The Little Incident at a Big School


He couldn't believe he had done something so wrong. His father, well known for his raging temper, would be furious at him. He just knew it.

Sitting in the school bus, while the bus drove consistently through the traffic jam, he wished that something would happen, and he would never have to go back home. He hoped that he would never have to face his father, after the incident that happened at school.

He could see the homeless children under the flyover, and wondered what it would be like to run away from home and live like that. He noted the exact place of where the children were, so that he would know where to come when he ran away. His mind wandered away, as he thought about the prospect of running away from home – he would never see his parents again, and never see his dog. He would never lie on his bed again, or read the books that he had grown up with. If only he hadn't been that stupid, things would never have come to this state. Thinking all of this brought tears to his eyes, but he didn't want the rest of the kids to notice his tear stained eyes.

However, notice they did. Pretty soon, there was a group of children surrounding him and pointing at the silent tears flowing down his cheeks.

"The Little Baby's crying. Wonder what's up with the Little Bitty Baby today," said one voice.

"Shut up!" he screamed at everyone. The kids laughed, while his face burnt with shame. "I said, shut up!"

"Or else what?" said one of the Big Boys, with a snigger. He wanted to get up and punch the Big Boy in the face, but he felt weak about the prospect of going back home and telling his father what happened at school. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand, and started ignoring the comments of the other children. This wasn't that tough, as he couldn't focus on anything much.

Before he knew it, he was at his stop. He didn't want to get down from the bus, but he knew that he didn't really have much of a choice. He couldn't exactly stay in the bus forever. He took a few tentative steps towards the door of the bus, at the end of the line of the children waiting to get off. The Big Boy was still laughing at the tear marks left on his face, and he again flushed with guilt and shame at what had happened.

He got off, but found that his legs refused to take him back home. What would his father's reaction be like? How much would he scream at him? Would his father hit him for what he had done? All these questions were chasing each other inside his head – when suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Krishna, what are you doing here? Don't you want to go back home?" It was his father. Seeing him materialize so suddenly and unexpectedly, Krishna burst into tears, right there in the middle of the street.

"What happened to you? Why are you crying so much?" his father asked, "Come on, let's walk back home, and we can talk about this on the way back."

Krishna, however, was too scared to say anything. He couldn't stop crying, now that he knew his father had found him. He knew his father would be very disappointed at him, and probably ever forgive him for what he had done at school. All the way back home, his father tried to talk to him, but Krishna couldn't tell him what had happened.

It was only when he got back home, back in the familiar surroundings that Krishna was able to open up and admit what had happened at school that day. "I lost that pencil you got for me yesterday Baba, I didn't mean to. Someone must have stolen it from my pencil box while I was out. I know it was there in the pencil box when I left for the games period, but when I came back it wasn't there. I'm so sorry Baba, I didn't mean to lose it…" Krishna couldn't look at his father's face anymore.

"Are you sure the pencil isn't there in your bag?"

"Yeah, I've looked everywhere in the bag, it's not there," said Krishna, a little surprised at the calm voice with which his father was talking to him. He couldn't help feeling a slight bit of relief at the tone of his voice.

"Well, alright, we'll go and get you another pencil in the evening. How does that sound to you?" said his father, with a straight face and a gentle voice.

Krishna ran into his father's arms. In spite of the straight face that he was trying to keep, a small smile escaped from his father's lips.

And they lived happily ever after.

~~~~~

Had my exams going on, which is why I couldn't write much in the last few days, or read much of the stuff that the other bloggers have been putting up on their blogs for that matter. Noticed quite a steady flow of traffic on the blog in spite of that… thanks for keeping so much in touch with the blog. Also, much thanks to Preetilata for the award, my first Blog Award I might add! :D Cheers to you Preetilata…

***

Image Courtesy dhyanji

54 comments :: The Little Incident at a Big School

  1. Hi Arnab,

    That was really gripping story! I loved the flow. You are a great writer. Keep more of these coming.

    Would love to hear from you soon.

    Can I add a bit to the ending???? If you please though! Gimme your mailing address, and I ll mail it up to you!

    luv 'n' luk
    Arnab

  2. very well executed... i simply love the way you express your ideas..

    you know i have bravely written just 4 stories... and i have a harrowing time..keeping the temp [coz i write in parts and most often it goes to 7 parts] and make sure my narrative doesn't sag.. so when i read your writings im amazed.. not only do you write in a compact manner[just 1 post ? :O :D]but the way you tell a story..this makes you a helluva story teller.. :)

    i think im just getting addicted here.. :)

  3. This time I had guessed the end :).
    I used to run away from home a lot but ususally returned to near the gate by the evening so that I could be "found".

  4. I am not able to stop smiling after reading this post.
    Few points i would add before i add anything about the post...

    The kid's pic is perfect for the post, is that your pic...?? it looks like that... :P just kidding dude...


    Hmmmm... you wrote a story during the exam period?? Good dude...I cannot think of anything except exams, questions and marks.. :(

    I was amused to see you giving credits to even those people to whom this pic( or any other in your posts) belongs..That's too much of modesty i would say..

    I should learn this form you and will try to implement it by self in my space..

    I completely agree with what Phoenix said...

    Whenever i log in here, somewhere in mind i always hope for an new post from arnab... :):):) It happens that i relate with it very well

    One more thing as a fellow blogger i would add: Thanks for being there letting me know your thoughts on my posts. In future if possible, just give me the first thought that entered your mind while reading it. I want to improve man... :P

    Now please let me conclude it..

    Papa Krishna..
    Should i feel pity over him or feel happy about him?
    Both come to mind as i can actually relate myself with Krishna..
    Only difference is i used to miss my lunch boxes..:D

    Keep writing , for they inspire not only me but everyone who reads here... :)

    Cheers

  5. Finally !!

    Nice post...very well captured emotions just like that earlier post about Rik or "The Lie" for that matter.

    And congratulations for the award man !!! Put it up on your blog somewhere na.

    Cheers

  6. @ Arnab... Thanks for visiting, and the comments. I'm glad to be back here myself, I missed blogging a lot when I wasn't doing it :)

    You can add the ending that you wanted out here only, as a comment... I've always left the endings open for the readers, and I don't want to change that bit...

    Cheers...

  7. @ Phoenix... Thanks a lot :) I somehow can't extend the stories to more than one post, or more than one or two pages on Word for that matter. If it goes that far, I simply scrap it :D

    Keep writing, and reading... Cheers...

  8. @ Brown Phantom... Hehe... I guess all kids, at some point or the other, have run away from home - at least thought about it... me included!

    Thanks for dropping by... Cheers...

  9. @ Mahesh... Glad as always, to know that the story brought a smile to someone :)

    That's not my pic, I definitely don't look that good! :D I took it from someone's Flickr Photostream... the description said that the kid was lost, and couldn't find his mother... he found his mum right after the pic was taken though, so happy ending there...

    I actually wrote this one during the exams... as in, the idea came into my head right inside the exam hall, with the exam going on in full swing. I had to force my brain to concentrate on the exam, so you can very well imagine how the exam went!

    I've always believed in credit to whom credit is due. I'm mighty thankful to the person who took that pic, and in the other cases, the posts or pics or ideas that spark off the things I write... so it makes more sense to me to acknowledge it...

    I'm really glad that you keep reading this blog so regularly, makes me want to keep writing as well! Thanks a lot man...

    I'll surely tell you what first comes into my mind when I read your posts. As far as improving goes, that's a continuous process, and we all want to improve. Just keep writing from your heart... that's all.

    Like always, you're most welcome to draw your own conclusions about this one... do share them here though, leave a comment about how you wanted it to end...

    I'll surely try to keep writing as much as I can, I like doing that!

    Cheers...

  10. @ Bondgal... Was it good? Does that mean that the writer's block phase is over, even if temporarily?? :P

    About that award... thanks a lot, although I don't know how to put it up on the blog here.... any idea how?

    I hope to write a little more this week, now that there's a slight pause in the exams...

    Thanks for the comments... Cheers...

  11. hhmm..

    wat to say...u knw wat all stories i made in my mind.. wat will happen next...bt it was apparently sumthin else..vry well written..nice wrk..i used 2 lost 2 or 3 pencils a day bt never thought of running from home..hehhehehh gud idea

  12. wow yaar!!sooo innocent!!
    very interesting and vute!!hav written it??

  13. @ Sherii... I know what you mean, but then I can honestly say that I've had that feeling sometimes. Maybe not for pencils, but for things like a water bottle, or my blazer, or the tiffin box... hehe. I dunno why this idea came into my head, but come it did, and that too right in the middle of the MIS exam! Imagine that...

    Thanks for reading, and for the comments... Cheers...

  14. @ Blue Eyed Soul... Thanks a lot for dropping by. I wrote this one during my exam... all inside my head that time, 'coz I didn't have paper with me, the only paper available being the answer sheet, and I don't think our lecturer would have been too pleased to read this instead of the solution to the caselet!

    Thanks for reading, Cheers...

  15. Ah! so the sabbatical is over.. It was indeed quite long. Infact, I was wondering if the weekend shall give you enough time to come and blog..

    Anyway, a great one! I thought the child must have done something drastic. Something notorious. But hey, he is a child after all.:)
    It also reminded me how scared I was(and am)of my dad. Small small inconsequential things scare us so much that we really forget that they are not going to have repursussions as harardous as we think they would.

    Nice write up!
    I really appreciate people who can write fiction. And with such beautiful narration and plot. :)
    Keep it up!

  16. @ Netika... The sabbatical's finally over, and am mighty happy for it too! The exams really screw up your brain, to the extent that you can't even write! Although this one was a bit of an exception, since the idea for it came while I was sitting in the exam hall itself :P

    I hope the weekends are a little less tied up, that'd gimme some more time to write.

    All kids are scared of their parents. With me, it was Ma who scared me more somehow :)

    Thanks for the visit, keep reading... as and when I write that is... hehe.

    Cheers...

  17. nicely written

  18. @ Raghav... Thanks a lot. Welcome to Technicolor Collage... Cheers :)

  19. boss..u are an amazing story teller! hats off to ya!

  20. hey nice one .
    Really did bring a smile :)

  21. well done once again!
    your blog is becoming addictive :P

  22. @ Trinaa... Thanks a lot :)

  23. @ Arnav... Always glad to make people smile... thanks for reading, cheers...

  24. @ Ishi... Glad to see you here, thanks a lot for reading... and it's kinda good for the blog if it's addictive :P

    Cheers...

  25. oops... i m so late for comment...

    hey dude.. first of all

    Con-gratu-lation...
    Man u deserve tht.....

    Second Bestest for ur exams....

    thirdly due u get so much of time after study..i wonder....

    Fourthly...Storyy i loved it ...full of emotion n expressions..
    very well executed like always...
    u rock,,,,

    Cheers:)
    bbye

  26. This comment has been removed by the author.
  27. You know what?
    You write feelings! You write reality!
    Never seen a writer like you!
    You rock! You're a great blogger :D

  28. @ Pallav... Thanks a lot, for everything you said in that comment.

    I hope the exams do go well, they might be a pain in the neck, but they're quite essential to be honest.

    As far as the time thing goes, I have to take out time to write and stuff. Otherwise, I've seen I go completely bonkers, and drive the rest of the people around me mad as well ;) hehehe

    Cheers for the words man... Keep writing and reading...

  29. @ Cursed... Thanks so much :) Cheers, keep writing...

  30. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I have tears in my eyes....
    Similar incidents have happened to me too...losing a boor or getting a mark less were like end of world for me in those long last times...and I would stare back at those street kids and wonder how beautiful their life is coz they dont have to go to school!

    Memories and more of them are coming back to me after reading this post!

    Great work! U simply rock!!!

    :-)

  31. @ Akanksha... Good to see you here. Really happy that you liked this one. I think most of us can relate to it, in some way or the other :) Thanks a lot for reading... Cheers...

  32. hey...nicely written there... is this ur first attempt at writing stories? wud like to read more stuff from u... :D

    thanks for blogrolling me :) :) will blogroll ur blog too... :D

  33. @ Mads... Welcome to Technicolor Collage. I prefer writing short stories, there are quite a few out here... go ahead, read 'em... they don't bite! :P

    Thanks a lot for the comments, and for returning the favour. Cheers...

  34. Adorable .... :)

  35. @ Anusha... Thanks :)

  36. n that's what differentiates a child from a grown up.

    beautifully written as always.

    congrats on the award. i am happy to give u ur 1st award. :)

  37. how to add it in d blog? well
    edit layout-> add a gadget -> add picture. upload d pic and thats it. :)


    xms kamon hocche?

  38. @ Preetilata... It's really one major factor that makes us different from adults... the innocence. I myself used to think like this, although not exactly this way.

    Just to clear things, this post is definitely not self inspired!

    Thanks a lot for reading. I'll put the award up on the site soon too. Cheers, and thanks again...

    Exams cholche, Monday te next ta hobe. Ekhuno kichui pori ni, jani na ki hobe...

  39. You need to check out my blog! RIGHT NOW! Got something for you! You'll regret!! Hurry!!!!! :P

  40. Arnab

    Abhi aur achchey comment kahaan se laoon?? :(

    I donno how to put it in words... but you are my most favourite fiction writer from the day I have read you.

    Keep writing...Hope you get really good results.. :)

  41. @ Cursed... Thanks a lot for that award. Really glad to accept it... :)

    Cheers, keep writing...

  42. @ Harshita... The fact that you keep coming back to read the blog, and make sure that you leave a comment too, that in itself is quite a big motivation for me.

    Thanks a lot for all your wishes. Cheers...

  43. Whoa, you sure are quite the raconteur..!

    *applauds*

    Warm felicitations on your first award. It sure is richly deserved; more to come.

    I wish you luck with your examinations...

    Peace. Be well.

  44. @ Kartz... Thanks a lot man :) I hope the exams go well, although what after that, I'm not really sure...

    Cheers man.

  45. shob bhaloi hobe. chill. all d best :)

  46. Tomar kotha jeno shotti hok :) chill toh korei achi, shekhanei toh problem ta shuru.. hehe

  47. very well spun Arnab.
    the child';s mental state is somewhat each one of us can relate to. though we grow up to be entirely diffrent ppl of the kids we used to be, but wen we recall such incidences, we can all relate to the feelings we all had. more or less the same.

    yeah, i too am happy to have stumbled upon ur blog :D
    thnx for all ur comments..

  48. @ Richa... I wrote this story somewhat by self inspiration - the keyword here being somewhat :) I never worried about losing a pencil though, but getting bad marks, or getting into some sort of trouble in school did bring about the thoughts of running away sometimes :)

    Thanks for the comments, cheers... Keep writing...

  49. hey, i like the way u write..n honestly i stopped by at ur blog coz i thought u are really cute!! n then i realised you write well too.. kinda bonus :)

  50. @ Aastha... Thanks a ton for stopping by at the blog, nice to know that you liked the stuff I write. Do go through the other stories too.

    Welcome to Technicolor Collage. Cheers, take care... :)

  51. Very well written dude. Has a sort of innocence without being childish or boring. Keep it up.

  52. @ Pranay... Thanks a lot Pranay. Glad you enjoyed the story. Do read the other stories too... :D

    Welcome to Technicolor Collage. Cheers...

  53. the best post i've read till date...........

    keep posting :).........

  54. @ Stuti... Thanks a lot :) Welcome to Technicolor Collage, hope to see you around.

    Cheers...