To be continued

In the small town of Mussorie, nestled in the deciduous pines, where the langurs lithely swung and ruled, where cows passed unharnessed the streets and where peanut butter was its pride production, a group four teenagers, fatigued and sweaty, gaspingly scurried through the thick forests of Gharwal. While the blanket of darkness spread with the noctural silence reverberating through the forest, the crickets started played their fiddles, the slimy monsoon snails crawled into their shells, the winds howled, and while the sun sank, they ran with they bags strapped on their drooping shoulders. Earlier that afternoon when they were hastily loading their bags with towels, soaps, their lunch boxes stuffed with tingmo( Tibetan bun), Allu Khasa(spiced potatos) which they brought from Amdo Resturant next to the school's Office, non of them considered bringing a bottle of water with them. Now panting and sweat dripping between his eyes, Gachoe regrettingly gleamed at his other three friends who bore the same rueful looks while they kept hastily running, rumbling pebbles that would roll and roll down the hill. When the clock hand strikes at 7, which was in less than half an hour, they did rather be back in their hostelss and homes then be blinded and struck in the forest by twilights.
Tsering who walked briskly faster than the rest because his athletic abilities on crossing the creek suddenly roared in his top pitched and cried " Ho ho !! Just 10 more minutes and that it! ." His eyes sparkled with gratification and delight on seeing the distant gompa(buddhist monastery) around the winding corner of the hill. Nagwang who stood couple of steps behind him spranged ahead and phewed as a sign of relief. Following him, Tashi scrambled some rocks down the hill, and seeing the monastery, delinquently sat down like a log and groaned '' it took just 40 minutes to get to Kempty Fall, but the walk back felt like it too ages." And while the crimson sunlight dimmed behind the hills, they kept hastening they steps, at moments they would run, slow down, gaze up horizon, and run again. Around 6.50, they rampantly passed by the Gompa and few minutes later they triumphantly sailed back in the school gate. It was quieter than usual when they stepped in. The sun has already set though it was still luminous enough to see. Chemi inquisitively looked around the basket ground while usually at this hour on Sunday's would be filled with thumping of basket balls, boys from Herni concentrating on their marbles in the dust, while the girls holding a bottle of water in their hands would diffidently pass around the corner leaving the gates and walking in lines up to the girls hostels. But today, there prevailed a lull of silence when then clanked open the gates.
"Where is everybody?" Tsering slothfully inquired. All four of them mutely looked at each other. "May be there is an emergency meeting that you guys are missing."Nawang hesitantly said while fiddling with the side strap of his fake Jansport bag." Tashi and Nawang were day scholars and unlike Tsering and Chemi who were borders, they resided near the school compound with their parents. "Well I better hurry back before my dad gets worried." Tashi anxiously interrupted while looking at Nawang who stood at the gate ready to go. A little brown stray dog with flopped ears and a distinct white path around his neck whimmed, and walked towards the boys convulsively waggling its tail. The boys utterly ignored its presence. During the breeding season commencing for March till August, stray puppies would ubiquitously roam around the school compound although more than half during the first wave itself would be taken away by the municipality officers. This brown blotched one must have got through. "All right, well see you tomorrow then, and ya, Chemi I have my towel in your bag" Nawang said while stretching his hands out to reach Chemi's bag. "Oh ya, Tashi, if you manage, can you come during the study session tomorrow as I haven't finished copying the notes from Miss Renu's class" Chemi interrupted handing Nawang his wet towel."Sure, that fine"Tashi replied. Once that, the boys parted off. Chemi and Tsering belonged to Thumi house and lived in together with another 48 students. They slept next to each other with bunkers adjacent to the foul smelling damp wall and also shared the same bathroom slippers. Actually, in CST Mussorie's hostel, there wasn't something like a personal shoe or slipper in the hostel. Every fine day Tsering would take off his slippers entering the prayer hall. Later when once the prayers are finished, students hastily would flush out from the hall and in the rush they would randomly wear any slipper or shoe their eyes fell on. Once there, they would take it off on the corridor of the house dressing themselves in uniform and boots. Later in evening, someone unanimously would put on the slippers during leisure time untill the evening prayer where he take off the slippers outside the prayer hall, and yet again someone who would carry on his kitchen duty serving tea puts on that slipper and so this intrinsic cycle would go on from Thumi to Desi, to Choygyal house , sometimes even the girls hostel, and once in a while occasionally the owner would find it. Albeit Tashi and Nagwang got to wear their slippers untill they wore it out or lost it. Tashi lived couple of blocks off the school. His parents taught in the same school and lived in the school staff quaters. Nagwang's mother was in Nepal while his Dad served in the Indian Army. So he lived along with his sister across the street. His dad occasionally visited for month or else but Nawang despised him for a drunk. Last summer, he was hospitalized for a week,after being laying in the drain for hours untill the local milkman found him. He visits his mother during the winter and summer holidays and although their parents weren't, divorced yet they lived separately while Nawang and his sister lived in Mussoorie for their studies.In school, teachers labeled them mischievous brats, yet Mrs. Thapa, their science teacher surprisingly adored them. Nagwang, Tashi Tsering and Chemi studied together and were friends since their childhood. Tashi entered in fifth grade while Nawang failed in 6th grade to join them. Passionated about football Tsering and Nawang where were strong athletics yet were academically, only capable of Bs and Cs. Chemi on the other hand was a born mathamatician and excelled in Physics and Tashi was a diligent student who always had his homework on time.
The next day in the class, their yesterday's trip and was the talk of the day. A small grouped cluttered around two benches where Nawang and Tashi sat."The water was freezing cold yet we plunged in. Tashi tell them how cold it was" Nagwang bekoned Tashi with a nod. "It was fun though. We swam around and ya, you know we even discovered a small water fall on the other side of the stream." and Tashi kept elaborating how they dived in from the rocky cleve. "When did you guys get back ?"interrupted Tsamchoe with her head placed on the desk and attentively listening. " Ya, it was really dark and we were wearied too. Tashi almost gave up when we reached the humped loop around the village." Nagwang responded while Tashi vicariously started thinking of that. At the loop, Tashi obliviously scurried back to the stream to get his wrist watch. The other three hilariously laughed as after moments he exasperatingly returned back to tell that.his watch laid at the bottom of his bag. The stentorian bell rang the next moment ceasing their conversation as others drifted back to their seats. Chemi was still expeditiously racing through with his pen copying down the notes from the other day. His silkily hair partitioned from the side incessantly fell in front of his eyes while he hastily copied. "You need to copy that faster before Miss Renu gets in the class." Tashi said inspecting Chemi's scraggly writings. "five....five....just 5 more lines"Chemi stutters without looking at Tashi and further perfunctorily paces. Nyima relieves herself from a simmering giggle which Chemi hardly even notices. Dorjee across the bench next to Nyima gazes at her slumberously, and yawns. Dorjee was covertly known as the piggy of the class as he spent more time sleeping the the class than studying. "Renu madam, Renu madam's coming" whispers Dolma to the class sitting right next to the door. Like in all other classes, she and her deskmate were like female gazelles bekon's or a predator by flickering her tails. As Chemi scribbles, Mrs Renu enters and the class stands and melancholily sings out "good mooorningggg madamm..." 'Good morning class, sit down" responds Mrs Renu in her strong embedded indian accent. This was the routine greeting every teacher received,which altered from morning with afternoon after the lunch break.Like all Indian female teachers Mrs. Renu was urbanely dressed in a orange Sari and carried a scintillating purse with her. Her hair silkily flowed behind her back and as she sat down her chair, her falcon eyes falls on Chime. Yet she overlooks and goes on taking the attendance. Most refer students by the numbers assigned to them although Mr Aggarwal out english lecturer , senses it demeaning the students and calls us by our names. "Roll no one, two, three she goes on untill 12. She calls again "roll number 12" No one answers and the suddenly" Chemi shrikes "Yes Mam!" She sterns at him through her faint tinted glass, sighs with dismay, and goes on. Chime hasn't been paying attention busy copying the notes and scrubs his head ,a sign of a very typical CSTian. The school has its own eccentric behavioral signs flourishing in the well established student body. If someone felt shy or embrassed, like getting castigated or standing front of the crowd, ignore whether it was a boy or a girl in CST navy blue, red and blacked stripped tie, they would infallibly shy, drooping their head and start convulsively rubbing. Its isn't an intense scratching or scrubbing that would take place, more like feeling the scalpel by placing your hands on your head. Some used only a hand, while others rub with both.This was perceived as a feeling guiltiness, shyness or what ever occasion it fit in and it aided Chemi this time. Nawang sigh with relief while the rolling counting went on. By time Chemi had proudly finished copying the notes utterly neglecting Mrs. Renu's fastidious nature when it came to handwritings. The morning first period with Mrs. Renu lecturing on 1857 first war of Indian independence and didactically making the class repeat the significant dates and names to be remembered. Through her lectures, Dorjee constantly dozed,Pelmo got lost in her own reveries and while Tashi keenly took notes on her lectures Tsering and Nawang sat next to each other, and pretentiously nodded everytime Mrs. Renu looked at them. Commencing a Monday class with a prosaic lecture wasn't very refreshing start.
Classes went on like that. The day summer session was divided into seven periods as they called them.School commenced at 9 am and each class was 35 minutes. Four in the morning with a short recess ten minutes recess in between while the afternoon session went three classes.
After Mrs Renu left, Mr.Wangchen enter the class. He wore a translucent yellor shirt, a grey pant, and an ostensible looking Dr. Martin shoe. Mr. Wangchen had his sister in the U.S whose often during New Year endowed him with gifts and clothes. His entrance was much more relaxed. The tense atmosphere with the air filled with silence was now much unrestrained and incessant chattering arose amongst the girl's three row after he sat down on his chair. "Agh. you girls, can you be quite while I go through your home work?" he moaned while placing he black chalk box and his bag on the table. For the next few moments the chatterring ceased yet soon intesified with girls from the third row merging in. It was more like a small mutimedia company agglomerating into a bigger company. His class commenced by reviewing the Buddist ten merits and demerits and by having each of the one clamorously read. When it was Tsering's turn, he paused, stuttered and read a word and again stuttered every two words he read untill Mr Wangchen unable to bear it call him to stop. "I did better than last week though" Tsering whispered to Jamphel while sitting down, moving unsteadily while his hands were still on his head. Jamphel in contrast composed songs in Tibetan. He had a dulcet voice, and his written and reading comprehension was remarkable as sweet as his tone. That was the reason why Tsering sat with Jamphel during the Tibetan class. The class session ended with Science period as the last few minutes neared, Dorjee now anxiously waited to go from the class. "Uuff, what isn't the bell ringing? Its already time to go out." he murmured to himself and continuously kept tapping his figures. "Hey stop that man. You always do that at the end of class" whispered Tsewang who looked with disdain at him. Mrs. Thapa had just made the conclusion of how the acid lead battery worked when the bell rang. All of the sudden, the silence that prevailed in the class was disrupted with chairs creaking, slamming of desk and indistinct prattling. "All right. Well we stop here today here.But answer the questions on page 162, and don't forget to summit your lab assignments tomorrow" Mrs Thapa declared raising her voice. "Yes Madaaamm" echoed in the class the next moment like a band of conscripted army replying back to their captain in a war zone. Instead of vociferous bombs explosions and rapid gun firing here it was a different war zone of students scurrying from classes like prisoners on escape. Uhmm sighed Mrs. Thapa while the class emptied in minutes after the ring.
"Hey Tashi, bring you bat and your tennis ball. I shall wait for you at the ground with Dhundup, losel,Nagwang and Chemi. Come fast, unlike last week when come call you." Dorjee loudly screamed from a distance while Tashi carried his huge bag teemed with books.
"Where are going to play ? I may be a little late though and can't promise. If mom's not at home I will surely see you at the ground. Or else if you want to get the ball and the bat, you can come up to my house."Tashi replied while halting from Tsering. "Look at him man. During the class, that bloke sleeps like a log and right after class, he seems as if fire is running through" Tsering quietly whispered while Tashi let out a faint giggle. The school suddenly overflowed with blue uniforms every where while students ran in all different directions.
"Tashi ! Tashi !" came a call amid the students. Tsering elongated his arms and pointed towards the school office. It was Tashi's mother, Mrs. Choden. She taught history while teaching english nursery lines was here passion. " I am having extra class. So buy milk from lala Suraj,and don' forget this time." She said walking walking towards the school office. "OK" replied Tashi waving his hands. "See me at the ground. I will bring both my ball and my bat and be in the ground is less than a minute"Tashi said preparing to run up to his house. "Alright. Be there on time though"
Tashi's house was exalted on a small platform, situated on the way upto Herni Hill, where the girl hostel was postioned. It was a fine run up the hill and Tashi habituated himself with a short cut through the road. Primarily, it was used a a sliding zone during the winter. For Tashi, it served a shot cut as he darted up on the path.
Tsering and Chemi hastily switched into their casual clothes."Aghhh, who took my red tennis shoes? "Screamed Dhundup. Some one from the other room complained his friend has soiled his coat, the Tsering left, stood two boys from second grade querulously blaming each other for the missing marbles. And while Dorjee meticulously combed his hair, Nawang arrived in the hostel. " Hey I decided not to back home. My sister is having her extra class, so I can play" he excitedly said while his face changed on entering the room. The windows were wide open yet still, the fetid odor of shoes had penetrated the whole room. Seeing the gradual change in his fissure, Tsering and Chemi incessantly laughed and went on with their conversations as they were inured to it.
Once Tashi got to the play ground, Tsering sprang forward to grab the bat. Tsering wore a blue T shirt imprinted, I love NY. His hair was well gelled and his face gleamed in the sun. Nawang enthusiastically came forward. He still wore his uniform and a a streak of blue line razed up on his immaculate Tshirt. Earlier during the class, khando recklessly inked that streak of blue line while vehemently shaking her ink pen during Tibetan period. Khando had the sweetest smile any one had. Nawang just acted as if it was nothing as she timidly said sorry. Back in the playground, Dorjee had already gathered his team and while Tsering enthusiastically practiced bowling, Chemi was making his own team. "All right, I have my team ready. Who bats first?" Dorjee brandishing his arms moved forward to Nagwang with his team. "Well ask Tsering or Tashi. Tashi who our team?" inquired Nagwang. Tsering approching Chemi said to him."Chemi are we done?" "Alright, Tashi, Dhundup, I , Tsering, Losel,Palden and andNagwang. "Chemi declared with the list in his hands.
The match started off with Nawang's team batting first. The wirl of dust that rose every couple of minutes utterly bothered while they zealously carried on. The local milkman stopped to cheer the teams and a small like crowd had gathered on the side of the play ground. On Tsering's team, Nagwang and Palden scored the highest. Everytime they scored, they would shout in triumph.The game went on but by the time other other team got to bat, it was already 530. One last shot and the bell rang."Agh, comon comon, throw the ball." groaned Lhamo. 5.30pm was prayer time. Sluggishly, the players walked away from the playground. Tsering ran towards Tashi and said if he needed help carrying the ball and the bat back."Na, I am fine. Oh, do you know when will the school cricket tournament start?" Tashi asked while removing the wooden wickets . "Uhm, I actually need to ask our P.T instructor. But I will have you in my team for sure. Well, I will see you tomorrow in the class. We can talk more about it then" Tsering said. Nawang was still in the ground when Tashi was leaving. Earlier, it was only the blue streaked ink. but now it was almost impalpably covered in dust and dirt. "Man, Acha(sister) is going shout at me. It the first day of the week and I already soiled my shirt." He complained while wafting off a fly.They parted off at the water tank. Nawang scurried back to his house pondering if his sister was already back. It was five o'clock when Tashi got back home. With his glasses toppled on his nose, his dad sat outside reading the newspaper, his second wife. Thats what Mrs Choden called it. Besides that obituary and the sports section, he zealously read every page . "Where were you till now?"His dad inquired still looking at the newspaper. "Just down the playground with classmates."Tashi replied placing down the bat under his box full of books, and heading on for shower. "Oh did you bring the milk?"Mrs. Choden comes forward from the kitchen and while his face turns sour for it was the third time he forgot it again.
to be continued......