Worries at School.

Karthik alighted from the school bus with a sense of foreboding. Something similar to Spider Man's spider-sense that he had come to associate with the school atmosphere. He quietly collected his lunch bag, and walked towards the old building. For some strange reason, he never relished this time of the day when you had to walk into the class, only to find some homework forgotten or some sincere sigamani preparing fervently for an anticipated test.

Silently he dragged himself towards Class V 'A'. On the way he met numerous tiny pupils, who slunk away from him. He gave a smug smile to them, which he hoped would be reassuring to them. Upon entering the class, he was happy to find no book open. His friends were busy playing pen-fight, a sport that had evolved from the carrom-board and which could be played on the teacher's desk.

He placed his bags in his place in the front row, and sat down to watch the proceedings. It consisted of intricate understanding of the physics of the pen movement, not to mention the pen choice ( reynolds 045 could nover hold fort against a jetter, for instance ) and accessories ( like rubberband, that were used to add to the weight and power and prevent the sliding of the pen ). He wasn't a player though. He had always been a silent spectator. So, he hid his Ink pen deep inside his bag, as he could not afford to let his friends break its nib again.

For some reason, he was considered peculiar by his classmates. He knew it, but he was too shy to talk to them about that and so, used it to remain mum on most occasions. Even during the lunch break discussions, by the time he clearly decided to add to the ongoing discussion, his friends would move on to some other topic, leaving him a mere spectator.

The bell rang. The students lined up outside the class for the assembly. He liked the morning assembly a lot. For one thing, he could not be singled out in the crowd. Following the prayer, he took the pledge. Even as he was stating the pledge, he wondered what was the reason behind taking the pledge everyday. It definitely was not prayer and if it was a sincere vow, he thought that the number of times did not really matter. It was followed by a brief sermon by the principal who found the discipline lacking in some classes. He let his mind freely wander in this period. He observed that his French Sir wore the same sequence of shirts every week, and that the PT Master was clean-shaved every alternate Monday... Soon, it was time for the National Anthem.

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Social Science Period :

After a hectic day, he finally got to the period that he awaited the most, the Last one. To add to his joy, it was Social Studies, taught by his favorite teacher in the school. He simply loved Social Studies, to the extent that he would read the book at home, even when there were no exams, a feat that no other subject had induced him to perform till date. He considered history on par with the stories his grand-mother used to tell him - about kings, emperors, wars and glorious victories. The way his Miss taught just added to his interest. On that day however, she was to teach a lesson from Geography. Suddenly, his neighbour asked him for a sharpener. He gave it, with a face as though he had been interrupted in the midst of a movie.

His Miss went on to describe the composition of the earth, its temperature and how it was slowly rising due to deforestation. She also painted a vivid picture of the consequences, if it continued for some more time. Young Karthik was shocked. With tears threatening to burst forth from his eyes, he mentally imagined a flooded situation, with no current. No fan or computer. No computer games. No schools. ( a thought that slightly cheered him up ). All people struggling to get fresh water.

He considered the adults too stupid to have not learnt even that much in so many years. He fervently wished that his Miss should be the Prime Minister for some time till such affairs were set in order. On the way back home, he saw clouds of smoke emanating from the factories, and logs of wood carried in lorries. All this enraged and frightened him.

Once at home, he poured out his fears to his mother. To add to his shock, she merely smiled. That very evening, he forced his mother to buy him a Mango sapling from the nearby nursery to be planted in their backyard. He named it Madayan, such that its full qualified name became Manga-Madayan. Madayan was his best friend ever since. He sincerely requested Madayan to work overtime to consume more greenhouse gases and save him from the trauma of floods. Till date Madayan has obliged. It is upto the 'intelligent' homo sapiens to do the needful now.