School Trouble

“You may come with me to the principal’s chamber.”

The most dreaded words a child can hear during his school days. I was in the good books of most teachers, so I never had a chance to experience such punishment.

But I did have a close call when I was in class 7th. Flashback time.

It is lunch-break. Only a handful of students are sitting in the class. One boy, Jai, stands leisurely near the blackboard. He gets hold of the duster and begins forming patterns. I have been staring at him the whole time. Suddenly, he stops and after throwing away the duster, begins admiring his handiwork.

“I love Neha.”

My eyes pop out in amazement. The guts of a seventh class boy. Publicly proclaiming his love for a girl. The class is going to have a field day. As he rubs his handiwork, I stand up from my seat.

The whistle blows and the students start trickling in. I walk up to every desk where a known face is sitting and recount the whole incident.

They stare back in amazement. Soon, the entire class is talking about it. Neha hears about it. She begins sobbing uncontrollably.

Shit! The fire might have been lit by someone else but I would be charged as guilty since I had inflamed it.

Within fifteen minutes, a teacher enters the classroom. Jai is his favourite student.

He calls out for me. When I stand up, he barks out a crisp instruction. “Bring your bags. We will send you home”

Fuck! This is worse than I imagined.

Tears well up in my eyes. He continues insulting me.

“No manners. Talking silly things about girls in class. Should be reported to parents. Bloody hooligans.”

finally he calms down after I have apologised for almost the tenth time.

Before he leaves me, he issues a stern warning. “Never ever repeat that again.”

Once he has departed after leaving me ashen-faced, the students begin murmuring excitedly.

this time, its not the Jai/Neha match-up. It is about Vikram, the cry-baby.