Sanskar felt strange looking at the new transfer1 student. Not that she was any different from the girls of his class. Actually he has not noticed any girl in his class so far. He is in 4th standard now and he hardly speaks to anyone.
It's not that he hates school. It's not that he loves school. He simply doesn't feel anything about anything around him. May be he wasn't in the stage to feel anything. But this was kind of pissing him off how he was looking at the new girl.
The problem was she looked familiar for an unknown reason. Like he has seen her before too. He was still 9 year old school boy. Obviously he had such kind of confusions many times.
He saw the teacher pointing at his direction for the boy who stood next to the girl. The new boy looked in Sanskar's direction and started to move and sat beside him.
Sanskar was hesitant to speak to the boy. He always liked being alone in the last bench. He wasn't the topper. That was Ruhan and Pari. He wasn't good at dancing or any kind of talents. That was Arav who was multi talented. Arav was good at drawing, good at dancing. He was good at studies also. The two toppers always fought for the first spot. And Arav was always at the third spot.
In the class of 30 where there were other two sections also class 4 A section was the safe place of Sanskar. He did not hate coming to school all the time from October to March. But it was annoying during the first half of the school year.
He hated going to school in the first half of the school year as there was 24 hour pouring rain which only made anyone feel worse.
But Sanskar did not mind the rain. He was the son of a farmer. He knew how important rain was and how many works he and his family has to do during this period in their areca nut farm. But walking to school in rainy season was a serious problem for the kid of his age.
In between his thoughts he saw the teacher writing something on the board and instructed everyone to copy it down.
He didn't hate school.
But the girl he had looked at made a crashing sound. Her pencil box fell down and she struggled to find a book in her bag. Was she angry or was she about to cry?
Sanskar couldn't really understand.
But he could guess that she didn't like being in the class right now. Not only now but may be never. Her face had contorted the way his face would while he drank medicine which every year he had to drink on rain festival.
Then he concentrated back on the black board in front of him.
He didn't hate school. He just wanted to be left alone. He didn't liked how this new girl was disturbing him. He grunted a few times whole day and the girl looked at him apologetically.
Lunch came and he noticed the boy sitting next to him walk to the distressed girl.
"What happened?" The boy asked the girl in their own language. A language Sanskar had heard for the first time but it sounded similar to Hindi, but a fast version of it.
The girl had tears in her eyes and her lips twisted in a pout which she couldn't control. The boy sighed and nodded his head. He went to the place where lunch bags were kept and brought her box.
She didn't want to eat. She just nodded her head. The boy again said something in a bit frustrated tone and the girl just placed her head on the desk and looked away.
The boy glared at her one time and walked back to keep her box. Then he brought his own lunch box and sat beside Sanskar who just gave a small smile.
Finally the day was over and he noticed the new boy going to the girl and taking her bag and moving with her hand clasped in his own. By the look of it he understood that either they were cousins or siblings.
The girl was still sad. She hadn't eaten her lunch also. She was just being dragged by the boy out of the class. Sanskar just gathered his stuff and walked out of the class. He had to start walking if he had to reach in time to home. He had a plan to watch a cartoon show on T.V. he didn't want to miss it.
As he was exiting the school he saw the boy and the girl getting inside the auto. It was the same auto which Ruhan used to board with his elder sister who was now in 7th standard. He found Ruhan waving at him and he waved back with a small smile and moved past them as he didn't want to miss his TV program. After which he will finish his homework and then play some indoor game.
What a day it was!
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Trying something new. Hope you people will like it.
Sally.
