BETTER FRIENDS

THE FUSION

Now that the kindergarten phase is over, it's time for 1st grade. When he entered 1st grade, he made many friends and became quite mischievous. Despite his playful nature, his studies were improving. He was both smart and intelligent. However, as the saying goes, "No one on earth is perfect." He struggled with one subject in particular—mathematics.

In 1st grade, he became a hardworking and eager learner. He wanted to make friends, but he didn't know how to start, still remembering his past mistakes and the awkwardness he felt when trying to make friends. As 1st grade progressed, he made another good friend. Unfortunately, his luck seemed unchanged as he befriended another girl, named Nidhi. However, this time, the girl was genuinely friendly, and Sanskar felt very happy when he was with her. Their bond of friendship was strong. When exams began, they both scored very well, but as fate would have it, Sanskar failed in math.

Sanskar passed 1st grade and moved on to 2nd grade, where he made many new friends. Some friendships were strong, while others were based on convenience, like his friendship with a boy named Abhay. Abhay, the son of a wealthy father, showed a lot of attitude toward the other students. Despite this, Sanskar, being kind-hearted, only wanted to have friends, not thinking about whether they were good or bad. During a game period, Abhay climbed onto a big stage in their playground and attempted to dance. He slipped and nearly fell from a height of about 5 meters—a significant fall for a little boy in 2nd grade. Fortunately, Sanskar grabbed his hand and prevented the fall. This act made Sanskar Abhay's best friend, but Sanskar didn't feel the same way about Abhay.

During tests, Abhay, aware that Sanskar excelled in every subject except math, used to cheat to pass. He would make Sanskar sit with him during tests, but during math exams, he would arrange for Vinnet, a math topper and another friend, to sit with him, while he pushed Sanskar away. This hurt Sanskar deeply, and he decided to end his friendship with Abhay. However, he feared that if he broke ties with Abhay, all his other friends would also distance themselves from Sanskar, as they were all influenced by Abhay's money and attitude. As I mentioned earlier, Abhay, being the heir of a wealthy father, had a group of friends who caused mischief and bullied others.

2nd grade eventually passed, and during this time, Sanskar developed an interest in basketball and football, with a particular love for football. As 3rd grade began, Sanskar became more self-conscious and confident. Instead of focusing on making friends, he concentrated on his studies, particularly math, and eventually fell in love with the subject. In 3rd grade, Sanskar formed a new friendship with Kartike, a student who had transferred from another school. The two developed a strong bond, forming a gang of friends, much like Abhay had. As you know, young children often have petty fights, and Sanskar and his friends were no different, competing fiercely.

Once, in 3rd grade, their math teacher gave the class a set of problems to solve on the board and in their notebooks. The teacher knew that Sanskar, Vinnet, Kartike, and Suryansh were always competing to finish first. Most of the time, either Vinnet or Sanskar finished first, with Sanskar usually winning. Whenever someone else, like Abhay, completed the problems first, there was almost always something wrong with the solution. Sanskar would then step in and correct the mistake. Eventually, Sanskar became the math topper in his class, and this recognition further fueled his interest in the subject.