the boy

My thoughts came to sudden halt as his scooter hit another. I was looking at the accident as if I have magically arrived there and it was someone else who was involved in the accident.
Within seconds, a traffic cop arrived. I, with old cloths, unshaven and in his youth was an ideal person to be blamed for the accident. But my thoughts were somewhere else. He answered the questions mechanically,
“What is your name?”
“Vivek”
“What do you do?”
“I am a student.”
“Where do you study?”
“The college for Science and Enginnering”
“Show me the papers and license”
I obliged, I could feel that the cop now is not as harsh as he was in the starting. I tried to guess the reason but was unable to understand.
The cop was examined the papers and then sent the other man with a saying that no real damage is done and then turned to me.
Come on, ask for money – I thought but he said something else.
“Would you teach my son?”
I was completely taken aback. Here I was, thinking how desperately and an opportunity came. I said “But I will take money”.
The cop said most certainly. And it was all fixed. I had to go to teach for 6 days a week and he would receive Rs.1000/- p.m. for that.
The day I entered the home, I understood why this man was ready for anything to have his son taught. He had a reputation for being nasty (actually nasty was a compliment for his behavior). The boy was loud, vociferous and very demanding; in contrast I was tacit and very shy. The only thing which made me stay was the need for money.
I understood that the boy had brains, if only he could steer it towards constructive work rather than destructive ones, he will make a very fine boy.
The first day finished and I was invited for a tea. After the tea I found my tyres inflated. The next day, he fooled one child into believing that goat can actually talk, did a remarkably good acting of fainting while I was trying to teach him. He made a splendid story of how I was ill treated by my own teachers and how I resolved to do the same to avenge. Then when I asked him to draw a picture, he drew a person being hanged.
I laughed aloud when I saw the picture. Of all the reactions he expected, this was not even his wildest dream (neither in mine) so for the first time he was looking at me curiously. I challenged him, “come on! You can do better than that, lets make a few pictures so that we may watch a person being hanged and enjoy.” He was speechless, so I took the charge and drew the pictures and kept them in such order that if one flips the page, he will see a man being hanged. He was delighted. He ran around to show it to every body he knew. I let him do that

just a little story

In the end of November, he went to the new school. Looking at the huge building, he gingerly entered the class thinking why his father has been transferred and why he had come to a very different city and among strangers.
Being shy in nature it was very difficult for him to adjust to the new surroundings. He had barely passed the entrance test. (He was given two questions and he could answer only one). This didn’t help things as he didn’t like the idea of nearly failing in anything. Even after 4 days of school, he could only manage one friend who told him everything about the school including who was the topper of the class. It was a girl who wasn’t from his section.
The moment he saw her, the feeling of hatred came into him. She was tall (tallest amongst all students of the class), she smiled always talking to everyone in sight. In contrast, he was among the shortest persons in the class and very self centered. So the battle begins, he thought and smiled to himself. The idea was wonderful, a man fighting for his lost crown. (He was indeed the topper of the class in earlier school).
He studied day in and day out and finally got 99 out of 100 in maths – his favorite subject in the half yearly exam. The first blood was drawn– now he was recognized.
Well, things would have got merrily but for one thing. No matter what he thought or did, she seemed to be oblivious to it. It was true that she recognized him but she resolutely refused to recognize him as an enemy. After her magnificent performance in the annual function, he blasted her show in the article he submitted to the school magazine. Of course the article was not published but everyone in the school became aware of the animosity – everyone except HER.
If things could not be worse, she and he lived in the same locality. He doesn’t want to even look at her and it seemed the she made sure that he would see her every day going to and coming back from school. He tried random times of going and coming back but always she managed to be seen in the way. This failure to dodge her only infuriated him and prompted him to be more and more severe to her but she was unaffected to say the least. He invited everyone except her on his birthday party, she came nonetheless and just when he was about to throw her out, his mother intervened and let her in. she didn’t stay long and gave her a present ( a show piece – big deal!!) and went away. Even in that short period of time, she managed to impress his mom. This angered him even more.
Finally the result of the final exams came and there it was- he stood first in the class! But she again surprised him by being the first person to congratulate him.
In the summer vacation, he didn’t think of her very much. He was now the king and that was it.
The children grow at a varied pace, some grow very fast and then stagnate, some grow slowly but steadily. Clearly she was the first type and he became the second. In the next two year, he continued to top and may be because of it became tolerant towards her. He could now bear to see her daily but he never tried to talk to her, neither did she. He wanted to punish her but she didn't allow it at all.
They were growing and inevitably the time had come where you feel that there is a difference between a girl and a boy. He was a good orator, he was good looking and he was intelligent - soon, he was taking the hottest girl out; not because he wanted it but because everyone thought he should do it. At first, it was new and challenging hence very magnetic but with time, it became boring, there was no competition at all and the girls were not fun to talk to.
On the other hand; she wasn't so beautiful and her intelligence had made her as unpopular in boys as his had made him popular. I don't know why but most of boys (and men) can't stand an intelligent girl? Anyways, so it happens that she was going without dates and he had trouble managing his.
One day, he didn't find her on the way to school. He did not find her in school as well. When this happened for the second day in the row,he grew restless. He knew where she lived but should he go there? and what would he say?