D went menacingly towards them.He glared at S and then shifted his glance at T.

D: I told you many times it's only the three of us why are you talking to her?😡

Grabbing Tammy's wrist he dragged her along.She waved at S who made a face as if she was going to cry.

T: Why are you so rude to her?Sweety is a nice girl!

D: No she is not!She is such a show off...thinks she knows everything...she was trying to teach me!!😡

T: No!She wanted to help you only.You have mistaken her.See,she has even given me three chocolates.One for Rana and you...

D: I don't want her chocolates!!If I see you with her again I will stop talking to you!😡

A week later,

S entered the class.R and D were playing hand games.Seeing her,R waved and she reciprocated.Her seat was occupied by another student so she looked around for a vacant place.

R: Come Sweety,you can sit here.

He moved in to the middle making space for S to sit beside him.That annoyed D.He took his bag almost ready to leave when R pulled him back.

D: I don't want to sit with her!😤

R: She is not sitting with you.She is sitting beside me!

D: I won't share the same bench as her!

Again Sweety's eyes was filled with tears.

R: You are nice to everyone why are you so bad to her?She was only trying to help you.Not even once myself or Tammy wrote a full essay for you but she did and you react this way instead of being thankful?

D turned his face away.

S: It's ok Rana I will sit at some other place.

R: No Sweety teacher will come any moment.You be here.

To R's compulsion S remained there.Occasionally she would glance at D who made faces at her and then she would cast her gaze downwards feeling scared to look at him.

Having studied in Bangalore S was unfamiliar with Telugu and trying to catch up.Her face turned pale when she saw the words in the textbook.

R: Are you ok?

S: I...I don't understand this..🥺

R explained to her and she understood.She felt relieved that there was someone she could turn to.

S: Thank you so much.

R: You are welcome Sweety.If you have doubts you can ask us especially bava.He is the strongest in Telugu in our entire class.

He slid his arm across D's shoulder who shrug him off.

D: If you want,you help her!I am not going to!😡

Her face fell seeing his attitude.Noticing that,R tried to cheer her up.

R: Sweety,you don't mind him he does that to me too but he will help.

R was participating in the school basket ball tournament and he was called for a briefing so he left midway abandoning the innocent rabbit with the notorious tiger.😈

S began panicking again.On one side a language with words that looked like monsters waiting to attack her and on the other side,a human monster ready to devour her.The poor girl was really stressed out.To her bad luck,the teacher called her to answer.She was apprehensive of approaching D for help.Seeing the worry on her face D flashed a sardonic smile.

D mv: Hihihi acted so smart with me now you got caught!This is not enough see now... 😈

He shifted closer to her and took her textbook.Wearing a pleasant smile on his face,

D: Don't worry,I will help you. This means "You are a monkey... You don't know how to teach... You better jump down a well.."

He taught her all the wrong meanings but the naive girl never doubted him.She thanked him and rose up confidently repeating all those nasty things.Students started laughing.Teacher was furious.It dawned upon her that it was a trick when she saw D holding on to his stomach and laughing hard.

Her cheeks turned red in embarrassment seeing the whole class mock her.She felt like crying but held back her tears as to not break down before everyone.The teacher walked up to her.

"Sweety!!!What were you blabbering??"

S: Sir..sorry sir..sorry...😥

D was guffawing with his head against the table when he heard the sound of a cane followed by a shrill of pain!The entire class went silent and only the loud cries of S was heard.D looked up to see her writhing in pain and rubbing her palm.

"Who taught you to say this??"

She looked at D.He swallowed hard.He almost got up from his seat to own up when S spoke,

S: No one taught me sir.I only said it.

"Fine then.Show me your other palm!"

And she got another one.Ouch! That was for him but she took it. Both her palms now wounded,she cried more unable to bear the pain.D only wished the teacher to yell at her but the canning he did not anticipate.Why didn't she expose him?He didn't accept her as his friend yet why did she have to take the beating for him?For the first time he felt guilty for his actions and sorry for her.The next thing he knew besides her pain was the tears that had formed in his eyes.The pain was no more hers,it became his.♥️

During lunch break,D looked around in usual places but he could not find S.He went around the school in search of her not minding his friends who were waiting for him to have lunch.Finally he found her sitting beside the pond staring at the fishes.

D: What are you doing here?

She turned to see D standing behind her.He was nervous thinking she would shout or throw a stone at him but Sweety being Sweetamma did the opposite,she smiled at him.

S: I am watching the fishes.Do you want to watch?

He nodded.She shifted aside to give him space and he sat beside her.Mustering courage,he spoke.

D: I searched the whole school for you.I am sorry Sweety.I swear I didn't know teacher would beat you.I am sorry.😥😞

S: It is ok...

D: You got beatings because of me and you didn't say a word?Aren't you angry or upset with me?

S: No I am not.😊

D: You are so nice.I feel so guilty.I am so bad.😞

S: No you are not.You are good. That is why you realized your mistake and searched the whole school to apologize to me.My Amma says we should forgive a person when they realize their mistake and say sorry.

In a world where everyone sought an eye for an eye,the epitome of goodness,slayed the bad in D with her kindness.🙄

D: You had lunch?

S: No.

D: Come with me let's go and have lunch with Rana and Tammy.

She shook her head no.

S: It is ok you go.

D: Why don't you want to come??

S: They are your friends and you don't like a third person joining you right?

D: That was before now you are also my friend,our friend..you must come.

Meanwhile at their secret den,

T: Ooohh where is he?My stomach is rumbling!

R: I don't know I am coming here straight after meeting.Uff...this hunger is killing me!Tammy shall we start first??

T: Nothing doing.We'll wait for some more time.

D: Rana,Tammy!!

R: Phew!I was about to come in search of you.

T: Sit down Pabsu.

D: We have a new member joining us!

T and R exchanged looks.S peeped from behind him with a wide grin on her face.

T: Sweety!!😃

R: Wow!!😃

D: Sweety is our friend from now onwards.😁

Tammy moved aside for her to sit.Before she could,

D: Wait a minute Sweety..

He looked around and picked T's napkin to clean the spot for S to sit kickstarting his Amarendra job.

D: Now you may sit.

He too sat beside her.

R: You have not done this for me or Tammy what so special for Sweety?😟

D: She got beatings for me she is paapam that's why.

He recounted the horror to his friends.

T: Oh dear!You are so bad Pabsu!

R: Ggrrr!!!You are a bully bava!I'm not there and you do this to her!😡

D bent his head in shame.S came to the support of her future beshhhttt fraaannnddd.

S: It's ok friends.Pubsu has already apologised for his mistake.Take it this way, if it was not for that incident I wouldn't have got you all as my friends.😊

T: That is true.Let's eat.

They opened their respective lunch boxes.

D: Egg burjji and rice!😀

R: Corn Pulao!😀

T: Cheese sandwiches!😀

S: Maggie!😀

R: Wow maggie!!😃

R went over to grab S's dabba only to be pulled back by D.

T: Rules first!

R: Fine..Open your mouth!🙄

S: Do you all say prayers before eating??

The rest shook their heads no.

S: Nevermind.From now on we'll say a little prayer before we eat ok?

D: Why??

S: Because they are so many kids like us who don't get a scrap of food but we are blessed to have so much.God has been kind to us and we have to thank him for that.

So Sweet's sweet rule was added to the drill and from then on they decided to make it a habit to pray before each meal.

They fed each other the first morsel and all started to eat except S.

T: Have Sweety..

S: That...mmm...my palms and fingers are hurting..😞

She showed them her hands which was bruised badly.Seeing that R became furious.

R: Gggrrr!!!If I was there I would have snatched the cane and whacked him!!!😡

S: Rana,you sound like my brothers.They too get angry like this when someone hurts me.

R: I get angry when someone hurts my brother too!You are like my brother.I call him bro!

S: Bro!I like it.

R: I too like it..Bro!

From then on S and R became 'Bros'.Yo!😎

T: I will feed you.

R: I will feed my bro!

D looked down at his box.

T: You are not eating Pabsu??

D: It is because of me she got hurt so it's only fair that I feed her.🥺

He fed her.After their lunch D took the compass from his geometry set and engraved 'Sweety' on the wall beside the name 'Pabsu'.♥️

R: Rana,Tammy,Pabsu,Sweety!

T: Friends forever!!!

S: Yaayyy!!!

D,T and R decided to take revenge on the strict teacher for hurting their Sweety.They sketched a plan.

T crawled under the desk of the teacher who was marking notebooks in the staff room and fixed the end of the saree pallu of a lady teacher sitting beside him under his chair while D and R kept him engaged.Then she escaped.

When the lady teacher got up and she felt her pallu tugged.Mistaking D's teacher to be acting funny she slapped him hard infront of D and R.

The teacher felt embarrassed and prayed to the boys not to tell what they saw to anyone.Shaking their heads,D and R left the place.As if that damage wasn't good enough later they punctured his bike tyres and threw sand all over it.

The trio laughed heartily from afar watching the teacher lament and cry over the damages on him and his new bike.When S came to know about the avenge,

S: Oh no!!Why did you do like that??That is wrong we shouldn't hurt someone.

R: Why are you so good bro?You forgive everyone easily.

T: He deserves that for hitting you!

D: You should have seen his face...hahahahahaha...

S: No...This is not right.

S was not pleased with their deeds and her friends had a hard time cheering her up.She only relented when they promised not repeat such acts in future.

To be continued...