‘I don’t like you!’ she said.
‘Well, I can’t say exactly the same. You know why?? Because, I, actually, Hate you!’ he said and exhibited his hatred through a pattering tongue and thumb-on-nose with fingers waving.
She looked away to ignore; as every day, as every time.
He went closer to her, bringing his face right in front of hers, ensuring she sees his pattering tongue and, he wished, she receives a few drops of his spit on her face too. That would make the soul of his skewer rest in peace, he thought. He almost touched her nose with his right pinkie; while his right thumb remained touching his nose and the other three fingers still waved emulating playing a piano.
She slapped his hand away in disgust.
This was routine. They didn’t need a reason to fight; they just needed the two of themselves; nothing else, no one else. They were pros. They were skilled to spark a spat out of nowhere and convert it into a war. They would scratch the hell out of each other verbally and often physically too.
This is how the entire school knew two eight year olds; Arjun and Vaanya!
‘Ok children, sit down.’ Ms. Maria entered the classroom and the ceasefire was imposed. Arjun went back to his seat with his sword, tongue, back in the sheath, mouth. Vaanya gave him an ‘I will kill you!’ look as a parting note.
***
‘Alright kids. No one goes too far, out of my sight. Is that clear? Let’s move in a queue.’ Mr. Krishnan said; a black whistle hung around his neck in a red nylon thread.
Mr. Krishnan was the chief coordinator for the yearly one day class trip to the fun park. A couple of other teachers, Ms. Maria and Ms. Surveen, also were part of the picnic along with forty kids from third grade; Arjun and Vaanya – the foes, included.
A queue of forty curious minds walked through the garden, pebble walkways, by the ponds and fun rides.
Vivid tiny red, green, blue, purple, orange t-shirts – few sleeveless – with identity cards pinned on the left; shorts and skirts with dust patches on the petite buttocks; water bottles hanging around necks – few sipping through the straw while walking; knapsacks, stuffed with munchies, on the shoulders that were ready to be loaded with the burden of responsibilities in the years to come; curious eyes hovering above every little thing around them made the little ones look adorable. On a cool but sunny day, walking in a trail, forty shiny gems looked like bundles of sugar pies.
As they moved towards a ride with colorful helicopters alternatively going up and down, Arjun strategically positioned right behind Vaanya in the queue. His eyes were focused on her pink, ‘Alice-in-Wonderland’ themed, bag on her back which was stuffed with exciting munchies.
Arjun’s focus was worth matching his namesake’s from the Mahabharata; when he aimed at the bird’s eye. Nothing else seemed present in his vicinity.
Sneaking through every one’s notice, he silently, seamlessly, like a professional robber, opened Vaanya’s backpack’s zipper. His right hand dug into his shorts’ pocket and came out as a fist. With a wicked look, he let the fist go inside Vaanya’s bag. With the same finesse, he closed the zipper. Mission accomplished! He did it with such flawlessness that even his own left hand didn’t know what the right one had done.
***
As the marching queue halted near the helicopter ride waiting for their turn, Arjun patted on his victim’s shoulder, ‘Vaanya!’ he said.
She turned around. She was surprised, and shocked, to see her enemy at the gates.
‘What?’ she asked.
