The Magic Carpet

2.

Clang! Clang! Clang! -went the school bell, signaling the students to flood out of their class rooms and head homewards. With her class mates, Deepa and Mohini, Salina made her way out of her class room and towards Brijesh's. The three were engrossed in a meaty gossip about the school-peon, who had allegedly stolen a hefty amount from the headmaster's locker and scampered off.
Deepa burst out laughing suddenly while the other two exchanged looks of astonishment. "Have you gone crazy?", mocked Mohini, but Deepa couldn't harness her actions. She pointed ahead towards Brijesh's class room and there lied a mutilated creature; or was it Brijesh- squatted, arms in and out of his legs, somehow holding his ear lobes. Mohini and Salina joined in the madness and started roaring with laughter.
His teacher walked out of the classroom upon hearing this, what could only be described as a group of hyenas, giggling and laughing at the scene. They tried to leash the hilarity of the sight upon the teacher's arrival, exhaling gasps of chuckles.
"Do you know what you brother has been upto, Salina?", questioned the teacher with eyes that mirrored rage and annoyance. "Probably forgot to do his homework again, sir", replied Salina, certain of her response.
"That is a given, with your brother. But today he took it up a notch and stole mKamal's work", yelled the teacher, pointing towards the exhausted lad.
Even in a state of such misery, Brijesh managed to maintain his comical ways by putting up a goofy expression as the teacher looked away.
"Wait till mom hears about this", said Salina, as they walked towards the school gate. A fleet of buses, motorcycles and vans stood outside the premises, boarding the students, who surprisingly showed no sign of fatigue even after such a long day at school. Salina and Brijesh had to walk a little further down the road towards the  bust station where their usual ride would be arriving.
"Please don't tell mother about today", pleaded Brijesh, with his hands clasped against each other. He tried to melt his sister's heart by putting up his best puppy-eyed expression. But Salina wasn't having it. She shook her head with a ghastly look upon her face, suggesting that he would not be spared today under any circumstances. The clock was ticking for Brijesh and it was visible on his face.
It looked like their bus hadn't arrived yet so the two siblings waited patiently at the spot for about five minutes, when a large honk, followed by Pujan howling,"Goldhunga, Macchapokhari, Bypass". No sooner had the bus come to a halt, Pujan slid the door open and jumped unto the pavement. A herd of people gushed out of the vehicle handing out their money to Pujan, who at that moment became a multi-tasking maestro. He could receive the passenger's money and return them the due change; verify the office-goers and the students' IDs, all the while yelling the names of the oncoming bus-stations.
Brijesh and Salina wrestled their tiny frames against the crowd and entered the bus, and were relieved to find seats for themselves. Beside them sat Bobby with the gloomiest of expressions. He was just gazing out of the bus and into nothingness.
Bhumesh Chettri, also known as Bobby, was an aspiring actor who was awaiting his big break in the movie industry. Ever since he received his first walkman, Bobby nurtured a keen interest in the field of entertainment. He never missed an opportunity to perform, although it couldn't be considered spectacular, nevertheless his energy was commendable. His unique choice of career, his taste in clothing, his unorthodox style were just overwhelming for his local community. Everybody though that he was being foolish for cultivating such hopes and dreams, but Bobby was adamant with his goals. His father would compel him to look after their meat-shop, sometimes even trying the most extreme cases of emotional blackmail you could possibly imagine. Once, he faked a fatal illness by hiring a quack doctor and instructed him to explain it to Bobby in a manner which would convince Bobby that it was real. This way he could ask Bobby to look after the shop as a dying wish. But a family friend recognized the doctor, who had previously been scammed by the same quack, and that day Bhumesh's father was left red-faced while the doctor scurried off with a hoard of angry victims behind him.
Apart from a few appearances as an extra in commercials, he had little to proclaim as outstanding achievements.

"What's wrong Bobby Dai? Do you have a love situation just like Pujan Dai?", asked Brijesh inquisitively. Every body inside the bus seemed to find it rather funny except for Pujan, and understandably, who glared at Brijesh for a brief moment. "Not today Brijesh", said Bobby in a wistful tone as if to shrug his question away. Salina pinched Brijesh's arm gently and gestured a slight shake of the head suggesting Brijesh to stop interrogating him.
The bus arrived at the VDC building where more than half of the passengers climbed out of the vehicle. Bobby excused himself and with a look of disappointment, walked towards his house.
"How was the audition, son?", asked Bobby's mother, who had always supported her son from the shadows of her husband. She would often steal money from the shop and hand it to Bobby so he could purchase new, fashionable clothes and stand shoulder to shoulder with the other actors. "Dad was right. People like me are not meant for the limelight", stated Bobby. His mother immediately let go off the sweater she had been working on, to keep Bobby warm during the winter. They embraced each other in silence as she tried to console her beloved son. "Don't worry child, there's always a silver lining to every cloud. God can see your perseverance and he will not forget to reward you", reassured his mother. Bobby dug his head deeper into his mother's embrace and shed a few tears of heart-break and solace.