Jivika~

"Children, who all are absent today?"

She pushed her spectacles further up her nose, expecting the answer of none. However, with our class tenth public exams approaching sooner than my liking, it was an obvious fact that many would not turn up at school; preferring to sit and study in the peace of their homes and not to waste the meaning of their parents taking childcare leaves.

"Ma'am Nehal, Maahi and Cristina," I answered. The duty of a responsible class monitor.

Responsible.

Well, not really. After all, I did want my teachers to give me full marks for internals. Sucking up seemed to be a good start, even if it was towards the end of the academic year. While all the private schools willingly gave their students full in internals, there exited ours, taking out all the vengeance they held against us on our poor internals.

Who says marks don't matter? Of course they do. The deserving get it, others don't.

"Okay. I'll call their parents and ask to send them. They cannot miss this PISA test!"

Rushing outside the class, she started making the calls. Somehow teachers have this understanding that parents don't pick up their calls because they don't want to hear complaints against their children. And so, they always kept two phones with them. Each phone having two sim cards.

Vodafone, Jio, Airtel, MTNL, you name it!

Who could tell them that it was not the fault of the parents, rather the children. Once they got hold of a teacher's number, it was bound to get blocked and marked as spam in Truecaller.

As for our school's obsession with the PISA test. Programme for International Student Assessment. Here, students were forced to attend those baseless exams; but it was completely fine to miss the school's internal exams.

Barging inside the classroom, Sonika ma'am announced to no one, "Maahi and Nehal are being sent. Cristina's parents are not reachable."

Honestly, I pitied her.

Any day if you would ask, she would be one of those teachers who would definitely agree that children should sit and study at home, doing something productive. But when the orders are from our Principal, all the teachers, the brave and cowards, the inspiring and useless, everyone turns spineless.

But just like Chemistry, even the aforesaid fact was based on exceptions.

Our coach. The right hand of the Lady Hitler, but someone with a sense of identity.

Anyways, that was not my problem. What was Maahi doing at home? That was my problem.

Pakka bol rahi hoo, betke padh rahi hogi.
[I can bet on it, she would be studying.]

"Ma'am!" spoke up a determined voice.

Huh.

Shreyansh?

"Yes? What happened?" she asked, filing away the reports. Clearly she was not up for a small talk. But then, favourite student benefits, you get away with almost everything.

"Ma'am I don't want to continue as the monitor."

Now, that was a shocker.

The guy who has been doing this job since the moment he set a foot into this school, all of a sudden just giving it up? Not to mention the fact that the academic year was ending in about a month.

"Then suggest someone else quickly and go."

"Ma'am, I think Krish."

The snort I heard from somewhere behind was unmissable.

"Okay. Class, Krish is your new monitor!"

Maahi stood at the door, just about to ask for the permission to enter the class. Poor thing was not even given the time to spit out a single word, before she was ushered into the class by Sonika ma'am who kept asking her if she had spotted the other two absentees.

"Ma'am, they are on their way. I met them on the ground floor."

Her voice so light, so feeble that she almost convincingly put on the act. Almost because I've seen a sick Maahi. And that does not look good, let me assure you.

"Okay. You take care."

Nodding in affirmative, she joined us sporting a grin which she managed to keep hidden from the teacher. Faking bouts of cough, it looked so realistic that I could not help but laugh.

"You are sick? Really?"

"You think?"

Within five minutes, we were handed our PISA question papers. Settling down, I watched Amaan close to chewing his pencil as his eyes ran over the paper. The only question paper which can make English resemble binary.

"Also I will distribute your previous PISA answer sheets, perhaps they might provide you some motivation!"

As the previous answer sheet was thrown at my face in the form of a paper-plane, I gave a scathing look to the offender. Painting out a Chesire cat grin with utmost perfection, Chandel continued his bromance with Parth.

Ten out of thirty in Math. She was being sarcastic, clearly.

For someone who scored a seventy-nine on eighty in a normal Math exam, scoring ten on thirty in PISA exam of the same subject was definitely a motivation! This should explain that PISA is synonymous to 'crap'.

Motivated by our grades, Kiara and I started the sheet. Together. Soon the whole class was scribbling on the sheets, at the same pace, attempting the same questions at the same time, writing out the same answers.

Sonika ma'am looked up from her bundle of papers. The class payed no heed. She smiled and went back to her work. Nudging me, Kiara read out the question.

"Based on the passage answer the question. If an A4 size sheet was folded sixteen times, what would be the size of the folded paper? Anyone? Jivika? Lavanya? Maahi?"

Glaring at the paper and then at us, Maahi let out a breath, "What? Don't look at me! We had decided that I was solving English, Jivika Science and Lavanya Math! And this English itself is looking like Latin to me!".

She glared at the multiple-choice questions. Here we go.

"In pin senti pin, in pin out. Khelna hai toh—"

"It's safety pin."

"I don't care."

Sighing I watched Kiara borrow an A4 size sheet from Krish. One fold, two fold, three fold. She did that till we reached sixteen. Barely managing to hold the thickly-folded-tiny paper, she let out a scream, "Jivika! Quick! Bring out the scale! And measure this before my hands give away!".

Noting down the measurements, I let out a 'Eureka!' as Sonika ma'am glared at us with absolute horror. Her hand covering her hanging mouth, she gained her composure before she shrieked.

"That was supposed to be a Math question! I don't even know why I teach you people!"

Putting his head inside our classroom, our Coach grinned at the sight. Which also led to the cutting short of our Math teacher's rant. "Arrey ma'am, what are these kids doing?" he asked, jovial as ever. Knowing very well that this man himself was the one who spoilt us to the core, she let a smile grace her features before putting us under the bus.

"Sir, baath hee nahi maan rahe! Maine hazaar baar bola cheat mat karo!"
[Sir, they are not listening to me! At least hundred times I've told them not to cheat!"]

One look on our faces and the coach could tell what was wrong. Nevertheless, he nearly collapsed laughing while holding onto the wall. Wishing us luck, he continued with his rounds. Finally, after three hours of scratching and scribbling, we were done with it. Come what may, I thought as I placed my paper on the stack.

Heading out I saw Kiara and Pratik, engaged in their sweet talks.

Just the way it started.

Calling her to join us, I rushed to the shop across the lane where Lavanya, Maahi, Amaya, Laysa and Rhea had flocked up. Wrapping my hands around the hot, smoking Vada Pav, I took a bite, savoring the taste of the aloo (potato) inside.

"Haaye!"

"This taste never grows old! But it's too hot now!" Rhea grunted, taking a small bite from the end.

Flipping her hair, Lavanya spoke up, "Sorry!". It took Rhea a moment to figure before she let out a "Yeah, sure!". But tube-light once, tube-light now. Laysa sported that clueless expression as always.

"What?"

Slamming my head against the nearest wall, I spoke up with my mouth full. "Rhea said it's too hot now. Lavanya said sorry. Come on Laysa, it would be a shame if you don't figure this out after hanging out with us for five years!". Her lips formed an 'O' as she nodded frantically, laughing out loud.

Cutting through our cheery moment was Kiara, who just joined us. Panting and huffing, she rubbed over her face, trying to calm down. On asking, she tried to speak, but was not able to. Worried, I stuffed the Pav inside my mouth and rushed inside the store to buy a 5 Rupee Five-Star bar. For a person who did not like sweets, Five-Star was the love of her life.

Handing the bar to her, I watched her gobble it down.

"Why the 5 Rupee one Jivika? Buy the 10 Rupee one naa, she need's it!"

"I would've. But this highness has some research conclusions that the 5 Rupee one was more tastier than the 10 Rupee one!"

That made Kiara give a short laugh. Leaning against the tree, her eyes fixed on the group heading towards us. Amaan, Parth, Shreyansh, Pranav and the rest. Confused, I quirked a brow. Shaking her head in negative, she mouthed a 'later'.  As they reached us, Shreyansh huffed.

"Kiara, you okay? Don't worry. Pratik will handle the rest."

"Hmm. Thank you guys, I mean it."

Dumbfounded, I could only help but wonder how these idiots had become useful. What had happened? This thing was surely going to bug me for rest of the day. Somehow, reading my thoughts, Kiara whispered into my ear.

"Oye, can you give them a treat as well today? I'll pay back later. Meanwhile, I'll tell you people what happened."

I threw a look at the awkward boys shuffling their feet, and agreed to it. The sight of food, made them regain their smiles. Obviously. Sighing, Kiara spoke up.

"You people know how Pratik and I stay back once in a while in the class, after school, right? To do...well...stuff."

Nodding, I could feel understanding seep through my brain. But the boys fitted nowhere in that picture.

"Yah. So even today we locked the door. Since he has the keys of his classroom, it was an easy deal. Anyways, it's just the matter of five-fucking-minutes! So who bother? Usually I ask these three, Jivika, Lavanya and Maahi, to guard the door. But then, this time, I was like who's gonna walk in? It's just 5 minutes for god's sake!"

Kicking the nearby stone, she continued.

"Clearly, I was wrong. Bhalla ma'am barged through the door. I was literally rooted to my spot! I don't even know if she saw me or not! I hid behind the door in a second! And that's when these guys—"

She pointed at the group hogging the snack.

"—enter. Friends on the other side, literally. They told Bhalla that they had locked Pratik in, as a prank. Something about old times. And that's why he was shocked when she barged in like that! Which reminds me, thank you so much! That was a totally idiotic move, but still."

"Girl, chill. Pratik is our friend. He might be in a different section now, but that doesn't change the fact that he was our friend, and will be in the future as well."

Hmm. Interesting, very interesting. Snapping my fingers, I voiced my thoughts before I could think otherwise.

"Yes. Thank you so much. What a coincidence though! The whole school had left, the building was deserted. But you people were still there! Thank god for the coincidence!"

Eyes wide, I watched all the people around take in the information. Parth stopped eating midway, while Kiara glared at the flock. Drama, drama, drama!

"What were you people doing outside the door?"

"We—uh. We—well—you know..."

"You! Ugh! You people wanted to watch us—! Ugh! You wanted to watch us do that?!"

Coughing on the potato, most of the guys ran after their buses, saying that they'll be late. As Kiara threw Parth a look, he coughed out, covering a laugh.

"It was Amaan's idea! Lessons for future experiences!"

Falling to the ground with embarrassment and laughter, my stomach started aching. I felt the Pav reach my nose, I was wheezing that bad. Pinching my nose to gain some control, I stood there, waiting for the adrenaline rush to end.

I looked.

He looked.

We looked away.

And we looked back again.

~