Prank, Pill & Poison

1. Aayush's Antics

Hah! Just another five minutes to go!' exclaimed Divit, saying which he disappeared beneath the bench with his curled shaggy hair jutting out of the table corner like the hairs of a porcupine, followed by a quick flash of yellow.

'Aayush! Where the hell did Divit go this time?' 

Miss Dey's voice rang out. Of course, now, she would notice, kudos to her hawk eyes. She looked like a snake coiled ready to snap her victim out with one strike with tiny piece of chalk in her hand. Who the heck did they think they were kidding, thought Aayush.

'Well, a piece of chalk ... What does she thinks I am, huh? A mosquito? Even she couldn't strike a mosquito with that chalk.' Divit murmured noiselessly, still under the desk, trying his best to make it seem that he was tying his shoelaces. 

'Ouch!' he groaned as Aayush aimed a kick at his legs prompting to shut him up. This was once again one of those umpteenth time he had to play the rescuer. 

'Ma'am, uhh... Divit, umm-yeah, he's having a bad attack of uhh... of the digestive order ma'am.' He said with a grin, his eyes seemingly innocent as he told but only the truth. 

I will be a good actor when I grow up. He often thought.

'Oh, nice...I mean bad. Let me come there and see what's happening to Divit. Going beneath the bench,' She mused, 'that must be a severe problem.' Miss Dey said back with a perfect mocked imitation of Aayush's voice . Some of the students flickered silent smiles.

'Shit dude! Save the future superhero of the world.' pleaded Divit from under the table in whispers, his voice muffled, sounding as he had something stuffed in his mouth.

'Douchebag.' Aayush whispered back. 

'What's there ? What did you just tell Aayush?' Miss Dey said, getting up from her seat preparing to advance upon her prey. 

'Ma'am, a fly! A fly went into my eyes.' said Aayush, hastily making something up. Small beads of sweat came upon his temple, standing out as an irony, to the confident mask he wore.

'Oh, is it now?' Miss Dey said with a soft silence between each syllable, as she took her time coming upon the second last bench of the farthest row of the class where Aayush and Divit sat. 

'Yes ma'am absolutely, and about, uh , you coming here.. I would advice against it...nasty smell at present ma'am, hope you can understand. I myself am contemplating changing my seat.' Aayush said with a deft snivel of his nose. 

Could be a good actor surely, he thought to himself. 'I am gonna kill you.' Divit said urgently from beneath. The whole class had contorted lips by now with their faces red, only the fear of the vulture like Maths teacher, Miss Pamela Dey, stopped them from committing the grave crime.

Miss Dey stood for a moment confused, trying to take in what Aayush had just said. And then in moments her face changed. This was what her students feared the most. From a sneering face , it transformed in moments to match that of a lioness sitting upon its haunches ready to pounce.

With a flushed face, she roared, 'What did you just say? How dare you? You little....!'

But her oncoming shout was drowned by the even louder ring of the bell.

And Aayush sighed a breath of relief.

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'All that, for a box of lunch.' Aayush grimaced as Divit came out of his hiding place with his mouth full of chowmin, the traditionally modern lunches packed by parents.

'And wasn't it worth it.' Divit exclaimed licking his fingers and flopping down his box upon the table. 

'Couldn't you wait? Even for a moment! God knows what will happen when we leave school and you go on your way. Next time I hear, you are doing rounds in the prison.' 

'Hah!' mocked Divit as he walked out of the classroom, to wash his hands. 'Dont forget dude! This is time!' he shouted with a faint wink as his form disappeared among the masses of students strutting out of their classes.

'Idiot. So much for saving him.' Aayush grimaced as he sat down heavily on the desk of his bench , wondering what his mom made for him that day. 

'Heyya Aayush, why so grumpy huh? Shirts out dude! Football time!' Aman and a bunch of his friends circled him, with Soham, juggling a football at his feet.

'Nice joke by the way, the one you played with ma'am, but take care dude, everytime the bell won't ring at the right moment.' Rajesh said grinning .

The bell, Aayush thought, if that was a living thing I would have to give it treats so often. As the bell rang, Miss Dey had stopped in her tracks, her eyes clearly threatening, "Next time".

And then she went back to her desk banged her books and went out of the class in her haughty manner without even a single acknowledgement of the several "Thank You, Ma'am" said by the students in a sing-song voice . Today, the Thanks Yous felt like poison to her ears.

'Hey, enough of this silly talks , lets get out, even the weather's clear and bright today.' Soham interrupted, clearly fidgeting to go out to plant his feet in the soft grass of the playground.

Aayush looked out of the window beside his bench. Indeed today was a day to play, but...'Nah, guys , I won't be able to play today, have an urgent task.' Aayush let out a soft sigh. 

'Hah! Tasks! Suits you, bye then.' Aman said as the group turned their backs strutting out to the fields with a light spring in their step. Wish I could join them, Aayush thought. 

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'Having lunch? What you have there huh?' Divit said heartily.

'Dont you dare, you just finished your tiffin ten minutes ago!!' Aayush said as he chomped one more mouthful of the paratha his mom had made. 'And anyway, it's just paratha. ' he said back. 

The class now was almost empty except for the two boys and some students staying inside completing their homeworks or stuffs they had pending, and some who were sorely introverted. 

This was a time to play but...

'Have you seen Anisha?' harrumphed Divit as Aayush miserly put his box back inside his bag wiping his hands with his napkin.

'Yeah, she left the classroom a while ago. And what do you think will Anisha think huh? You following her around... basically it's stalking, a better word. Heard her mom's a teacher in the St.Kitts school. Just hope she doesn't get to know about us and then complains over in our school,that will be a complete disaster.'

'A wise man once said..."What's life without dangers?". ' Divit smirked.

'Curse you! Let's go. Where do you think she will be anyway, at this moment?'Asked Aayush as he tucked his napkin in his pant pockets.

'Oh, that I don't know.' Divit said trying his best not to take a glance at Aayush who stood staring at his friend with red eyes cursing the day he came and sat beside Divit in nursery.