take it back now.

And so...that was when the bullies' expression changed to horror as Samarth lunged to strangle Madhav.

Samarth was seeing red. Madhav was shocked for a moment but he quickly gathered himself and threw Samarth aside with the agility of a gymnast.

Samarth flew through the air and struck the ground straight in the middle of a knoll of extra wooden chairs. Samarth hit one leg on the side of one chair while another chair was under him, kneading him painfully in the spine. The leg of the chair under him broke from the pressure Samarth had been thrown. Having recovered from their shock of Samarth react like that at their words, the bullies started laughing with Madhav in the lead. The whole class hadn't heard the conversation but just thought that someone had tried to take on Madhav. So as a whole they began laughing with the bullies.

From under the chairs, Samarth groaned in pain.

One after another events were occurring in his life but none of them good. He was tired of being picked on, of nearly losing family members, and of being an outcast. In his whole life, he had just endured pain and suffering.

Were they never going to end?

Did there really exist a thing such as happiness and success?

Or.....was it all just a figment of his imagination?