The New Boy at School

The New Boy at School

Somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean there lies a small island nation Indopia. The story is not too old and not too new it’s of that imperfect time when the time was waiting to get perfect for that “new boy at school”. A story of that unfortunate time when the whole royal family died in a plane crash and Indopia was facing a leadership crisis with no right heir to the throne and nobles fighting among themselves to claim the crown.

The class at the Royal high school was going on, and someone knocked the door and there stood a boy in old yet neat uniform. “Another entry from the orphanage I think “whispered Meghna to her best friend Kritika. “Students! You know as per the Royal school policies every year apart from the students from elite families we also give admissions to bright students from orphanages so that they have better future ahead, so please welcome your new friend PRATHAM” , said Monica the teacher of English, “child please take a seat.”

Soon, it was recess time with everyone talking, eating, and gossiping etc except that new boy who was busy scribbling something on a piece of paper and looked lost in himself. Days passed, no one hardly cared of that boy, first because he was not from a noble family and second because he was quite an introvert. At times his classmates and even his teachers referred to him as the new boy as if he had no name.

“Give me that piece of paper at once, what are you writing in class “ , said Monica the english teacher snatching that piece of paper from the boy at once. There it was scribbled

“Life’s confusion,

Nothing but illusion

Sorrows and pains,

But still complaints

I don’t have any, ‘cause

It was nothing but my ‘destiny‘“

“It’s beautiful poetry, you wrote it?? “ he nodded , and then the teacher with joy said  “so students we have a talent out here, and Pratham from now on I want you to read your poems to class every week.”  This incident though made his name known as a poet in the school, but still with no friends.

And then one day, “Don’t you get bored, and why don’t you eat even in recess”, he looked up to find two friendly faces. “I am Meghana and she is Krittika, would you like to share your lunch with us.” Said meghna in her chirpy voice. “But I don’t have any lunchbox”, it was Pratham speaking to someone at the school for the first time. “Ah! Never mind you can share ours”. And thus began a friendship which came with a forever tag.

The days passed and the friendship grew, Pratham was now popular, the first popular guy at school without a noble lineage, his clothes looked old with that orphanage look but his words made up for it. Even teachers were fond of him.  Even though he was popular he spent his best times with his best friends Meghna and Krittika. They even use to take Pratham to their homes for lunches and dinners, and he used to take them to his solitary room, at orphanage.

Every school got its bully gang and Royal school was no exception, there was the boy called Daksh whose powerful family was the closest heir to the throne and to add he was so arrogant and proud that even the principal used to ignore his evil deeds.

Everything was fine for our ‘new boy’ till his popularity got on nerves of Daksh. “Hey, Mr. four eyes won’t you recite us your poems “said Daksha standing with his whole group, one morning. Pratham was told of Daksha by his best friends, he kept walking upstairs with his another friend from the orphanage without replying. “Double battery, you can’t get away without replying me”, said Daksh pulling him from behind. Pratham gave a deep stare. “These orphans, who allow them into this school. God knows what dirty blood flows inside their veins.” Came the bully’s voice from behind. This was enough for Pratham, and the other second Daksha was down on the ground, his whole group didn’t even get the time to think what exactly happened. “Next time think before you speak nobleman, I don’t fear anything when I stand for the right.”

“ Are you crazy, we told you to stay away from him “ these were the worried voices of kritika and Meghna during recess. Suddenly there was some rumble outside and the class was flooded with boys being led by Daksh. The table on which those three friends were sitting was surrounded, “ So, you dirty blood how dare you hit me “, hissed Daksh. “ Daksh!! If you touch him, you people have to fight three not one”, said Krittika looking into the eyes of boys surrounding them. Daksh never expected anything like that “I won’t hit any Noble blood, and you Pratham why are you hiding behind these two girls”. Pratham was smiling as if unperturbed by the presence of whole gang brought by Daksh, his mischievous smile further irritated daksh “ You will have to pay for it, Pratham you won’t go home alive today.” Pratham smiled and said “ Don’t be so sure about things Daksh, time turns in strange ways, let’s meet after the school.”

Krittika and Meghna carried a worried look whole day.And then the last bell rang, Pratham still carries that smile on his face as if he had nothing to worry about. “We will leave you till your room today, come in either my or Meghna’s car. They are dangerous people “ said krittika. “ And what about tomorrow, running is not a solution. It’s better to stand and fight and finish things off “ , said Pratham in a composed and determined voice. “You know Pratham at times you talk with so much determination as if you are the king of the land.” Said Meghna with a smile. “What makes you think I am not“, said Pratham, “ now you people get inside your cars, I can handle it believe me”.

Hesitatingly, they both sat in their respective cars, and Pratham started walking down to his orphanage. And at the very next crossing there stood that adamant bully, all prepared with sticks and sharp weapons, and in no time Pratham found him surrounded by numerous boys. “That’s typical noble behaviour daksh, isn’t it so many just for one “said Pratham looking into the eyes of   Daksh. “ Ah! They came with me ‘cause they are my friends unlike yours who left you alone”, said daksh, “and now pray ‘cause this is the end of your life dirty blood.”

Pratham calmly kept his bag onto the ground, still unperturbed and determined to fight all alone, he started with Daksh by pushing him aside and sooner before any of them could touch him, he had three of them crying on the ground. Meghna saw this and asked her chauffeur  to stop the car, by the time she reached there she saw a single boy fighting all bravely without fear but they were large in number and he was slowly getting tired, and suddenly he was attacked from behind. Meghna shouted and tried to reach him, but she was pushed aside by the bullies. The “new boy” had fought bravely but his enemies had no respect for it, they were inching towards him. Meghna was crying desperately, founding herself helpless.

Then all of a sudden there was a long screech and ten long black cars surrounded the bullies. Men in perfect black suits took care of the whole gang in no time. Daksh tried to threaten them telling that they don’t know that he belonged to a powerful family. But it was as if they were deaf they pushed him aside and picked up that brave fighter who was unconscious by now inside the car. Meghna was dumbstruck, by the time she came to senses they were long gone. She quickly  called up Krittika, she reached the spot but with no clue who those people were. They looked for daksh who himself was dumbstruck and had no idea of those people. “I will sue those people, they don’t know who my father is” was all he said.

They called the orphanage caretaker but he didn’t receive the call. They filed a complaint with the police against Daksh and those unknown people and then decided to go to the orphanage themselves.

“These are the same cars I saw there “, said Meghna looking at the cars standing in front of the orphanage. The door was closed, and when knocked was opened by a suited man, and asked them the purpose of visit. “We are looking for Pratham, our friend, who lives here” said Krittika. The man face grew stern “How dare you call his highness by name, don’t they teach manners at Royal school these days?” said he. “Let them in with all respect they are my friends “came a voice from inside.

They stepped inside that same melancholy room, and found Pratham sitting on a royal chair, wearing a royal cape. He looked at them, gave that same smile a mixture of mystery and sweet mischief. The room was full of nobles who were loyal to the king, Meghna and Krittika found their fathers sitting over there too. Pratham pointed towards the two seats kept along the royal chair asking them to sit.

“His highness is 18 now, and it’s the right time now to announce his arrival ” a noble said showing his concern, “And apart from that the announcement shall allow us to give him full security to avoid unfortunate events like the one that happened today” He added. Pratham spoke in a grave royal voice, “Yes, I do think it’s time now, and the crown is grateful to all the nobles who helped me hide all these years, took care of me as a kid and kept the country safe in absence of the crown. “

The nobles were surprised looking at those two girls sitting beside the prince. Prince understood their concern and said, “ they treated me equal, when I was ‘nothing’. So, they stay equal when I today I turn into ‘something’. They are really best friends and forever they shall be. “

The next day the royal stopped in front of the royal school, and from inside came out three best friends. The whole school was there to see that “new boy”, and give a first bow to the new king. Those ‘who’ refused to be seen with a “dirty blood” today bowed in front of him. “Please, people don’t do such thing; I am that same old ‘new boy’. All I wish to say that nobility is not in blood and clothes its rather in mind and soul “, said Prince Pratham, and slowly made way inside the class with his two best friends  and got busy scribbling on those papers again.