Arjun's POV :

On Saturday morning, we had a revision test after which the parent teacher meeting was scheduled.

After the test, we went and met up with our parents and waited together to get our turn to meet Rekha mam. Pooja had not turned up for the test and Ananya kept scanning around for her.

I stood in the queue infront of the classroom, unable to meet my parents eyes and fidgeting nervously.

I was distracted by the sound of Ananya shrieking, "Oh my God! Poo is finally here!". Pooja ran up to us and threw her arms around Ananya, as if they were meeting after fifteen years, not fifteen hours.

Please! Both of them have bitched about each other to me a hundred times but every morning when they met at school, they behaved like long lost sisters. Actually, more like lovers.

Pooja's parents knew ours well and soon we all got talking.

When I and Ananya walked into the classroom for our turn with mom and dad, I was practically shivering.

But I needn't have.

Rekha mam played sweeter than ever and did not tell a single thing to my parents. Even mom and dad were surprised and went on asking her repeatedly if she was sure that there was no complain with me.

"He's very smart. Just a bit playful. I'm sure he'll come around by the time of final exams", she said.

When we came out, I couldn't believe it. I had gotten away with it! The last parent teacher meeting of my life was over and I was not in trouble. The Gods had finally shown their benevolence to me.

Okay, I was too quick to say that.

My parents walked on ahead in front of us while, me Ananya and Arav jogged behind when we were stopped by our games teacher, "Where are your ID cards?"

"Sir it's not an official working day!" I groaned.

"I don't care. I'm noting down your names. I need a fine tomorrow".

"Sir I have my ID", Ananya said pulling it out from her pocket.

"Okay you can go" he said stiffly and added, "while I have a word with your brothers".

Ten minutes later, me and Arav joined

"Me and Arav are strong minded. Ananya is a weak duck. She let some loser yell at us".

"That's not how you talk about your games teacher, Arjun!" mom scolded, "And how's it her fault if you two came without your ID's?"

"But we've lost our ID's"

"Seriously how many times is it possible for two human beings to lose the same thing?" Ananya commented.

"I'm sure it's not lost. Did you look inside the washing machine?" mom asked.

"Yes" Arav answered, "And also under the bed, in our wardrobes, in Kuhu's cage, all my uniform pockets and the bathroom sink. Only the toilet seat is remaining".

"For heaven sake, you and Arjun pay the fine tomorrow and get new ID cards!" dad said.

"Ananya really could have given one of us her ID card. The old fool never scolds the girls. We guys are the scapegoats. I wonder if it's because he picks on the girls".

"Arjun!" my parents scolded in unison from the front seats.

"Alright, alright. Just kidding", I said, "Don't scream on my face now. I deserve some good treatment. You didn't get a single complaint about me this time".

Mom turned around and looked at me glumly "I was wondering if it could be because you bunk all your classes and your teacher doesn't even know you".

I scowled at her, with Ananya and Arav's stifled giggles being a convenient background music.

On Monday morning, we had a model practical session in Physics. But on the same evening, I had planned to go for an audition for a show organised by Music City Club of which I was already a member. If I got selected at this audition, there was a chance I might actually be able to tell my parents about my ambition and if they saw that I had been selected, they might realise that this was my thing. There was a lot of "mights" in this scenario but still I couldn't let it go without giving it a shot.

So I ended up preparing for the audition all evening, and didn't have time to touch my lab manual at all.

I made sure to go and fall at Rekha mam's feet for saving me during the parent teacher meeting. She looked very flattered but didn't let me go without a earful.

"Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Arjun" she said firmly, "You're being given a great amount of licence by your parents. Why do you want to take advantage of it?"

I spent the next five minutes apologising to her endlessly and promised to behave better before running upstairs to the Physics lab.

Our entire class was seated in rows on either side of the corridor like it was a feast at a wedding ceremony. Only thing, you wouldn't see people looking so gloomy at a wedding feast.

Books lay open on everyone's laps. Some people were already filling ink in their pens, some were loudly reciting the readings trying to memorize them, some people were having a hurried breakfast and some hero had already spilt tomato chutney in front of the lab like a floral decoration.

I walked up to Ananya whose head was buried inside her record notebook, she looked up when I went near, "Did you fall at Rekha mam's feet?"

"What do you think?", I grinned.

"Really? What did she say?"

"I'll tell you later. Are you reading?"

"Yup"

"Read loudly, I'll also listen" I said as I sat down, "And see, I have to show you something".

"Yes?"

I put my hand inside my bag and pulled out the newest addition to my belongings.

"Specs?!" Ananya burst out.

I nodded as I took the pair of glasses and pushed them up the bridge of my nose.

"You are mad!" Ananya said. Before I could answer, there was a loud interruption.

"Hey people! I haven't learnt anything! I'm going to fail. Hope you do too!"

"Pooja!"

"What?" said Pooja coming and sitting literally on top of us, and instantly burst out "I overslept in the morning, didn't have breakfast, started from home late, reached school late and oh yeah, I left my record at home!"

"Hard" I said sympathetically.

"I know right. Tell me, can this day get any worse?"

"Actually it's about to" said Ananya jerking her head towards the end of the corridor. Our physics teacher was walking up to us. He was looking exactly like Lord Voldemort.

"I am dead", Pooja mumbled and then looked at me, "Why are you wearing glasses by the way?".

"These are just plain glasses", I explained "I'm wearing them to give the teachers an intellectual vibe. You know, to give them a feeling that I'm a nerdy innocent kid", Ananya cleared her throat loudly in the background, I ignored her and continued "I'm really desperate to please the teachers right now. Almost, none of them approve of me. It was a narrow escape for me at the PTA. Who knows how long I can go on like this? I've been living dangerously for a while now".

"What?" Pooja asked, baffled "Living dangerously?"

"He has lost his mind", said Ananya dismissively from behind, "He's been roaming all around the city in the hot weather without listening to anyone, hasn't he? It's finally happened. The sun has melted his brain".

"Silence children!" our teacher said, "Now put down your books".

"If I die inside the lab, just finish watching Money Heist on my behalf", said Pooja.

There was a great deal of shuffling of feet as everyone got up.

"Pick up your writing materials and come inside", our teacher said and walked into the lab, almost tripping on the chutney in the floor. He looked so hilarious and it took all my will power to not crack up.

But for the next one hour, I barely felt like cracking up. I got some stupid experiment and I was made to stand infront of a device. I had no idea what it was or how it worked.

My teacher saw me fumbling and came to help me.

"What? Don't you know how to do a simple experiment? You've been coming to this lab for so long! Now listen, look in carefully and tell me where the needle is going?" he asked.

"Umm..I think it's going up" I said foolishly and received a smack on the head.

"What do you mean UP? Tell me the number!"

"Err..it's 50..no 60"

"It's 65", he said irritably.

"Yeah I was going to say that" I mumbled.

"Going to say? When? Next year?"

I tried to look apologetic.

He sighed, "Now take the remaining readings quickly, finish the experiment and get out of the lab".

"How did it go?" Pooja asked anxiously when I came out after finishing.

"Rubbish", I said "He tried to help me but I couldn't take a single reading. So I just made up some stuff. I don't think he was convinced though."

"This is why you should have learnt by taking your own readings in class", Ananya said with a frown.

"He let me go anyway. I count that as a win", I argued.

"It's not a win Arjun. How will you do the board practicals if you go on like this?" she swelled at me in a manner that uncannily resembled mom.

"Drop it An. Your brother has survived so much right? He'll survive that also" Pooja said, "You're brother is one of the smartest people I know"

"Aww!" I said "Want to hook up?"

"What? I'm still here you two" Ananya snapped.

I couldn't stop beaming.

However for the rest of the day, I barely beamed.

I ended up fighting with a guy outsider the audition room and was so pissed that when I have my audition it was a total flop and I came back home in a foul mood. Fortunately, only Janvi was at home.

"Where were you?", she asked as I peeped into her room "I thought you had NEET class?"

"I went for an audition", I said walking into the room.

"Wow! How did it go?" Janvi asked as she hovered around the room sorting her clothes.

"I bombed it".

"Oh", she said very quietly.

I sighed and sat down on the bed.

"Its okay Arjun", she said in a transparent attempt of pacification "if it contributes to growth it can't be considered failure."

"I know", I said.

Just then, her phone rang loudly as she ran to pick it up. She looked up at me "It's from your NEET class! Why do you people give my number everywhere?"

"Because you're our only saviour. They must be calling to find out why I haven't gone. You have to save me! Please!"

Janvi frowned and put the phone on speaker and placed it on the bedstead. She moved to the mirror and started combing her hair, "Hello?"

"Hello. We're speaking from Adyar NEET coaching center. We wanted to inform you that Arjun has not turned up for class. Is he at home", the guy asked with the air of a CBI officer.

Janvi looked up at me and pouted. I gave her a beseeching look.

"No he's not at home. I've no idea, where he is and I've not seen him since morning" said Janvi.

There was a pause "Oh okay", said the guy on the line, "If he comes home, kindly send him to the tuition".

"If he comes to the tuition, send him home", Janvi said innocently and cut the call before the guy could respond.

"Thanks" I said gratefully.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do about all this".

"You better figure out soon" said Janvi seriously as she went up to the bedroom door and pulled it open, "I'm not sure I can lie for you again".

Then seeing my woebegone expression, she softened, "It's okay Arjun. I'm sure you'll get out of this, right. Now come, I'll make us some noodles".

That made me get up and follow her out.