Us │✔

18│Something There

Jivika~

Inspections.

That one day in the whole year, when teachers bother about notebooks. When students complete their assignments. When every child has the proper uniform, heck even the watchman gets his shirt pressed. Teachers wear the best sari they ever own.

To the extent that they never looked like teachers. They looked like decked up brides, gold hoarding their skins.

But.

But.

Here is the catch.

That one day, just that single day, took weeks of rehearsals. Even months perhaps. After all, the drama had to be played to perfection on the stage.

Every teacher preparing what they are to teach on that day. Them practicing that particular  lecture with us again and again. Deciding which child would sit on which bench. Deciding beforehand, which child would answer the question which she was supposed  to ask spontaneously on that day. Making sure that the topper of the class remembers the answer to those  questions, word to word.

Lets just say that today is another rehearsal.

"Your Hindi work is complete?" asked Esha.

Moving my head in negative, I continued writing. Just four more chapters to complete. Just four.

"Children come to the ground for the morning assembly! Left right left! The first bell has already rung! Come on lazy beings, lift up your legs!" our Coach's announcement rang throughout the school. Ignoring the announcement for the second time, I proceeded with the next chapter.

Second period was Hindi. So if I would bunk the assembly and do some work sneakingly in the Math  period, I guess it would be complete. But skipping the assembly was a big risk.

They have got these extremely annoying seniors in the disciplinary committee who have their daily ramp walk through the corridors. And those eleventh graders love  to move us around like pawns. Now that they missed four months of torturing us, they would love to have their claws back on.

"Are you sure that you wanna stay back?" Kiara asked one last time, pessimistic of the idea.

I nodded.

"Pakka?"
["Are you sure?"]

"Yes. You go ahead."

"Do you want me to stay back with you?" she asked.

This time, I just gave her the look. Rushing towards the door, she walked out. Within minutes she came back.

"Listen!"

"Listening!"

"What should I tell Sonika?"

"Tell her that I have 'Japan Attack'! And also, lock the door please!"

Latching the door from outside, I hoped that the devils won't come searching for me. At about seven-thirty, right when the assembly was to begin, a bag was dropped through the sliding window, which landed with a 'thud' on the last bench.

That was not what shook the hell out of me.

Simultaneous yelps and groans, that is what scared the shit  out of me.

"Ouch!"

"Who the hell was that?!"

Two matchsticks emerged from their hiding spot — under the desk — tossing the heavy bag away and massaging their heads.