I hate waking up 4 in the morning but today it was a day to be happy, not angry. We are going on an EVS field trip. Not to mention, my enemies are also excited as today is the day we all be outsmarting or at least trying to outsmart each other. Being an 8th grader, I am a teenager but also blessed with the possibilities of Sherlock Holmes (the deduction and quick thinking part, not the charm and language) but so are the other 6 in their own ways.
Kush Verma, the mathematical genius, winner of every single quiz and competition his parents and our school threw at him in regards of mathematics, boy genius and also nicknamed as John Nash for both his talents and the head scratching, confused guy attitude he carries with him but he is good in calculating every possibility and probability of a situation, both bad and worse in such a way that they always hit their mark.
Nancy Fernandez, also known as the destroyer. This guy literally exploits every single loophole in anything; he was once punished for getting late. Later, he wasted three days to put a ban on the carrier of the teacher who punished him, dangerous and determined.
Ibis Ahmed was the realistic version of hulk but much more destructive. Major anger management issues with devastating circumstances. He nearly killed 5 college students alone in the 8th standard for getting bullied. Black belt in five combat styles and the best athlete in our school.
Gaurav Ghosh, also known as Mr. I.D (infinitely devious). If America recruited him in their search of Osama, the time would have been like 15 minutes or so before they find him. Improvise, adapt, overcome and put that into one single plan. Specialty? Revenge!
Harsha Singh, the Barbie doll of our school. What she can't achieve with skill, she demolishes it with her manipulation. You think you are taking her advantage? Not the devil itself can do that.
Tina Gupta, the beauty with brains, blessed with the most dangerous skill combo. For her, there is no losing. If she wants it, she must get it.
And of course last but definitely not the least, the narrator so far, Sunny Chaudhary. Considered to be the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ of my time by my batch mates. Logical visualization, superb deduction skills and a set of eyes missing very few things.
Everyone was planning on how to be superior to the other six while I saw the rain clouds and knew what was coming.
Hills are a great spot for EVS trip but what the school committee didn't know was the fact that we are planning to kill each other as we crossed each other’s path in every way (Don't be fooled by our age).
The fact was to win in any way possible (death counted) and after a short trip to hills, everyone returned except for the 7 of us.
While others were busy setting traps for each other, I was tying elastic ropes, 3 in a row to the trees in an alternate way somewhat higher to the ground that I have stolen from the camp.
My predictions, as usual, was correct. The rain came and they were trapped in a slippery way downhill. Thanks to my ropes. They were saved. And finally, we became friends and decided no more killing each other. LITERALLY.
For the next 2 years, we ruled the school. We were on top of everything. Sports, studies, E.C.As. But after 2 years, the school was over. We went to different paths and then even keeping each other connected was a problem with me being the sticky, white substance. Gum!
August 6, 2015. Bangalore. Coffee shop.
Sunny- One cold coffee, please. Thanks. That will do. No specials needed.
Waiter- I didn't get it, sir.
Sunny- After writing cold coffee, you were about to start a new thread expecting me to order something else. The coffee shop is a big franchise so it is, by all means, correct that the owners would like you to juice the customer as much as possible. And your uniform is a little old, if I am not wrong, which explains the fact that you are working here for quite some time now. So, your training pushes you to tempt me to order something else which you were about to execute by introducing me to the specials and discounts today increasing the bill. Thanks but a coffee will do just great.
Waiter- Ummmm. I definitely didn't see that coming.
Sunny- Yup! I get that a lot.
Ibis- One more for me, cold with extra cream.
Sunny- What's up big guy? Haven't heard from you?
Ibis- Been busy. Need a vacation.
Sunny- You are paying right?
Ibis- Not in a million years. You are paying. Cheap ass.
After an hour,
Sunny- Care for a smoke?
Ibis- Something light?
Sunny - How about something cheap?
We both laugh.
Sunny- How’s life?
Ibis- Well and established. Working for a firm right now. Good salary.
Sunny- Really?
Ibis- Yup. Any doubts?
Sunny- Worn out t-shirt, fresh wounds on knuckles, scars on face and a track suit to wear for a cup of coffee in The coffee house on a Sunday afternoon? Teaching martial arts in the stadium few blocks away from here and street fighting for some extra income is the job that you were talking about?
Ibis- Well, can't lie to Sherlock leaving such obvious clues behind.
Sunny- I m flattered and annoyed.
Ibis- Life is a mess. Dropped out from college, can't complete graduation. Major inferiority complex.
Sunny- Anger management issues you mean?
Kush- Any brand cigarette, please.
Sunny- The great John Nash is here too.
Kush- What great? Need a job. Can't find a way to finance my research.
Sunny- College drop out?
Kush- How do you know?
Sunny- Lucky guess.
Ibis- Let's go to the park, spent some time there if you guys don.t have any other engagements.
Kush and Sunny- Great idea.
Sunny- What brings you here?
Ibis- Classes. Dumbass.
Sunny- Not you moron. Him. Last I heard, you were in IIT-Kharagpur.
Kush- Trying to find a new life. Sick and tired of the education system. Kills the creativity inside.
Sunny- And you left?
Kush- I love maths and machines more than girls but there I was getting forced to learn how to mix cement and measure land with chain. What do expect?
Nancy- Surprise to see you all here.
We greet each other.
Sunny- Blind date?
Nancy - Written on my face, isn't it?
Sunny- Trimmed nails for someone who bites. Formal dress up on a Sunday afternoon in a park, wet hair and combed to its fullest for extra attention. 150 bucks chocolate in the pocket for someone having a taste for chewing gum. Mobile in hand with occasional checking on it and looking at every random girl passing. Here to meet someone but searching with a tensed look and a fluctuating eye contact which concludes that you don't know her yet. Written all over you.
Nancy- Ladies and gentlemen, world's greatest detective.
Sunny- OK. That's annoying.
Kush- Any details about your date?
Nancy- Not much. Friend's marriage, maybe a cousin to him or something. Nothing else.
Kush- The possibility of marriage is low in a situation like this. Although the probability of matching the common factors with so little knowledge to explore is relatively lower than usual.
Nacy- Still confusing, you haven't aged a day.
Tina- Hey fellas! What you guys all doing here?
Ibis- Wasting time.
Tina- Like you have anything else to do.
Sunny - What brings you here?
Tina - Blind date. Supposed to meet someone.
Nancy- Yuck. Not you. Anyone but you. Are you the blind date?
Tina- You were expecting someone with rain dancing here, correct?
Sunny- Okay love birds. Get a room. No romance in the open.
Tina- With him? Never.
Gaurav- The advantage of being devious is that you don't get to seat on the front row seats and so you avoid the throws. I think I am cupid in this case, don't you agree
Nancy - So, it was you? I knew it. Not funny at all mate.
Sunny- Funny. 6 straight years and the whole gang is here. Almost the whole gang.
Ibis- Speaking of which. Where is miss manipulation these days?
Tina- Last I heard, she was in Calcutta. Doing a job in some job consultancy or something.
Sunny- So how many of us are college dropouts anyway?
Everyone raise a hand.
Sunny- So technically we can’t fit in the society because we are a more evolved class of individuals. Is that it?
Tina- Kind of. Yeah.
Gaurav- The reason for our misfit is not our merits but demerits. And we all have one. At least one to be considered as a negative trait in our society.
Sunny- Complete it, buddy.
Gaurav- Kush can’t think anything besides his research. Ibis and hulk are similar in nature, hulk is less destructive. Nancy is a fluctuating individual. Sodium in water reacts with lesser speed. I always try to find a worthy opponent to compete in brain games but never met anyone after you sunny. Miss picky here has a lot of issues. Picking and wanting the goody-goody things always, no compromise. And Sunny, the most brilliant mind I have ever seen. Perfect in everything but expects the same from every other person he encounters.
Face it guys. We were invincible once because we were together once. We backed each other up in the past. But now we don't.
Sunny- Why not?
Nancy- What do you mean?
Sunny- Look at us. We are the next stage of human evolution. We are special and we know us better than anyone. Strengths, weaknesses, compatibility. And to prove it logically, we are all dropouts. We all are broke yet we are having a good life. Because we just want our basic needs to be fulfilled. We are not victims of the advertisement community. We are unique.
Kush- The chances of success of a person with the knowledge on that field increase when he is supported by the group of people sharing the same interest but with different skill sets filling the voids to reduce the negative effects it may cause.
Sunny- That's what I am saying, I guess. You are complicated Kush.
Gaurav- I am in. Whatever it is.
Ibis- I don't see any future rather than becoming a martial arts teacher in my 40s. Will that plan of yours gonna get me a dojo?
Sunny- What plan? I haven't said anything.
Gaurav - Save it. You have something in mind and we know it. Whatever it is, we don't care. We are in.
Sunny- Nancy and Kush?
Nancy- Do I have a contributing role?
Sunny- Yup. Bouncer's role.
Nancy- And you are the bartender, right? I am in.
Kush- What are the outcome and the payout?
Sunny- Let’s just say, it will be enough to pay for a luxurious life for each and every one of us with a high chance of fulfilling all of our dreams.
Kush- I am in.
Tina- Is it worth it? I have a bloody feeling that the way to success with him will be full of risks.
Sunny- Hope for the best and get even more. That's our plan.
Kush- What's the payout, if I may ask? You know I am a number's guy.
Sunny- 200 crores. 28 crores each.
Tina- I am in.
Ibis- That was fast.
Nancy- What about Harsha?
Sunny- Tina?
Tina- 3 days from now, she will be with us.
Gaurav- Ladies and gentlemen, KNIGHTS is back in action.
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