Happily Ever After

-The Old Life-

All the five of us are sitting on the table as we are eating our lunch and talking. Suddenly, the topic of conversation drifts to homework. Oh fuck, forgot again! I ask what it was. Aarvi says that it was some essay shit. This girl, oh my god. Aarvi Sehgal is such a nonchalant, careless idiot. Just because our last names and habits matched, more than half of the school thought that we were related. But no, me and her, we are not blood-related. We were siblings by choice. Aarvi joined the school mid-session and just because we looked and behaved similarly, we were claimed to be siblings. Since then I've been handling this idiot. And trust me, it's tough.

I ask Rajat and he says that the English teacher had asked us to write an essay on our school life titled, 'The Good Old Days'. Ah! The good old days. The days which I spent in this hell, the hell I love a lot.

The bell rings and we walk off to class. Miss Pranjali, our English teacher, walks in shortly after. She asks us to take out our essay. I look over to Shubhit who already was looking at me. He's my punishment partner. We never let each other stand out of the class alone. But instead of punishing us, she asks all of us to complete the essay right now.

Somehow, the topic intrigues me a lot and I begin to write down. I start writing about the time I spent here. The people I befriended and especially about the people who hold the key to my happiness.

Rajat was my first friend in the school. He was the one I sat with on my first day. And since then, we've been sticking by each other's side through thick and thin. He knows me more than myself. He knows what is the best for me. And he can even read my mind!

Because of Rajat, Pratyush and I became friends. Both of them were neighbours and had lived together their entire lives. Pratyush is a very interesting character. He does not care for tomorrow at all, just believes in today. I've got a gem, really.

And Shubhit, he was a lonewolf. After he joined the school, he always sat on the same bench, the 5th one, alone. He did not talk to anyone. He reminded me of my initial days here. So one day, me, Rajat and Pratyush went and sat down beside him. We didn't even realise when the bell rang. We were so engrossed in our talks.

And since that day, he became friends with us. Aarvi joined the school last year. She didn't take much time to adjust. The five of us, we were inseparable.

After I was done with writing the essay, I look up. Almost everyone had completed their work. It is still fifteen minutes for the class to get over so the teacher asks us to read out our essays. Cherry on the cake, eh? We write it all the way to the end and now we have to read it as well? I put down my head so that she doesn't spot me. She calls out a few names who have to speak in a sequential order. "Pratyush, Aarvi, Shubhit, Divya, Rashi and Arjun." Guess luck wasn't on my side!

Pratyush begins reading. " School, every time I hear this word, my mind rings a bell. A bell of happiness, a bell of contentment.This place has made me someone I could never think of. This place marks my journey from Pratyush Sharma to Pratyush. There is no one else who could be credited for this transformation. The way the school has shaped me from an immature kid to this grown individual, only proves the greatness of this institution..."

Pranjali ma'am asks Aarvi to continue. "Not every school is similar. And my school validates this statement to the fullest. This place marks my growth. How I entered into this alma mater and fell in love with it. The aura, the people, it is something I've always wanted. My wisdom and that never-ending smile is something very important this institution has blessed me with..."

Now, Shubhit is asked to speak. "We grow, we evolve, we develop. It is a constant process. And the factors which strengthen this process are definitely our friends and the education we get. All thanks to this hell... Oops! The school, dearest, for giving me these blooming buds of my life who never let my smile fade away. The knowledge I boast today is all imparted to me from this place itself. Shubhit Khan had always been an introvert but it is the love and care from the people I have that I'm standing right here and speaking..." TRRINGGG
And the bell goes off.
"...with utmost confidence."

"Well done kids! The exams are almost here. So all the best, do well. And you all know that I'm just a call away whenever you need me. Good Luck." She says and leaves smiling.

I look at all these chipmunks. I am blessed to have them all in my life. Each with a unique personality but the same mental disorder.

I don't think anyone can take them away from me.