Shristi

“Go outside into the corridor and ask Shivansh to write your name.”

Each syllable of that sentence felt like a stinger pressing deeper and deeper at my heart. This girl I just met, she got selected so easily AND she got to see Shivansh alone.

She mouthed something at Ashwini and I, it was probably an ‘all the best’ or a ‘good luck’ so I just smiled and nodded. Of course she had to be courteous, isn't that what winners do with losers? But I wasn't a loser, not yet. I couldn't let her win with her over the top niceness.

“Now, if any of you wish to quit participation please be seated.” My class teacher commanded as he clasped his hands together tightly and placed his elbows on his shoulder.

One of the boys sat down.

My class teacher smiled with a sigh of relief, “It's done then, Rakesh and Kunal are the Head Boy nominees from 9th B!” Both the boys passed each other a gleeful smile before walking down the class and standing by sir.

The class quietened into a pin drop silence after some noise once again. Everyone knew what the elephant in the room was.

“As for Shristi and Ashwini…” My class teacher approached us as we exchanged competitive but apologetic glances.

Every single pair of eyes in the room was fixated on Ashwini and Shristi. Who would get selected?

“What shall we do?” My class teacher said to himself,  “Grades? No, you both are A grade students.”

I looked at Ashwini again, she was staring at our class teacher. I took a gulp which felt way too loud but no one seemed to notice.

“One of you HAS to step back.” He said with a frown forming on his lips, “I'm sorry.”

“It should be you then, Ashwini!” I blurted before I realised the gravity of my words.

“What?!” Ashwini promptly turned to me, “What are you trying to say, Shristi?!”

I tried to take a step back but I couldn't, the bench blocked me. I clenched my first as I took a deep breath, there was no backing out now, “You– You didn't even want to participate in the first place!” I answered loudly. Everyone's eyes widened, whispers scattered across the classroom and it scared me. The prospect of losing scared me.

Ashwini stared at me dumbfounded, “I… didn't realise that THIS is the way you felt about me. Even if I made my decision late, that doesn't mean I don't want to participate just as much as you do.”

I felt a lump forming in my chest and it slowly moved to my throat, I was a cheat. I was fighting with my friend over a silly post in high school but that didn't stop me from saying– “Ashwini, no one wants this post as much as me.”

“But that–” Ashwini was interrupted by my class teacher who held up his arm signalling us to break up the argument.

“We'll flip a coin if this is so hard to decide.” He spoke with slight annoyance in his voice.

Ink flowed on the page of her notebook in front of Ashwini as she placed the decapitated corpse of her pen on the paper. Her snow white palm tainted in black as her jaw clenched, “I'm not so petty to play such games. Go ahead Shristi, I hope you win.” She sat down on her bench after slamming her hand against the desk.

“Thank you Ashwini.” My class teacher spoke meekly as he gestured to me to join the queue the boys were standing in. As I walked down the classroom, I was expected to be confident and happy, but the lump in my throat had arrived at my eyes and manifested itself. My vision blurred and cleared again as tears flowed down my cheeks, I quickly wiped them.

“Are my eyes red?” I whispered to Rakesh who was standing in front of me.

He turned to look at me and stared at me for a while before he said, “Yeah…”

“Fuck.” I mumbled as I frantically wiped my tears and rubbed my eyes.

“They'll become redder, don't-” He didn't finish his sentence because I glared at him making it clear I didn't welcome his unsolicited advice.

“Students! Come outside!” Announced a deep voice which sounded like a cow who learnt to speak. I realised it was the C section physics teacher. Every participant bent their head down at her sight, that woman was a literal dictator.

I walked out in the queue as candidates from C section joined ours from the back.

"So, children, today is Wednesday, and on Friday you have elections. Prepare a speech, and I don't need to tell all of you this, but at least iron your uniforms. Since tomorrow is a holiday, make use of it and practice.” Kamala teacher spoke in her cow-like voice or a whale. The sound of her voice was subjective, but annoying nonetheless. My eyes searched for Shivansh amongst the people.

Everyone's heads turned back as a guy came jogging down the corridor from C section and stopped near us. It was Rehaan. Rehaan and I were classmates in 8th A, sweet guy but his academic performance is best left unspecified.

Kamala teacher's face lit up at his sight, I almost gagged. It seemed like half the teachers in our school were borderline pedophilic and had crushes on their students.

“What's the matter, Rehaan?” Kamala teacher asked in a sweet voice. I didn't know that dictator was capable of creating such a sound.

Rehaan mumbled something under his black mask as everyone stood there annoyed by him. I finally found Shivansh who was grimacing at Isha and Khyati, looked like those two really were inseparable. I wondered why he didn't seem to take a liking to Isha, but I wasn't complaining.

“Remove your mask and speak, child.” Wow. child? Damn.

Rehaan swiftly slid his mask off of his face as he ran his fingers through his spiky hair, a few girls present there pretended to fall. Despicable.

“Actually teacher… I want to run for the elections too.” He answered, leaning downwards to reach Kamala teacher's eye level.

“Well, what's your grade?” Kamala teacher asked, smiling.

Silence swept over the group as a few giggled were sushed. Rehaan said something which was inaudible.

“What?” Kamala teacher said, lending her ear to him, “Speak louder.”

“Teacher… F…”

“Oh.”

Rehaan looked at the floor as he fidgeted with his fingers.

“Sorry Rehaan but only toppers can participate because you will miss quite a few classes as the Head Boy. Please return to your class.”

The teacher walked away in a direction opposite to Rehaan, “I have a class to attend to.” She said, but she was a secondary teacher and she was heading towards the junior wing. I stifled my laugh as she spoke again, “Shivansh, note down the names of the candidates.”

A faint smile formed at my lips at that name as my eyes searched for the name holder. I looked at Shivansh who looked back at me and raised his hand up to acknowledge me, we both smiled. He ushered all the candidates into a line as he took their names down, I walked to Isha and stood behind her.

“Oh hi.” She said in an unusually awkward manner, I figured it was probably my red eyes.

“Hi.” I said.

A pair of eyes stared at me from behind Isha. White skin, long straight hair– OH that's Khyati. Why was she staring at me like that?

“OOOOHH YOU GUYS GOT SELECTED FOR THE ELECTIONS?” I almost jumped at that enthusiastic voice.

I turned back to see Akansha didi heading out with her bag, I didn't realise that the bell had rung.

“Yes we are!” Isha spoke as a giddy smile divided her face in half.

Akansha didi placed her hand on my shoulder before heading out and said, “WE SINGHS ARE GONNA WIN!”

I beamed with pride but Isha stared at the wall in front of us as Akansha didi walked away. She was visibly hurt by those words, who could blame her? But I had to admit, she idolised Akansha didi way too much.

Her fleeting sadness was interrupted by Khyati who cracked random jokes that I didn't understand at all.

Shivansh walked up to me, “Shristi! You got selected!”

“Sure did.” I smiled, keeping it cool like seeing his face right in front of my eyes up so close wasn't making my heart run a marathon.

He noted down my name on the page and looked up again, “All the best.” He smiled.

And I knew I had to win at any cost for that smile.