Let me ask you something. Have you ever experienced a life with good looks, but no one to admire? People praising you for your talents, but laughing at you behind your back? A school life full of fake friends? If not, let me share my experiences with you.
I am Sahil, a 13 year old skinny and fair toned guy from a middle class hindu family.
Right from childhood I was known as a attractive boy, only because of my face, that made me look like a Chinese guy. So, many people misunderstood me as a Chinese, or any native, other than a hindu.
Well, here I am today, sleeping in my bed, on the day of reopening of the school after enjoying for 2 months of Summer holidays after our 7th Standard's Annual Examinations.
I've already packed my books, few pens and some essentials in my bag, a week before the reopening.
"Wake up Sahil! Orelse you'll be late on the first day itself" my mom yelled again, from the kitchen, preparing my lunch.
Probably it's the third time she yelled.
"I am awake, mom. Just 5 more minutes!" I repeated the same answer again, with my eyes shut.
"I have been hearing the same from the last 30 minutes! Will you wake up or shall I help call your dad?" Mom shouted.
It's probably the sweetest warning I get to hear, every morning from my mom.
Soon, I woke up 'unwillingly' from my bed.
The clock on the wall showed exactly 7 in the morning.
"Hold on! It's today, I'm an eighth standard student from today" I thought as I 'really' woke up.
Then, rushed to the bathroom to fresh up.
In the hurry I forgot my towel. After completing my bath, I slightly opened the door and began yelling "Mom.... Mom... hand me my towel!"
My mom handed me the towel saying " you aren't a kid anymore, how can you forget to take towel to your bath? "
I gave her a big smile and grabbed the towel.
My house is located in the street right next to our school.
So, without any worries, I can easily reach the school, within a couple of minutes.
I completed my breakfast, packed my lunch and got up to leave for the school. "Bye mom, see you" I shouted from the front door. "Don't forget to eat your lunch, bye" she answered from the kitchen.
I reached the school rather early than the first bell, to select a good bench to sit for the complete year.
I entered the classroom with the name plate "8th Standard" printed on the top of the entrance. Then, placed my bag on the 2nd bench of the boys row.
No other student arrived at the school till then. I started gazing at the walls all alone in the classroom.
I looked around. I found nothing to do. I decided to sit.
The classrooms weren't cleaned for 2 months, the benches are full of dust, just enough to make you sneeze.
Especially for a person full of allergies, like 'me'.
I took out a paper from my bag and cleaned the desk.
After cleaning, I searched for the dustbin to put the paper, but no use.
There is no dustbin in the class.
I just threw it in a corner of the class, so no one would notice it.
I sat on the desk, facing towards the door, so that I can see the students entering the classroom.
After waiting for a couple of minutes, a group of 6 to 7 students entered the class.
I wasn't literally that close with any of them, not enough to rush towards each other or feel good to see each other.
We all barely greeted each other, gave each other a fake smile, and then they placed their bags on the benches and started talking.
15 minutes passed since I entered the classroom. I had no one to talk to. I felt quite bored, so thought to clean the board.
I started walking towards the board, with the duster full of dust in my hand.
"Hey...! Sahil!" Someone yelled from the door.
I turned around to see.
It's Prateek. The 'idiot' who I have been waiting for.
I threw the duster at him.
"Whow! Dude. Easy, easy. What did I do?"Prateek asked.
I am never good at throwing. The duster barely hit him.
"Idiot! I told you to come early" I yelled.
"Sorry dude, my bad. I woke up late again" Prateek answered, and placing his bag next to mine.
-Prateek and I are bestfriends, since the first standard.
We sit together since then.
We sat on the bench facing each other to talk.
"Okay, let go all of this. Just tell me, where's this girl, Purabi? Is she gonna come today?"Prateek asked.
Purabi is the third and the final member of our group.
Purabi joined our school in the 5th standard, and somehow, we became bestfriends since then.
But more interestingly, Prateek and Purabi 'quietly' like each other.
Even though they never talk to me about it, I can sense it. I don't mention it either. As long as they are my best friends, I don't expect them to share everything with me.
To be honest, these two are the only people who understand me for whatever I am. I hope this makes you understand that I don't have much friends.
While we were discussing about Purabi, she entered the classroom, with 2 or 3 more girls.
"Look. There she is!" I pointed at her.
"Hey Purabi! Come here" I called her.
Purabi started walking towards our bench.
"So, how did the two idiots manage to come early today?"she asked.
"Somehow we've managed, but the 3rd idiot arrived just now" Prateek answered.
Prateek and I burst out into laughter to his words.
"Haha..very funny!" Said Purabi.
Purabi sat on the bench in the girls row, facing me and Prateek.
For the next 10 minutes we discussed about our summer vacation and the places we visited.
In the middle of the ongoing discussion, Purabi took out some chocolates from her bag.
Purabi brings these chocolates for us, especially for Prateek, everytime she visits her granny's home.
Purabi gave 2 chocolates for me, 2 for Prateek and kept 1 for herself.
Soon the first bell rang.
Everyone jumped into their places.
Purabi sat in the 1st bench of the girls row.
Prateek and I, asusual sat in the 2nd bench of the boys row.
Within a few minutes of the bell, our maths teacher, Mr. Sampath, entered the classroom with the attendance register in his hand.
All of us stood up to greet him.
"Students, I am your class teacher, for this academic year"he announced.
After listening to his words, there's an absolute and awkward silence in the class.
As if we were announced a surprise test on the first day of the school.
The fact for the silence is that, he is quite strict, any very bad anger issues especially in the matter of discipline.
Although he never punished any of the students severely, his angry looks and shouting can literally make you cry like a baby for a period.
The absolute silence in the class broke with the words " May I come in sir?" a girl asked from the entrance.
The whole class turned back to look, as if they just heard an explosion. I too, looked back.
She is a new student to our class.
I looked at her, she's short, with purple coloured spectacles and a childish innocent face.
"Yes, come in" our new class teacher answered.
The new girl entered the classroom and started looking for a seat, to sit.
But, there is only one seat left in the whole class.
Exactly, in the bench right next to me.
She placed her bag on the desk and sat on the bench.
"So, you are the new student, introduce yourself " our sir said.
She stood up to answer.
All the 70 eyes in the class started looking at her, as she begun her introduction, folding her hands....