"But sir it's our first day here!", One of the students following me finally spoke out.
The burly man turned his eye over, staring almost like the boy has done something horribly wrong by declaring so. But, realizing it a feasible excuse- he loosened his collars, seemingly gulping the anger inside his inability to answer by keeping mum.
But, as he tried to ignore it by acting he didn't hear it- the prankish and experienced old students standing with us got a chance to act for their 'glory'.
"Sir! O Sir! it is our first day too, let us go." a boy shouted from my line.
Well, he yelled it so loud that it was unavoidable even for us to not support it. but, something else happened before we all students could have agreed together in one voice-
Of Course! It would have been gone smoothly if that student was really a new student like us. Unfortunately, the teacher recognized him- he was a former student stopped because of his incomplete uniform.
"You Rascal! trying to cheat me?...eh?", he yelled out.
Catching the boy by his sleeves, he gave a good thrashing by his ruler.
"Now no one can enter till Principal comes here! You rascals are trying to fool me? you brats!", he shouted the order, and with it, the other line of students entering the entrances stopped.
We, getting furious at the mischievous boy who faked himself to be a new student, got hold of him as he got back to us after getting thrashed- now getting cussed profoundly by the students.
Nevertheless, as all this happened- I was already out of my wits, as the things which were happening, were too aggressive for a simple person like me- not to mention I was still an innocent boy then, never done anything bad in my previous school.
The only thing I was thinking about was-
how can I be facing my parents after being 'this' humiliated on my first day, Afterall I had a clear reputation in my previous school- my pride was greatly hurt.
_
_
As some more minutes passed, The principal's order came finally-
'Let those students enter who have worn proper school dress, for others- Keep them standing for the whole assembly!'
This order may be seeming to be nicer now, but then- it devastated my pride to pieces.
Me, being an upright person gave my last try to piece up to my 'pride' back, As I gathered all of my rambling courage to speak out-
"Sir!", I asked him to come close despite knowing his closing up would make me more afraid- But, As I somehow kept myself confident for a moment, only to be broken into stuttering again as he approached near me with his stomping steps.
"S-sir! I have taken admission yesterday."- I spoke in a low voice, without looking at his face."I didn't know about the notice..."
"It's Okay!", he replied softly- "You are new, but all of them aren't; You should have taken care of your dress, then would have came to school-"
I was shocked!
Why?
-How can someone's character change so suddenly? How can a 'Beast' be so much 'understanding' suddenly?
"-Okay?", The Teacher asked.
I, being not able to recall what he said in between- Nodded.
I looked up, The Teacher smiled and turned back, not very later I found him back to his original state- the same old 'rude' face.
Well, getting a sprinkle of seemingly little 'hope' made me feel easy- at least, I didn't do anything wrong that can make me get into trouble by now.
.
.
Soon, It was 8.30 and the Prayer Bells rang-
'Weird! why it took so long?'
- I thought blabbering slowly at myself. But, then the realization struck me hard that I came to school very earlier, really earlier than anyone.
'Maybe now, The teachers would let us enter-'
-I blabbered again, seeking the teacher's voice, ordering to enter the school. But, as I kept seeking about it, the chorus of prayers started crashing into my ears-
There was no entry even now!
Instead, As I saw all around with my sneaky eyes- The teachers were telling us to do our prayers on the punishment ground, at the 'entry-altar' of our school.
'This school has gone crazy! Why did I get myself into this crap?'- I regrettably joined my hands, closing my eyes as the teacher directed.
Full of anger inside, and getting stoned by a big boulder on my 'Uprightness' generated 'Proudness'- made me feel embarrassed, seriously embarrassed!
Still, Holding myself at a stand- I kept muttering over the little recognizable 'Sanskrit' prayer lyrics, blabbering whatever similar I can find in my little vocabulary of Sanskrit.
As the prayer ended, I thought now finally my strained legs would find some rest-
But, the end of the prayer got accompanied by another one- and this cycle continued, till I was really wondering, 'Am I at the right place, because as per my present status, it doesn't really seem that I am at a school, it seemed more like I am here to pray, rather than study.'
.
.
Killing my leg cells for the next treacherous half an hour- I finally heard our national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana', and for the first time- my legs trembled with the pain, as I bore it suppressing my nerves to not let myself fall down during the anthem.
What treacherous and unreplaceable those last two minutes were, I can't explain in words- But, as the resonating voices of a large number of students kept the anthem alive, it also kept me standing on my feet without falling.
Finally, it was over.
.
.
I gave a pitiful glare to the teachers standing before me- every cell of my body asking for rest, I finally got the permission to enter the school.
-'Oooooh!', I fell down on the benches kept on the first floor.
I was exhausted- standing, embarrassed, trampled squished out of energy; on my first day of school.
And, it was just the 'first day'- who knows, what surprises are waiting for me in this School?