।। श्री ।।

Prince slowly made his way toward the prayer ground, each step heavier than the last as his impending punishment loomed over him like a dark cloud. His heart pounded in his chest, and his mind raced with a thousand thoughts, each one more dreadful than the last. As he approached the prayer ground, he looked up and saw the lines of students forming, all ready for the morning assembly.

The sight of them, standing so neatly, filled him with a wave of anxiety. His thoughts spiraled.

Prince (thinking to himself, trying to stay calm): "Prince, you can do this... You can get through this... Just keep your head down and get it over with."

But the reassurance didn’t settle his nerves. He could feel his palms getting clammy and his breath shallow. And just then, the prayer bell rang, its loud clang pulling him out of his thoughts.

Sound: "Ton... Ton... Ton..."

The sharp sound echoed in his ears, snapping him back to the present. He glanced at the students standing in neat rows and let out a long, shaky breath.

Prince (nervously, to himself): "Today, all of them will laugh at me... It’s not the punishment that bothers me the most, but... today, even Nishu Ma'am will see me getting humiliated."

His chest tightened at the thought of Nishu Ma'am watching him like this. She was the only teacher he didn’t want to disappoint, the one who always seemed to see something good in him. With a deep sigh, he straightened up and steeled himself for what was coming. There was no way out now.

He forced himself to walk toward the front of the assembly, his heart hammering in his chest. His legs felt heavy as though they were weighed down by the embarrassment he was about to endure. The ground seemed to stretch out endlessly before him, but he kept moving forward.

As he reached the center of attention, he could already feel the weight of a hundred eyes on him. A few muffled giggles came from the students, but Prince kept his gaze straight ahead, pretending not to hear. Just as he took his position, Gupta Sir appeared beside him, his face a mix of smug satisfaction and stern authority.

Gupta Sir (mockingly): “So, Prince, you decided to show up. I thought you’d have run home by now. But I have to say, I’m impressed. You didn’t run from your punishment.”

Prince clenched his fists by his side, his jaw tightening in frustration. He shot a quick glance at Gupta Sir, his face burning with anger, but he kept his mouth shut. Inside, though, his thoughts raced with irritation.

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Prince (thinking angrily): "Impressed, are you? If you're so impressed, why don’t you just resign and make my life easier?"

Gupta Sir, however, seemed oblivious to the storm brewing inside Prince. He crossed his arms, his eyes gleaming with authority, and gestured toward the center of the prayer ground.

Gupta Sir (seriously): “Come on, Prince. Let’s not waste any more time. Go ahead and start your punishment. And don’t forget to cluck like a rooster every two minutes.”

Prince’s face twisted in frustration. He looked at Gupta Sir with a pitiful expression, his voice soft and pleading.

Prince (begging): “Sir, please... Can’t we forget the rooster sound? Just this once?”

His voice was desperate, but the plea fell on deaf ears. Gupta Sir wasn’t moved by Prince’s pathetic attempt. His face remained stern as he shook his head.

Gupta Sir (with finality): “No exceptions, Prince. But I’ll tell you what, you can skip the clucking every two minutes. Just make sure to give me one loud rooster sound before you finish your punishment. That’s the only mercy you’re getting today. Now, let’s get this over with.”

There was a slight smirk on Gupta Sir’s face as he walked away, clearly enjoying his victory over the defiant student. Prince, on the other hand, felt his heart sink further. He knew there was no escaping the punishment now.

Prince (seething internally): "Gupta Sir, I’ll make sure to repay this favor one day. You just wait."

Prince took a deep breath, forcing himself to swallow his pride. He needed to get through this, no matter how humiliating it was. He whispered to himself, trying to gather his courage.

Prince (muttering): "Come on, Prince, you can do this. You only have to be a murga until the prayer ends. Just keep your head down, and ignore them. If you don’t look at them, maybe they won’t notice you either."

But even as he tried to reassure himself, he could already hear the whispers and giggles coming from the crowd of students.

Student in the crowd (pointing, amused): “Look, it’s Prince.”

Another student (laughing): “Late again, huh?”

The students weren’t surprised to see Prince in trouble. In fact, it seemed like this was a regular occurrence for him. They spoke about him as though they expected this every day, and Prince knew it. He could feel their eyes on him, their laughter cutting through his nerves.

Without making eye contact, Prince crouched down, spreading his arms as he assumed the murga position in front of everyone. The moment he bent down, the laughter erupted from the students, loud and unforgiving. But Prince kept his head down, trying his best to ignore the taunts and jeers.

The sun bore down on him, hot and relentless, as he remained in the humiliating posture. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his muscles ached from holding the position, but he gritted his teeth and focused on getting through it.

Prince (internally, steeling himself): "Just a little longer... Just hold on until the prayer ends."

Meanwhile, Gupta Sir turned away and made his way toward the teacher’s staff room. Once inside, he immediately began to complain to the other teachers about Prince.

Gupta Sir (grumbling): “I don’t understand how you all tolerate that boy. He’s the laziest and most troublesome student in this entire school. Just looking at him makes me angry.”

The other teachers listened in silence, exchanging glances with each other. They knew Gupta Sir had a short temper, especially when it came to Prince, but they weren’t as harsh in their judgment.

And then, a soft, sweet voice cut through the tension in the room.

Nishu Ma’am (calmly, with a smile): “I don’t think that’s fair, Gupta Sir. Prince is actually quite good at math. He pays attention in my class, and I think there’s more to him than you realize. Perhaps you’re being a little too strict with him.”

The other teachers turned to Nishu Ma’am, their surprise evident. How could she defend Prince, the boy who seemed to cause nothing but trouble? They couldn’t reconcile her words with the image they had of him.

But Nishu Ma’am only smiled, her words gentle yet firm.

Nishu Ma’am (softly): “There’s more to him than meets the eye. I think you’ll see that in time.”

Back outside, Prince remained in his humiliating posture, unaware that the one teacher he admired was defending him, unaware that, in her eyes, he was still worth something.

To be continued......