Epilogue

‘Abhi...Abhi...Abhi, I believe you can do it...Abhi, please don’t fall, otherwise you will die...Abhi, do it fast...Abhi...Abhi!' My ears echoed with a clamour of voice as I took another step. A bunch of students had gathered on the ground. I could imagine them looking up at me shockingly. I imagined some of them hooting, giggling and nudging each other. And I imagined some cheering for me and praying that I didn’t fall. But I wasn’t looking at them. I was concentrating on keeping my balance as I walked on the roof of my four-floor school building. A drop of sweat ran down my head and onto my chin as I took another step. I had crossed half of the wall. Honestly, I was trembling with fear at every step I took, but I was determined to do it.

Then I realised that my ears had stopped ringing. No one was shouting or cheering anymore. I wondered if I had lost my hearing ability. I turned my head and looked down on the ground to find students standing quietly. A few of them were running frantically as if they had to save their lives. And the next moment, I was left dumbfounded when I recognised our Principal Madam standing there, her hands on her waist. She was looking up at me, fuming with anger. My heart had enlarged to the size of our principal’s round peeping tummy. She removed her specs from her eyes to have a clear view of me. I felt so scared that I lost all my sight. A leg slipped and I fell down, luckily on the roof side of our school building.

“Madam, I’m sorry. We will make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” said Ms. Disha. We were in the principal’s room. I stood in one corner, hanging my head with hands folded. Ms. Disha was my class teacher and my mother’s best friend. She was the one who saved my butt every time I created a chaos.

“No Disha, not this time. He's gone too far, let his mother arrive!” yelled the principal. She drank a glass of water. It was the fifth glass of water she had swallowed in the last thirty-five minutes. I could still see the fire burning behind her eyes. My class teacher pleaded with her a few more times, but the principal wasn’t prepared to hear her. I wondered if the fire inside her would burn me to ashes.

After an hour of waiting, my mother finally appeared. She glared at me as soon as she entered and sat on a chair beside Ms. Disha. They exchanged a worried look. Mom greeted the principal but she didn’t respond.

“Ma’am, I’m really sorry. I will make sure he doesn’t do this again,” said my mother.

“No, Aayushi. I cannot take this anymore! This isn’t the first time. I still cannot believe that he was walking on the top of the school building! What would have happened if he had fallen down? It could get our school closed forever! I cannot let that happen.” Breathing heavily, she continued, “Look at him! He is just an eleven-year-old and he does such horrible things. It can influence other students. What will I do if all the students start walking on the top of the school building? No, no, I will not let that happen. I’m sorry, but this time I will have to suspend him,” principal stated firmly.

"I understand why you're upset but please give us one more chance. There aren't any other good schools in this city. His future will be ruined. Please give us one last chance,” my mother pleaded with folded hands. I felt guilty looking at my mother. I wanted to punch principal’s nose. I had lost a bet because of her, and to top that she was making my mother beg.

“There is only one good school in this city and your son Abhimanyu will get that closed too. I have to suspend him, there is no other way,” she declared.

I wondered how I would meet my friends. It was the last day of our academic term vacations were going to start from the next day. It looked like it was going to be my last day at school with the principal determined to kick me out. But after a lot of pleading from Ms. Disha and my mother, she agreed to give me one last chance. I heaved a sigh of relief.

“Do you have anything to say?” she glared at me, handing some papers to my mother.

I didn’t know what to say and just muttered scratching my head “I lost the bet because I couldn’t complete the walk”. My mother and my class teacher turned abruptly. All of them glared at me. I immediately felt regret down my spine.

After signing the declaration and apology forms, we walked out of the room. My mother wasn’t looking at me. I was scared, anticipating the scolding I might get. I shuffled my feet and followed them to the parking area. My mother was carrying my school bag.

“Everything he does reminds me of Arjun. He is a Xerox copy of him,” said Disha Mausi. I could call her Mausi now since we were out of school.

My mother immediately nudged to silence her, but I had already heard. It wasn’t the first time that someone had compared me to Arjun. The irony was that I didn’t even know who Arjun was. My mother tried to avoid any mention of the name in front of me. I always wondered why she didn’t want me to know about him.

I sat on the back seat of our new Maruti Suzuki Swift car and my mother drove off. There was a loud silence. Disha Mausi flipped through some FM channels but my mother switched it off. That scared me even more. She seemed really angry. My father was also out of town that day and I wondered who would save me from my mother’s wrath this time.

We dropped Disha Mausi and drove towards home. The whole way I tried to apologise to my mother, but couldn’t gather the courage to say anything. When we reached home, she got out of the car and shut the door with a bang. I got down and started waddling slowly behind her, lifelessly dragging my bag with me. As we entered our house, I thought she would yell at me.

I stood in the living room. It had been more than twenty minutes, but she hadn't uttered a single word. She didn't even glance at me. Now I hoped she would scold me and yell at me but she continued doing her chores, ignoring my presence.

“Mumma, I’m sorry. I won’t do that again,” I said as my mother passed by me holding a stack of books an Amazon guy had delivered. She didn’t respond and started arranging them on the bookshelf one by one.

Would she never talk to me again? I hadn’t moved an inch in the last half an hour. I felt a twinge in my left leg.

“Mumma, please, sorry. Please forgive me,” I pleaded, grabbing her dupatta as she crossed by me again. I rubbed my right eye. I was about to cry.

My mother stopped and turned to glare at me. I hung my head low. I noticed a small flower in the centre of the floor tile.

“Let go. I know you won’t change. You like embarrassing your mother in front of other people, don't you?” she yelled. I clutched the dupatta tighter and started sobbing. As I broke down, she paused and came to sit on her knees in front of me.

“Why do you do these things? What would we have done if you had fallen down? What would we have done if you had gotten injured? And didn’t you hear what the principal said? She will expel you if you do anything of that sort again! And you will be left uneducated.” She wiped my tears with her dupatta.

“I’m sorry. I'm very sorry,” I choked.

“Do you promise, you'll never do this again?”

I nodded. My mother hugged me and I smiled on the inside.

* * *

In the evening, I wandered into the living room to look for my mother’s phone so that I could play my favourite game—Candy Crush. Both Disha Mausi and my mother were sitting on the sofa. I was behind it, so they couldn’t see me. I scanned the room and my gaze fell on the mobile lying on the table. Walking slowly and quietly, I quickly picked it up. Then I glanced towards the sofa to make sure I wasn't seen.

That table was just beside the stairs. I climbed two or three of them and sat in one corner where they couldn’t see me. I unlocked the mobile and started playing.

“I don’t want to go. I tried to tell them that I didn’t like any of the pictures but my mother started her usual drama,” said Disha Mausi. My eyes were glued to the mobile screen, but I could hear everything they said.

“They aren’t wrong. It’s already late. When will you marry if not now?” said my mother.

“I don’t want to move! Will the boy be ready to settle here after marriage?” shouted Disha mausi. I wanted to ask her to speak softly and not disturb my game but I didn’t. I was focused on beating my previous high score.

“So, you will never marry? You need to at least meet the guy and talk to him about this. You can’t keep running away,” Mom paused. “So will you have to go on Sunday?”

“Hmmm,” Mausi responded.

“Monty’s birthday is on Saturday, you remember naa? We have to go,” Mom said.

I wondered about Monty. Would I be joining them? Would I be allowed to eat cake? I thought while running my fingers on the mobile screen.

“Yes, I remember 17th june. We couldn’t make it last year, we'll definitely go this Saturday. And yes, Arjun’s birthday is next month!” she exclaimed.

“Easy! Easy! Speak softly. Abhi is in the house. He’ll hear you,” mumbled my mother. My ears were alerted as soon as I heard my name. I lifted my head to look at them. My heart started beating faster. My mom would scold me if she found out that I was sitting right behind her and had heard everything. Especially since I was playing on her phone.

I decided to go back to my room before she found me. I locked the mobile screen and went down the stairs, bending forward to keep it back on the table. Just then the mobile started ringing. My mother and Disha Mausi turned to look and found the vibrating phone in my out stretched hand.

I looked at the screen. “Dad is calling,” I yelled. Handing her the phone without making eye contact, I ran away.

* * *

I opened my eyes as I felt someone prickling my stomach. I sleepily rubbed my eyes and recognised Vicky Chachu—my mother and father’s best friend.

“Chachu!” I shouted and got up to hug him.

“Get ready,” he laughed and said, “I'll drop you at Alisha’s place.”

Alisha is my mother's elder sister, my Mausi. She lives alone outside the town. I go to her place every summer during vacations.

“I thought Disha Mausi was going to drop me,” I said, still rubbing my eyes.

“She has some urgent work, so your Vicky Chachu will drop you now,” said my mother, entering with a cup of tea for him.

I got ready as quickly as I could and we left for Alisha Mausi’s place.

“You’re looking very excited,” he said in the car while turning the FM volume down.

“Yes! Mom and Dad live a frugal life but Alisha Mausi gets me anything I want to eat. She takes me to different places and we enjoy a lot. I have lots of fun there,” I said excitedly, jumping on my seat.

“Haha, frugal life,’ mouthed Vicky chachu, laughing. He slowed the car as a truck came up—it was a one-way road.

“Chachu, will you answer me honestly if I ask you something?” I asked as we passed the truck.

“Yes of course, why not. Ask,” he said, still focused on the road.

“WHO IS ARJUN? Why does everyone say that I act like him and resemble him? And why does no one want to talk about him in front of me?”

There was a sudden silence. He didn’t say anything for next few minutes. He seemed lost in thoughts.

“Leave that. People just gossip” he tried to laugh it off and asked, “What did you lose in the bet yesterday?” I knew it was a fake laugh. It was written all over his face.

“Please, don’t tell mumma. I will have to do two of my classmate's homework,” I said, making a face and smirking at the same time. “And Chachu, tell me naa who is Arjun? And where is he? Did he walk on the school building too? Was he from my school? Was he also a daring boy like me?” I added, firing a bunch of questions.

“And they would have done your homework if you had won?” he questioned, ignoring everything I asked.

“Are you ignoring me?” I made a face, folding my hands.

“No Abhi. It’s just that you shouldn’t focus on this. Just focus on the fun you’re going to have at your Mausi’s place,” he said, patting my right shoulder. I let it go. It was enough of a hint for me to understand that he didn’t want to talk about the mysterious Arjun either.

I jumped to hug Alisha Mausi as soon as she opened the door. She kissed my cheeks and squeezed me tight.

“You naughty boy, what did you do in school yesterday, haan!? Aayushi called me yesterday evening and told me everything,” she said playfully. I was still hanging from her shoulders.

“Nothing. They all just get scared very easily. Walking on the wall isn’t a big deal,” I got down and smirked.

“Walking on a wall of a four-floor building?” she said, pulling my left ear.

“Aaaahhh,” I screamed loudly. I freed my ear and ran inside the house giggling.

Vicky Chachu left after a while. Later, Alisha Mausi took me out for pizza and some dessert. After yesterday’s traumatic experience, I finally had a reason to be happy. I was beaming, rubbing my hands on my stomach. We reached home at night.

“Abhi, you have to drink milk before going to the bed,” said Mausi, taking off her sandals. She went to her room. I grabbed onto the table to remove mine as well. And then my eyes fell on a book lying on that table.

“The Blue Mountain...Aayushi Sharma...” I pronounced the title and author’s name on the book. Well, I didn’t tell you that my mother was a bestselling author. The Blue Mountain was her debut book. I don’t know why but no one wanted me to read it. You could never find that book in my house. That day I decided to read it. I looked around to see if Mausi was there. She was still in her room. I hurriedly got rid of my shoes and socks and took the book with me to my room. I sat on the bed cross legged and started reading the blurb. When I heard footsteps approaching, I quickly placed the book under a pillow. It was my Mausi, of course. She had brought a glass of warm milk.

“You’re my good baby boy. Drink the milk now,” she said, sitting on the bed with the glass in her hand. I didn’t like milk, so people had to coddle me to convince me to drink it. But that day I didn’t want any pampering. I wanted her to leave the room as soon as possible.

“I'll have it in some time Mausi. My stomach is full right now,” I said, rubbing it.

“Will you drink it for sure?” she asked, placing the glass on side table.

“Yes, promise,” I said, placing my hand on the pillow.

I locked the door as soon as she left. I came back to bed and brought the book out. After examining the book for a while, I opened it and then started reading the first chapter.

Arjun

1.

April, 2007

“The number you have dialled is currently busy,” babbled the Vodafone lady on the other side of the phone. A polite way of saying that the person you are calling doesn't give a fuck about your call. This was the third time I had heard the same line. I swore as Monty disconnected the call again. “Asshole. Useless box of fat,” I muttered looking at my mobile and dialled his number again.

Monty was my childhood friend. He looked like a baby giant, tall—5’9 and huge. I was calling him for an urgent matter. I was going to the shop to buy some beer and wanted to ask him if his tank required any fuel. I dialled his number again. This time the call was answered.

“Hello! You there?” I shouted when he didn’t say anything for ten seconds after picking up the call. I followed with a few famous Indian abuses but the only answer I got was the creaking of a ceiling fan.

“Management is an art of getting things done through others with the help of a formally organised group,” I heard a female voice. I recognised it as Aayushi—one of our classmates, the tallest girl in our college. She stood 5 feet and seven inches and topped almost every test. The whole class would try to be around her as she was intelligent as well as attractive. I on the other hand didn’t have a lot of interaction with her, just the occasional eye contact. I felt that she didn’t like me much and I didn’t really care.

Monty echoed back what I had just heard Aayushi say. “It’s a very important one. This has appeared in the question paper every year for the last three years. I’m marking it, you must revise it,” said Aayushi.

“So, the asshole is at her place, cramming business management journals,” I mumbled, staring at my mobile. We had a business management exam the next day, the first of our first-year exams. Monty had claimed that he was serious about the exam and would go to Aayushi’s place to study. He was one of those legends that didn’t study the whole year and then tried to cover the entire syllabus the night before the exam.

“Thanks! I'll take you out for a treat. Just please tell me all the important stuff which can come in the exam tomorrow,” said Monty. He had probably answered the phone and kept it aside so that I'd know he was busy marking important questions. Stupid! I smiled at the thought of him pleading Aayushi to tell him about the question paper, as though she was the professor who made it.

Monty repeated the first line Aayushi had said two more times. I disconnected the call and left him to mug up our classmate-cum-best friend-cum-professor. I shoved my mobile into my jeans and sat in my Hyundai Accent car which was almost on its deathbed. The engine started with a screech. I drove off.

The Mobile rang in my pocket on my way to the liquor shop. Right hand on the steering, I struggled to take it out with my eyes still on the narrow road. I glanced at it sideways- it was Monty.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Arjun? Why are you calling so desperately,” I heard him whisper as I stopped the car on the road side.

“That’s not the point. Why weren't you taking my calls you fat ass?” I yelled. “And why do you sound like someone will put bullets in your ass if they find you talking?”

“I’m at Aayushi’s place trying to prepare for the exam. Bhai, you know I don’t want to fail,” he yelped, “and you know she is very strict when it comes to studying. She would have cut my ass into pieces had I taken your call in front of her. I came to the toilet to talk to you.”

“It’s good she didn’t cut it. The earth would have shattered with your humongous ass falling on it,” I laughed.

“Not funny. Why were you calling? Tell me quickly, I have to go back to studying.”

“I was going to buy some beer. Wanted to ask if I should get some for you too.”

“No, man! Are you serious? We have an exam tomorrow!” Monty whispered. I imagined Aayushi hearing him, yanking him from the toilet and kicking him out. Then Monty could come and share a beer with me. That, unfortunately, didn't happen.

“That’s exactly why we need to relax today,” I said, leaning against the car and absentmindedly playing with the covering on the side mirror.

“You can say that because you've probably completed the syllabus. I’m going back now”, he said.

“Wait, where's Tendulkar? His phone is switched off.” I was talking about Vikram also known as Vicky. He was of short stature, 5 '4, and wanted to become a cricketer. He talked about cricket all the time. So, we called him Tendulkar. We met him in college and he became a close friend in no time.

“He is with me, marking important questions.”

“Why did you drag him along with you? Now where will I go with my beer…”

‘I’m going.’ Monty disconnected before I could finish.

We usually partied at Vicky’s place since he lived alone. His parents had a business in Delhi. Disappointed, I drove on, deciding to drink alone in my car.

“Heineken Can,” I said to the guy standing on the other side of the counter, covering my nose against the stench of alcohol coming from the middle aged man standing beside me.

“How many?” asked the counter guy, eyes on the EDC machine, ringing up another customer’s order.

My phone rang before I could answer him. The counter guy repeated his question, louder. I signalled him to wait. The stinking man standing beside me grabbed the opportunity and placed his order. I looked at my mobile. It was Monty. Again.

“Hello,” I answered the call, elbowing through the alkies. I stomped out of the shop, away from the heavy noise.

“Where are you?” said Monty.

“Now what? I’m buying beer for myself,” I said.

“Get some for us too.”

“Why? What happened? Done marking IMPORTANT QUESTIONS?” I said, emphasizing the last two words and laughing.

“We'll show you when we get more marks than you,” he hissed confidently. “We left. We need some fuel to learn how to manage businesses.” I could imagine him grinning.

“How many?” I asked.

“Twelve pints, eight for me and four for Tendulkar,” Monty said. I could hear Vicky protesting. When it came to beer, Monty was a tanker. But Vicky hardly showed any interest in drinking more than a single beer. He drank slowly, savouring the taste. Monty and I would always push him to drink some more. When we drank together, we preferred pints over cans or full bottles.

“Let’s meet up at Vicky’s place,” I said and hung up.

2.

”You didn’t ask for our contribution. Are you treating us today?” Monty asked after three pints. He smiled goofily and belched, fondling his stomach.

“You can call it that,” I said, keeping my pint on the floor. We preferred to drink on the floor of Vicky’s living room.

“Call? I've already said that. Now it’s you who has to say it.” He belched again. I threw a cushion at his face.

“Fine. It’s my treat,” I announced, lifting my glass up as high as I could. Monty and Vicky hooted and clinked their glasses against mine.

“Why are you throwing a party by the way? Are you happy that exams are starting?” Monty asked, head hidden in the sweat-shirt he was struggling to take off. He pulled it off and threw it at Vicky. Vicky frowned at Monty and tossed it into the far corner of the living room. Monty chuckled, sliding down onto the floor.

“I won a bet today. Base jumping off the cliff,” I said.

“Fuck! Again? You'll die someday asshole,” Monty exclaimed, “You should control this addiction of yours. It sounds very dangerous and we want to see you live longer.”

“Everyone has to die someday. Why not live to the fullest until we can,” I said, taking a sip and then added “And it’s not dangerous, it’s fun! You should try it sometime.” I rested my back against the sofa and stretched my legs.

“Seriously? Bro, I’m not tall and slim like you,” he pouted, looking adorable as his cheeks turned into little red balloons.

“I’m just two inches taller than you,” I beamed. As I opened my last pint of the day, I felt a sudden pain on my cheeks and found Vicky, who was moving his hand back from my face. I rubbed my right cheek.

“Who embarrasses their best friend like this,” said Vicky, throwing his hands in the air. This was the first thing he had said since we started drinking.

“Okay, sorry, bhai,” I said and grinned. Vicky was the shortest one of us. He was annoyed that Monty and I were arguing about our height. He made a face and Monty laughed loudly.

“What about this bet though? I didn’t get it. And cliff jumping? Who did that?” Vicky fired. I noticed he wasn’t looking at us but at a distant wall. He had lost control.

“You'd better not be hearing this. It’s not the type of stuff you should know, focus on the beer,” Monty shouted before I could say something.

“Not my type of stuff? Because, I’m not tall like you assholes? If you’re talking about trekking, I have done a lot of it,” Vicky boasted.

“Trekking? Don’t worry bhai! You can sit on my shoulders and we'll do it together,” Monty said, falling back on the floor laughing.

“And you know what, Vicky? Monty is the only huge creature who can do that,” I said, giggling. Monty stopped laughing. Now it was Vicky’s turn to laugh. And he did. He laughed loudly.

We fell silent as my phone started to ring. I leaned forward to grab it. After picking it, I stared at the screen for a few seconds, then silenced the ring and shoved it in my pocket.

“Aunty?” asked Monty.

“No.”

“Then who?” asked Vicky.

“No one. Let it be. My last one of the day,” I muttered, lifting another pint. Vicky had finished his third one a while ago. He refused to take more and Monty had agreed to gulp Vicky’s last one. He had finished seven pints so far.

“You can tell us who was calling,” Monty asked again. That’s the thing about best friends. They want to dig out every detail about your life. If it were up to them, they'd even count the number of breaths you take in a minute.

Finally, after some minutes of silence I said. “It’s Shravya.”

Shravya was my girlfriend. We were in the same college and year but a different stream. She studied Bachelor of Arts.

“Then why didn't you answer it?” asked Vicky. He covered his ear with hands. “We won’t try to hear anything personal.”

I smiled. “It's nothing like that. It’s just that she doesn’t like me drinking” I mumbled, loud enough for them to hear. I couldn’t tell that she didn’t like me drinking particularly with them. Shravya always thought that they were losers and I was wasting my time hanging out with them.

“Bro don’t mind me saying this, but she indeed is very hot,” Vicky said, emphasizing the last word, moving his hand through the air, trying to depict a girl with assets.

“Shut up, Tendulkar! Do you even hear what you are saying? It’s your friend’s girlfriend, have some respect or, Arjun will beat your ass. Then you will also have good assets,” Monty blurted out.

“You guys are really drunk,” I observed. I still had some sense left in me. They nodded. Vicky turned to Monty.

“Monty, finish your beer quickly and help me clean the room. You guys always leave after drinking and I do the cleaning alone,” Vicky complained.

“Bro, don’t worry, I'll clean the entire house alone today,” Monty slurred, 'I'll do everything on my own. I love you two,” Monty said. He took the last sip of his beer, put the empty bottle on the floor and struggled to stand but promptly fell on the floor and lay flat. I gestured to Vicky to check if he was still alive.

“Monty? Monty, are you okay?” shouted Vicky, rubbing his cheek. I tried to lift Monty from his hands but I couldn’t move the mountain even an inch.

“Say something Monty. You, okay?” I said with my mouth near his ear. After our constant attempts to wake him up, he lifted his head a little.

“Let me sleep, let me sleep,” he said and put his head back on the floor.

“He won't wake up now,” I said, smiling as I looked at our sleeping panda.

“He was supposed to clean the entire house,” Vicky said. We laughed. Then, we cleaned the mess we had created, and after that I left for home.

* * *

It gets completely dark after 8pm in the hilly areas. We lived in Amritpur, Nainital District, Uttarakhand. It was 9 pm when I reached home. I saw my mother sitting on a wooden chair outside the door. I parked my car and breathed on both palms to check if I smelt of alcohol. Beer tastes good but smells bad later. I got out of the car, muttering ‘definitely getting screwed today’. I walked towards the door, trying my best to not make any eye contact with my mother.

“What is the time, Arjun?” my mother asked as soon as I reached the main door. She sounded angry. I didn’t answer. I stood at the door, looking down.

“How many times do I need to ask you to come home on time?” she yelled. I wasn’t looking at her, but I could imagine her glaring at me.

“I was at Vicky’s house, we were preparing for tomorrow’s exam,” I said, trying my best to not open my mouth too much. If my mother smelled the alcohol on my breath, she would hang me upside down from our balcony. I walked into the house with my mother at my heels.

“To study? Without your notes? Do you think your mother is a fool?” she exclaimed.

“Mom, I need to sleep. I have an exam tomorrow,” I said, marched towards my room and shut my door from the inside.

“I know how much studying you do with them. Why do you even bother coming back home? Why don’t you start living with your friends...,” she shouted from the other side of the door. I knew she wasn’t going to stop for the next few hours, so I covered my head with two pillows and tried to sleep.

* * *

“Look, I’m sure I'll get at least eighteen marks in the practical. I just need eighteen more to pass the exam and I’m cramming these two questions which weigh sixteen marks each,” said Monty excitedly. The next day, our whole gang had gathered at our favourite spot— a huge banyan tree near our college. A round cement platform was constructed under it, where we would sit and chat for hours.

“I mean, I have gone through all the important topics Aayushi taught me yesterday. It’s just that I’m focusing more on these two,” he added as Aayushi stared at him reproachfully. “Management is the art of getting things done through others with the help of formally organised groups,” Monty added. He had been repeating this sentence since yesterday.

“Do you really think Prof. Saxena will give you eighteen marks?” asked Disha. We all grinned. Disha was one of our friends from class and the shortest in height among us. She was just five feet and two inches. She was one of those studious students who always talked about studies and exams but never topped. She spoke occasionally.

“He won’t if he doesn’t give marks based on students’ body size,” I said, laughing.

“Ridiculous,” said Aayushi. She considered my teasing him as body shaming. She turned to look away when Monty joined in the laughter. There was an unspoken war going on between Aayushi and me.

I snatched Disha’s notebook. “Do you think Monty can't get eighteen marks in the practical? Are you making fun of him? You’re RIDICULOUS,” I said to Disha, emphasizing the last word and squinting at Aayushi.

“Huh!” Aayushi huffed and made a face, sitting beside him.

“Give me my notes,” pleaded Disha, trying to snatch them back. I laughed and lifted them up above her head. She jumped, trying to grab them but couldn’t reach. After jumping for a while, she sat there with a withered face. I finally returned the notes with one last laugh. I'd often tease Disha. It was fun watching her get frustrated.

I looked at Vicky. Everyone except him were smiling and laughing. He hadn't been participating in the discussion.

“What happened? Why are you so quiet?” I asked, sitting beside him. Aayushi kept the other two busy, helping them revise.

“Nothing,” he said, voice low.

“Hey we should go to the exam hall now, we just have a few more minutes,” Disha said suddenly.

Before I could interrogate Vicky further, she sprang up, as though ready to run to college. Monty and Aayushi followed her. All of us except Aayushi climbed in immediately. She hesitated until Monty pulled her in the backseat. I started to drive.

3.

We could hear students laughing and shouting as we reached the examination hall. A few were jumping from one bench to another. None of the professors had come to the hall yet. We still had twenty minutes to go before the exam started. I checked my mobile.

“I’m going to the washroom,” Vicky announced, turning around. Just then Monty, Disha and Aayushi entered the classroom.

“I’m coming too,” I called after him and rushed to catch up. I circled my arm around his shoulder and we walked together.

Entering the toilet, we saw students gathered in every corner with guide books and journals in their hands. A few of them were revising but most were tearing off pages to cheat in the examination.

I unzipped my denims. “We should ask them to give us a few pages,” I laughed, looking at Vicky. He was standing beside me, more interested in looking down at the urinal.

“What happened? Are you peeing or doing something else with your rocket down?” I continued loudly. Vicky gave me a tense smile. He looked completely off. A guy on the other side of Vicky unhooked his pants and started hiding small chits of paper in his underwear. He showed his teeth when he found me looking at him.

“Tensed about the exam?” I said.

“No. It’s not about the exam.” Vicky took few steps back, tightening his belt.

“Then what is it? Tell me.” I zipped up my denim. The other guy was now hiding a bunch of chits in secret pockets under his pants. We turned towards the basin.

“I have a very important match today, one that I cannot miss. But neither can I miss the exam,” he said, washing his hands. A student from our class was standing at the corner of the basin reciting some lines about business management to himself.

A lot of jokes were running through my head because of the studious atmosphere of the toilet, but I decided to focus on Vicky.

“So we need to choose one option,” I said casually and brought out a hanky from my pocket to wipe my hands.

“No. I can't. If I had to choose one, I would definitely go for the match but my parents will kill me if I miss the exam,” he revealed said. I was reminded of one of those motivational speakers who cursed Indian parents for not allowing their kids to follow their dreams. We left the toilet.

“Parents, I understand,” I said, shaking my head. I thought of my own mother.

“I’m sorry,” said Vicky. He stopped walking. He said sorry because my father wasn’t alive and he thought the word ‘parents’ wouldn't go well with me.

“Man! It’s okay. Don’t think about me, just choose one. We don’t have much time left. The exam will start in a few minutes,” I slapped his right shoulder as I stood in front of him, waiting.

He nodded. “I've decided bro! I'll write the exam with you all. At least I'll do one thing peacefully.” He seemed determined.

We came back to the exam hall and took our respective seats as per our roll numbers. Suddenly the whole class fell silent as professor Ramesh entered. We all settled down. Professor Ramesh reached his bench, seemingly out of breadth. He put the bundle of question papers on it and removed his spectacles.

“Sorry, boys and girls, I got late,” he gasped. “Has everyone arrived?” He scanned the class.

“Yes, sir,” shouted a few sincere students, including Disha and Aayushi

“Aayushi, take these question papers and distribute them,” said the Professor, spectacles still in his left hand. “Vicky, you take the other half,” he added, dividing the bundle in two.

Aayushi started distributing them from the right side.

“Vicky? Vicky! Are you sleeping?” shouted the professor when Vicky didn’t answer. He had his head held down.

“Vicky!” the professor exclaimed and he stood up immediately. “Yes, sir. I mean, no sir! Sorry,” he stammered as he gazed at the Professor bewildered.

“Distribute these from the left,” frowned the Professor. He placed his spectacles on the bench.

In the next ten minutes, everything was settled and we received the question papers and answer sheets. I looked at Monty. He was sitting on the second last bench of the third row. Disha was behind him—on the last bench. He was staring at the ceiling, his right hand on chest. He was probably praying to God so as to get the questions from the few topics that he had reviewed. I was on the first bench of the first row from the left. Aayushi was three benches behind me and Vicky was in the row next to us but, one desk behind me. He still had his head down, elbows covering his temples. I assumed he was going through the question paper warily.

“Shit! Which planet are these questions from?” Monty shouted loudly, gawking at the question paper. He had a puzzled look and was running his hand over his stubble. Everyone giggled and Ramesh Sir glowered at him as he hid his face.

The bell rang and the exam started. I read all the questions and then started answering the ones I was confident about. After thirty minutes of continuous scribbling, I looked around to check what everyone was doing. Aayushi's pen was flying across the sheet, as was expected. Disha too was slowly but steadily filling up her answer sheet. Monty was staring at the question paper as though he was trying to memorize it like he had crammed that one sentence Aayushi had taught him.

And Vicky, Vicky wasn't writing.

The question paper was lying ignored on the bench and he was staring intently at a single spot.

“Vicky, Vicky,” I whispered, leaning towards my right. He lifted his head up at my third attempt and shook his head. He looked a little worried.

“What happened? Why aren't you writing?”

“Nothing. I can’t,” he whispered back.

I waited for Ramesh sir to move to the other row. Hands behind his back, he was strolling through the class, diligently patrolling since the exam had started.

“Why? Aayushi didn’t teach you well?” I grinned. “Keep trying to remember, write whatever you can,” I said as softly as I could. As I adjusted my seat, Ramesh Sir walked by my bench again and pretended to read the paper.

I looked back at Vicky after he went away.

“I can’t focus. I seriously can’t,” he said, not bothering to whisper. Ramesh sir turned towards us.

“What the fuck, Vicky,” I whispered to myself, quickly shifting my gaze to my bench. I glanced at Ramesh sir from the corner of my eye to check if he had seen me.

“What happened, Vicky? What is it that you cannot focus on?” growled the Professor, standing in front of Vicky.

Thank God! I thought, as he didn’t say anything to me.

“Sir, may I go to the toilet?” shouted Monty standing up before Vicky could respond.

“Come back quickly,” he said, resuming his walk. Monty’s interruption turned out to be Vicky’s saving grace.

“What’s the issue, bro?” I whispered after a few minutes.

“The match! I've been practicing for the last few months. It was all in vain,” he choked out, without looking at me and started reading his question paper again.

I found it very strange that he said he wanted to go while continuing to read at the same time. I wondered how to respond to this contradictory situation. Monty came back.

“Turn out your pockets,” Ramesh sir demanded as Monty entered.

Monty did, with a satisfied smile. He looked like a pleased pelican. His face had turned red. I wondered if he'd had a few pegs of rum from the bottle he hides in the toilet.

Ramesh sir asked him to sit. “Thank you,” said Monty, snickering unnecessarily and bending into a bow with a hand on chest.

Fifteen more minutes went by. “You should go for the match.” I whispered to Vicky.

He shook his head.

“Yes! At least you'll be able to do one thing properly. If you sit here thinking about the match then you will ruin them both.” I didn’t whisper this time. Students around me could hear loud and clear. I didn’t care. I turned around to gauge Monty’s reaction but to my surprise, he was scribbling furiously without looking anywhere else.

Vicky fell silent.

“No! I can’t do that. My parents will never forgive me,” he said.

I slid to the corner of my bench and leaned towards him.

“You’re already going to fail in this exam. You haven't written anything. So, why do you want to ruin the match too?” I hissed. “Take my car and just go.” I showed him my car’s keys.

“Arjun and Vicky! Stop talking and sit straight in your respective benches,” yelled Ramesh sir. I was gazing at Vicky’s head incessantly.

“No Arjun, I can't do it,” said Vicky slowly. He still wasn't looking at me. He arranged his question paper and answer sheet.

I frowned and closed my eyes. I turned my face to other side, clenching my fist to control my anger. Taking a deep breath, I fired, “Vicky just tell me honestly, do you really think this Business management stuff is what you are going to rely on? Do you think anyone will ask you questions about Business management after this exam? Will this exam help you in life? Will you live with business management or will you live with your passion?”

“Arjun, that's enough. Sit straight in the other corner of your bench and stop talking,” Ramesh sir screeched. He seemed unable to comprehend the mess. I slid to the middle of the bench for a moment.

Vicky didn't utter anything. His expressions revealed how desperately he wanted to go for the match, but wasn't taking a stand. He slumped his shoulder and his eyes looked completely helpless at that moment. I looked around. Everyone in the class was staring at us. Aayushi was glaring at me and Disha seemed surprised and puzzled. Monty looked confused, trying to figure out what to say. His round face had turned pale.

“Just take the keys and run away,” I said, annoyed. Ramesh sir had had it. He started walking towards us.

“Arjun, please, I don’t have the courage,” yapped Vicky.

“Fuck courage!” I yelled.

“Arjun, what that hell do you think of yourself?” The professor spat. 'I've been barking like a dog for the past hour. Enough is enough! IF YOU UTTER ONE MORE WORD I WILL SNATCH YOUR PAPER AND THROW YOU OUT OF THE CLASS!!!” Ramesh sir screamed loud enough to blow the roof off. He seemed determined to do what he had said. His face had turned red, eyes popping out.

The gruffness in his voice boiled my blood. I shifted my gaze. For a few seconds, my brain was completely muddled. I was unable to think.

I turned back to the Professor. Our eyes met.

“I REPEAT ONE MORE TIME ARJUN! I WILL SNATCH YOUR ANSWER SHEETS AND KICK YOU OUT OF THE CLASS.” He gave me a death stare with his red eyes.

This time I didn't blink, I stared back, then looked at the other side. The class was holding their breath, waiting for my response. I tightened my jaw. My heart was beating a mile a minute.

I capped my pen, banged my fist on the bench, and shoved my stuff into my pocket. I rolled up my answer sheet- “Take it and shove it in your ass” I thought of saying, but didn’t. I tossed it at Ramesh sir’s bench.

He was flabbergasted. He stood staring at me with his mouth wide open.

“Leave that, just come with me now,” I said to Vicky.

He too seemed astonished. He glanced around the class. Everyone was gaping at the drama, waiting for the next move. He took a deep breath and lifted his eyes to meet mine and I saw a spark in them now.

He nodded. “Let's go.”

He handed over his answer sheet to Ramesh Sir whose eyes were still double their usual size.

“I’m done, sir. Take it,” Vicky said.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

“More than ever, sir,” Vicky replied with a smile on his face, for the first time today, a smile. One that boiled Professor’s blood even more.

Monty and Disha were still staring, Aayushi was frowning at me. I could see the disapproval in her eyes. And then we left.

“Why did you leave your exam because of me?” Vicky said regretfully.

“What else was I supposed to do? If I hadn't left the exam then you wouldn't have agreed to go for the match,” I said.

“Sorry bro, you're going to fail too now because of me.”

“Stop sobbing like a bitch. We won't die if we fail one subject”. I looked ahead. “And what time is it?” I added.

Vicky looked at his wrist watch and made a panicked face.

“Forget the time, we have twenty-five minutes left for the match. The stadium is 45km away, I don’t think we'll make it. They'll find a replacement before we reach,” said Vicky sadly as we entered the parking area.

“I told you to leave the exam hall earlier, didn't I? Let's see, I'll drive as fast as I can,” I said, unlocking my car and getting in.

“How can you be late when your brother is here to drive the car?” We heard a shout. To our surprise, it was our Michael Schumacher—Monty. He was huffing, hands on his knees.

“Oh! Bhenchod! You came too?” Vicky exclaimed.

“I felt bad to top the exam knowing my loser friends were going to fail,” Monty giggled. We joined him.

“We'll go together, wherever we go. I won't leave my brother alone,” he added, winking at Vicky and moving forward to hug him.

“Now step aside please,” Monty said, barging into the car from the driver's side seat and pushing me towards the adjoining passenger's seat.

“By the way, what were you scribbling during the exam?” I asked, adjusting the front passenger seat. “You looked so focused.” Vicky sat on the back seat and Monty grabbed the steering wheel.

“Management is an art of getting things done through others with the help of formally organised groups,” Monty said, starting the engine.

“What? That question wasn't even asked in the paper,” I said, putting on my seat belt.

“So, is that my fault?” asked Monty. We all laughed at this.

“I just crammed two topics and I have to write them, whether they were in the paper or not.”

“You're right bro, the Professor who made this paper should have checked with you too. It's their fault,” Vicky snickered.

“And did you drink when you went to the toilet?” I asked.

Monty started laughing again. “I would have fainted as soon as I read the questions,” he replied between hearty chuckles.

The three of us drove to the match, giggling together.