CHAPTER 9: BIG MISTAKE

Aakash stood up and answered filled with confidence, “Aizawl!”

The teacher’s eye twitched as many in the class gave Aakash silent stares. A few of the other students shrugged their shoulders; these ones didn’t know the answer.

Suddenly, a figure leapt to his feet from the desk in front of Aakash. He was noticeably thinner than the year before, but still quite chubby. Cabir loudly spoke out, “Sir! The answer is Imphal!”

The teacher looked over at him and said, “I didn’t ask you.”

Cabir looked abashed, “Sorry, sir. I did the homework you gave us so I knew. I got too excited and ended up answering...sorry.”

“Ok, sit down. Aakash, keep standing. Maybe you’ll learn from Cabir and do your homework the next time.” The teacher turned back towards the whiteboard.

As Cabir sat he smirked at the boy standing behind him.

“Complete the homework next time, shorty!”

“You-” Aakash glared at him. “You told him you completed the homework just so that he remembered he had given it! He had forgotten all about it!”

“So what?” Cabir twisted backwards so that Aakash could keep seeing his smirk.

“And you never did it by yourself anyway! You just copied Ratan’s work!”

“So unfortunate that I can remember whatever I read and you can’t even answer such a simple question.” Cabir kept antagonizing the spectacled lad.

Their arguments had become so routine that nobody felt surprised when they started in the middle of the class. Thus, as the teacher went on talking about other states and their capitals in his loud voice, only a few students paid any attention to him. Most were attracted to the bickering between Cabir and Aakash.

Aakash responded, “Says the guy who answered Sutapa Ma’am that the plural of ‘sheep’ is ‘sheeps’! Everyone knew the answer was ‘sheep’!”

“I didn’t read that.” Cabir snapped out.

“Well, I didn’t study the singular and plural forms either. But I knew.”

“Oh, you lucky guy! But you still spelt ‘belief’ as B-E-L-E-I-F. Seems like you didn’t know that even though Ma’am had taught us that a day before only.”

“Oh, shut up, fatso! That was back in 2nd. You spelt ‘receive’ as R-E-C-I-E-V-E yesterday only. And it’s something that was taught repeatedly last year! You aren’t in a position to talk!”

Stolen story; please report.

“Oh and you...”

As both became riled up, their voices grew louder and they both leaned in, glaring daggers at each other.

Suddenly, Aakash’s caught sight of steel-grey eyes from the corner of his eyes and as he shifted in attention, he saw the girl with pigtails making wild motions from her window seat. His eyes flicked in the direction she was pointing at.

Eyes widening, he quickly tried to stand up from his leaning position but too late!

A pair of hands fell and grabbed the boys’ ears. They were pulled up and half-dragged to the door.

“Stay outside and no noise! If I hear even one word-” The teacher threatened...

...and realised within five minutes that it had been useless to do so.

He stormed out, dragged the two in and made them stand with their arms raised on either side of the whiteboard.

Even while standing in punishment, both were glaring at each other. Cabir had once again tried to go gallivanting and Aakash had stopped him leading to the noise that their teacher, Raman Sir, had expressly forbidden.

This was the second time this exact situation had happened.

Sadly, this was a double period and the second one had just begun. So, in accordance to Raman Sir’s temper, they’d probably have to stand the whole half-hour.

But this time, even as Cabir glared at Aakash, he snickered inside because he had an idea on how to get out. He watched the clock on the wall and after about 7-8 mins had gone by, he started holding his stomach and contorted his face.

He bent down as if he was having an intense stomachache and soon the teacher took notice. He rushed over and straightened the boy.

Cabir spoke with difficulty, “S-Sir, s-s-sorry, Sir. Please can I go to the medical r-room? Aah! My stomach! Aaaahhh!”

The teacher looked him over once doubtfully. He knew very well that Cabir was a troublemaker. So, to test him, he said, “Are you sure you want to go?”

He took his duster and began tapping in on the teacher’s desk. “I mean, if you are acting, I suggest you stop now. If they give you medicine for stomachache and you aren’t actually suffering...it might give adverse reactions. I won’t punish you if you were acting. But this is about your health. If you get the wrong treatment, you might even-”

Cabir fidgeted. He was about to confess when the teacher finished his sentence making all his hesitation go away.

“-Not be able to come to school tomorrow!”

Cabir, who was about to confess, suddenly started acting like he was in even more intense pain. As he leaned over the desk, his face hidden as he bowed his head, he smirked.

Not coming to school and playing games or lazing around at home seemed like a very agreeable proposition to him!

Even Aakash sniggered hearing the teacher’s words. His eyes caught Cabir’s and an idea struck him.

He started making funny and weird faces, hoping to make the fatso laugh. He knew that if he did that, the fatso wouldn’t be able to hold onto his acting. The teacher would punish him more then!

Sadly, his antics were seen by the other students. They laughed aloud and the teacher feeling something wasn’t right, turned back.

He caught Aakash just as he was sticking his tongue out and gave him a backhanded slap that almost sent the boy’s specs flying. The lad grabbed onto them and tried to stem the tears that burst out due to the force of the blow.

Without further ado, the teacher told Cabir to hurry to the medical room selected a student to accompany him.

Aakash bit out, “Actor!” right as Cabir passed him by.

The fat boy stopped for a moment, stood up straight, no expression of pain on his face and gave him a smirk.

Big mistake.

Because Raman Sir had also turned towards them at that very moment and saw the whole thing. The next moment, Cabir too received a tight slap and was sent back to stand again.

The two boys spent the rest of the period under the scrutiny of the teacher and their friends while intermittently glaring at each other.