3 CHAPTER-2 Excuse Me!

"How much we need to pay"

"It will be Rs.5000 for one"

"Will you reduce some amount"

"May be. But, I will do later" He said with half smiled face.

It's not the House rent nor anything. It was my tuition fee for one subject. My mom try to do little bargain with my tuition teacher. Nothing works! They are costing five thousand for each main subject Physics, Chemistry and Maths. I was supposed to join here because of Vinay, who joined earlier. My mother constantly pestered me to join. Finally, I agreed to join this Pride tuition centre, Nothing fame! but it's the name of the tuition centre. Am gonna miss my favourite serial "Madhubala" but the whole episode of the day will be well picturised by my friends than the director on next day class.

In Tuition centre,

A bunch of cycle parade standing outside in unknown queue. Few meters little away from tuition smells niffy because, all came here to micturate. It was a 10 X 14 room of totally 3, where students occupied with no space left devoid. Still, our tuition head howdies more student to join, I guess let they should occupy his bald. Only 10,11 and 12 patients who were in thirst for marks not knowledge were admitted here. No matters from which school you are, What exam you have, what syllabus you study, all you need to follow the tuition pattern. They conduct separate exam as we have in schools.

Three divergent teachers for all three main subjects. Some colour charts pasted on walls contains formula seems like a hall for a person with a short memory disorder. A big blackboard stood in front of all rooms that contains no dates, mathematical problems nor chemistry equation nor physics theory more unimportantly the number of dates left behind for the public exam with the title card "Deadline" this is the truest thing I found out here the word "Dead".

I was sitting on the corner, beside me was Arun, Sam, Vinay and our zany funster Iniyaz. We all call him "Bomb bakri" as he once farted during primary class after Bakrid festival. Because of his one day fart we call him so, including his younger brother who is studying in the same school called as "Small bomb bakri". That day was very bad for him which gave him a historical name. But, we all love his droll sense of humour.

"I have one valuable thing with me" said Vinay.

"Have you robbed any cosmetic items from girls?" Bomb bakri bantered.

Vinay raised his eyebrows. He opened his bag and all our heads were toped over it. we all gathered like seeing treasure trove in delights. It was a Gfive mobile phone inside.

"Whose mobile is this?" I frowned slightly.

"My mom gave this for my safety. She asked me to call her once I reached tuition as well as while am leaving" He said.

"Looks like new one" Sam asked.

"yeah! Just two weeks old," Vinay replied.

All were busy in plying that Chinese handset. I was agitated of not having that. I was coming to this centre form very long distance than Vinay.

"Why my mom haven't provided this for me?" I asked myself. Is she apathetic of my safety? I bothered.

After the tuition, we all left to corner shop for having some bites. We all contribute some money and spend it over there. It was not my pocket money, I do coins heist in my home and put aside in the pendulum clock hanging on the wall. There is a glass door opening for the pendulum bob below there is some space where I kept all those coins I took.

"Gurudev" A small street vendor shop is famous for "thattu vadai" set. We ordered one plate for all. They placed thattu vadai on the plate, smear them with spicy red chutney, then top was loaded with grated beets, carrot and onions. Lemons were squeezed over that before they place another piece of thattu vadai which is smeared with green chutney. The presentation they made is very pleasing. All our mouth started watering like yours! I gulped that saliva and took one piece, dumped inside my small mouth. The flavours of the two spicy chutneys with raw vegetables sounds crunchy, hit me with every bite!!! We enjoyed this with cardamom chai that makes the day complete.

~Back to school!

We all were standing in a line for prayers session in the morning in open arena. My hands were wet and cold felt little shivered even under sunlight as I was standing between two girls. As a leader Apsara standing in front followed by me, as am a male leader. Behind me was my class girls in height ordered and they were followed by boys. This how we stand for the prayer session on every Monday as we do flag hoisting. Top mark holder of each class will get privilege to hoist the flag. I was edgy and posed wrongly for attention and stand-at-ease. I felt brainstorm at that moment!

  Apsara took attendance this time. 

"Nila"..... "Absent!"

This what we heard for last three days. She is the only girl absent in my class. First period was English.

"The selfish giant".... ma'am wrote on blackboard.

Even though we all were in 11th standard, we were forced to study 12th syllabus in advance. We need marks and our school management need pride through us. I donna, who behaves selfish here!

This English book is in black and white, no pictures present. In childhood days all our books were colour printed with some pictures. I would love to go through all pages initially, not for reading the content only to look at cartoons. I like to smell the middle page of the new book. At that moment, I feel like "I am in Seventh heaven". Nothing! I could do this time with this book. It was an old book used by our seniors. Only I find many words were highlighted with meaning written over it in pencils. We will be receiving new books officially on next year only.

Everyone in the class went to sleep mode after a while. Mainly Bomb bakri and Manish sitting on backbench slept directly on the desk. I and Vinay were unhappy to see them, mainly frustrated on seeing 'Bomb bakri sleeping happily '. So, we torn paper from rough notebook and placed it on the ground. We stamped our legs over the paper and rubbed harshly that makes annoying sound. Nirmala ma'am stopped narrating the story and stared at us. We all set quiet looking at her, that silent reflects nothing we do! She back into the story again and we both started to rub again.

"Will you please be quiet for a moment?" she asked.

All were looking her like newborn baby. But, she knew well that noise was produced from boys side. I and Vinay turned back and looked at the people sitting behind us, so that ma'am would assume they are one disturbing the class. Fourth bench students were shocked "Why you both turned back?"

A while later, we both started to rub-down again.

"who is that fellow making rubbish noise?" Nirmala ma'am yelled angrily.

Again, I and Vinay looked back, this time fourth bench student also turned back looking at the backbenchers. The timing was perfect as whole class were looking at them at the moment. Backbench people also turned around but it was only a wall behind them. Bomb bakri and Manish couldn't do anything and they we looking each other. Nirmala thought they are the culprits!

"Will you both get out of my class?" She ordered.

They both were helpless and stepped out. I and Vinay couldn't control our laughs. We kept our head down and in a barrel of laughs.

"Mission accomplished" Vinay cutely blinked one eye on me.

I was looking at my watch more often, felt like times are moving like tortoise. I just pulled out the crown in my watch and moved the hands inside the clock set the time to 4:30 PM. It was pleased to glimpse that time as we can leave home happily. I do this for my self-satisfaction. Bell ranged, after continuous two session of English class. 

During break time we played "sharpener fight" game, keeping the sharpener on the table and shooting them. We need to pull out our opponent sharpener out of the desk to win. Usually, We divide into tag team and play. Vinay was too pushy so he left me no choice but to play for time and his team won the match. We both went for break and we don't have too much time on hand , we returned very late. It was our Physics class!

He is Mr. Kumar sir! Students call him "speed breaker". He is not skilful in riding a bike. Once students saw him riding his scooter in glitch and he stopped when speed breaker arrives. He alight from his scooter and moved it by hand over the speed breaker. Many considered he don't know to ride on speed breaker. I donna whether it's a rumour or not but he named after this incident.

"May I get in sir?" I asked permission.

"why you both were late?" He stare at us

"Tell him that we peed a long" Vinay muttered behind me and I chuckled.

"Why you are laughing Varun?" He asked with an angry bird face."Be responsible as a leader" He added.

"Sorry," I said.

He asked both of us to carry the book and stand outside the class. Bomb bakri was joshing at us. We both faced instant Karma. He started the class on Electromagnetic Induction. My friends are playing hand cricket without listening him.

"Princi....Princi" Vinay murmured in panic. I turned right and saw our school principal, walking straight from long.

"She is probing each class I think" I said.

If we caught by her, she will definitely ask our parents to come and meet. She made many parents to come and meet her for frivolous. But I don't want that to happen. So I pulled Vinay hand and moved little inch inside the classroom to hide ourselves. We both were little nervous. After some time, Vinay asked me to look outside whether she had gone. I just leaned back out of my classroom like a rabbit putting it's head out of the pit in search of carrot.

I saw an adorable little chubby girl walking straight along with one school worker. My eyes turned "Bokeh mode" nothing I could see only her! She is in pink colour top with black skirt in bottom. She slightly adjust her tidy loose hair that tends to hide her pretty face. Looking around innocently in search of her class. She pressed center of her spectacles with her forefinger, that slipped down on her nose. That was quiet enchanting! A small dimple appeared on her cheeks, that seems like donut. She stopped in front of biology class.

"No No. please" My heart longed.

But she stepped into that Biology class. Arun will be lucky I thought. Kumar noticed me, that I was looking somewhere not listening his class.

"Varun! What is electromagnetic Induction?" He questioned me.

"Just now! I experienced" I muttered this time. 

I kept my mouth shut without answering. He then asked Vinay the same. Meanwhile I leaned myself back to look outside. In the blink of an eye Kumar threw the duster on me, that hit hardly on my left side of the face.

"What are you looking outside? Don't you have any sense" He rebuked me.

Suddenly,

"Excuse me" A euphonious voice behind me! I turned back. It was she, the reason for the chalk dust in my face. she stood holding her backpack one side. Only few inch gap between us, her head levels to my chest. I could feel her hot breathing air she exhaled. Yardley cologne of her hit me hard. No maquillage, just one small bindi on her forehead with little droplets of sweat. 

"XI- D?" She asked. "Yes.." I replied in shaky voice. Kumar asked her to come inside.

"Am new student. My name is Nila" she introduced.

Everyone welcomed her.She looked for a space to sit, suddenly her eyes fall on me. 

"What happen?" My voice in mind.

She started laughing at me. Forget to clean my  face, I was looking like a half joker with white chalk powder on my half face. The whole class burst into laugh after she began. Suddenly, I wiped my face with hand.

She then sat on the second-row corner seat. I was standing "Hot under the collar". Nothing I could do. Felt like I was pissed off!

Vinay looked at me. I smiled! Nothing I said.

To be continued...

 On next chapter - One phone call.