Anyone Else But You... (24 page)

Silence descended upon them for a few seconds till Jai broke it. “You’ve got a problem sir.”

Suraj looked at him urging him to finish his sentence.

“Sir, there’s the dick-Head Boy, Rishav. He is Siddhant’s best friend, he’s got a lot of support from teachers. If he manages to make people rally around…”

Jai was cut short, “
If
he
manazes
naa? That won’t happen. I’ve heard how people find him arrogant and how your peers dislike him. He won’t be able to do anything about it. Trust me and if he does, I will manage.”

“Sir you will?” Jai’s eyes lit up with a lot of interest.

“Yes, yes, I will…”

“Sir, if he
does
complain against you – can you ensure that he’s stripped off his post?” Jai asked again.

“Stripped? I can get him off from his post for sure but I don’t have any idea how long. You see, that power lies with the Prinicpal alone.”

Jai nodded.

Jai had to meet Rishav. He had to meet him…
now!

TWENTY-THREE

Veenu Sharma had
taken a half day
without notice and she was perhaps the only person Rishav Sen
eagerly wanted
to meet.

He clumsily packed his bag and zipped it up fast. The bell had just rung ending the day and it was his only chance to catch the Principal while she was doing her rounds.

Autocracy
that seemed to be the only mode of functioning, as far as Bindu Kalsi was concerned-
seemed to have gone for a six in Delhi High School as the well informed Principal had now become a titular head. Muskaan Kaur was dictating the terms to all and sundry.

The image of a sobbing Siddhant had moved Rishav tremendously. He felt it to be his duty to be helping that loner out. Besides most teachers were unaware of the atrocities that took place within the walls of the Commerce section last day and those who knew – be it students or teachers were all too afraid of Suraj Singh to be exposing him. And the person who was supposed to be aware of all the happenings, the Principal was lost in her own world: too busy in organizing Socialact Wave.

Rishav thought of all that Jai had told him. Jai seemed to be a nice person, he encouraged Rishav to take a stand and visit Muskaan Ma’am. Jai insisted on how Rishav should drive his point across by hook or by crook. After all, it was a matter of the students’ unity.

Little did Rishav
know
that Jai’s encouragement was a façade over his true
intentions.

In moments,
Rishav spotted Kalsi’s figure standing outside the entrance to the Multipurpose Hall. She was engaged in deep discussion with someone Rishav would have killed to not see there – Muskaan!

“Yes?” Kalsi asked seeing Rishav approach them.

“Ma’am I need to talk about something.” He said.

“Go on…” she replied.

“Ma’am, erm…uh…I need to speak to you,” he stammered.

“I wonder if there’s anything as urgent that cannot be discussed with me?” Muskaan asked.

“No ma’am, it is. I need to speak to the Principal.”

Muskaan broke into a fake laughter, Kalsi followed.

“It is okay Rishav, you can speak to Muskaan. I have pressing matters right now.” Kalsi said.

“No Ma’am, I need to talk to you,” he insisted.

“It is okay son, Muskaan is
me
, speak to her. She will tell me whatever needs to be relayed.”

*

“That’s it then,” she said when she heard what Rishav had done.

“What? What do you mean?” he asked.

“We are done,” Sahana repeated in a dead serious tone.

He tried to come closer, but Sahana pushed him back vehemently.

“What the fuck are you doing, you son of a bitch? Stay away,
forever
. And I am not kidding,” she shouted out loud in the empty classroom they were sitting in.

“What the hell is wrong with you Sahana? Can’t you for once understand my position?” Rishav said defensively.

“Oh yes, baby. I have,”
she said in a conspicuous sarcastic voice. “I have understood your point. Your position, it’s all crystal clear to me.”

She paused and took a deep breath, “You bloody bastard. All you care about is your
effing
position. Your ugly piece of metal…And you know what? You are the biggest hypocrite in this whole world. The biggest. I actually cannot think of an abuse worthy enough for you.”

Rishav was hurt. Badly hurt. He felt his anger burn up his insides but he tried to control it.

“You don’t know what it’s like, okay?” he began. “You bloody haven’t even talked to them. You don’t even own a badge. What would you know about how it feels to lose it? Well, you are the hypocrite here, not me. You bloody didn’t have the balls to even apply for the Council. So shut the fuck up. You just say things and never actually do it. So, please save me the crap. All your moral talk is of no freaking use, get it?” Rishav screamed, laying emphasis on the last words.

Sahana stood her ground, slightly taken aback.

“You know what Rishav? You are right,” she said in a cold tone. He
r
voice barely a whisper, “You are right, I don’t. But, atleast I don’t pretend to be someone I am not. Jai Chauhan is actually better than you. Atleast he doesn’t
pretend
to be good.”

“Sahana, listen…I don’t want to fight. So please, can we not talk about it?” Rishav asked, afraid that Sahana would leave his side.

“Yes, I don’t want to fight. But I can’t stand your face. Don’t you dare come near me ever again,” Sahana
said.

“Sahana please. I am sorry. Don’t do this over a stupid thing, Rishav said trying to hold Sahana’s hand.

“Go fuck yourself,” Sahana said in his ear as she pushed him against the classroom door and stormed out of there.

*

Rishav lay in his bed, unable to sleep. It was two in the morning and he couldn’t even get a wink of sleep. All he could think about was what happened that day.

To say it was the worst day ever, would be a massive understatement. He had lost the only two people the only two people he cared about.

Firstly, Siddhant – who he had not lost exactly but not standing up for him and agreeing to turn a blind eye over a wrong thing, was all in all, a betrayal of sorts. Secondly, he couldn’t figure out what was it that he felt for Sahana. It was deep nonetheless but it was hard to understand what it was in reality. He had never in his life felt this way before. The thought of not talking to her, scared him. But now the thought of even seeing her was a distant dream. As much as he missed her, he was frustrated with her attitude. She couldn’t even understand his point of view. All she cared was about her principles. She was yet to know the difference between the real world and an idealistic one she lived in, he thought.

He tried to think of something else. But nothing would come to his mind except that he had lost the two people who mattered to him the most.
He looked down at the badge he was holding tightly in his palms:
Head Boy: Rishav Sen,
it read.

He held it in the palm of his hand
&
shut his eyes.

TWENTY-FOUR

Rishav was late to school. He had woken up just fifteen minutes before school actually started. He didn’t bother to apply soap on his body.
What’s the use?
He thought as he quickly poured water over his body.

The guard let him in with a smile, since he knew very well who the Head Boy was. He had told Rishav about his village, his problems, his children’s schooling, his daughter’s favourite movie and what not. Rishav had not spared one man in DHS with his charm and good talks.

He rushed to his class with heavy steps. He walked towards his seat in the half empty classroom but stopped midway to think,
it’d be better not to sit in Sahana’s range.

He chose a far cornered seat in the classroom as he had enough of a choice that day.

He took out his mobile and checked his inbox.
No Unread Messages
. He looked at his mobile with disdain. He went to check his Facebook,
No New Notifications.
When he turned on his Gmail, he saw an unread message from his publisher, reminding him about the deadline for submitting the manuscript of his third to-be-bestseller. He also noticed a few fan mails and some newsletters.