Chapter : 5

Rishav's POV

Three more days to go.

I thought anxiously about the Annual Inter School Cricket League. The final list would be released on the coming Thursday which was three days away. Each passing day felt like a year to me. This particular League meant a lot to me because selectors from the Ranji Trophy Boards would be witnessing the players and will choose the best players for the Ranji Match. It was the only opportunity for me to prove every person who had shook their head in disappointment on hearing my decision of becoming a cricketer. I could prove them all wrong.

"Mr Neil!" Mrs Arora yelled at the top of her lungs.

I jerked back at her loud voice and gulped as my brown gaze met with furious black ones. She was comparable to a fire-breathing dragon, ready to burn me with her flames.

"Care to explain where your thoughts are?" she asked sharply.

"Um..." I thought of a reply but failed miserably.

It was the literature class and I dreaded it the most. I hated the complicated words and phrases that kept on jumping at me. It was a tough subject for me and Mrs Arora's boring lectures weren't helping my situation either.

"I was thinking about the poem that you explained in the previous class," I lied when my brain finally kicked off.

Mrs Arora raised an eyebrow at me and eyed me down as if I had grown two heads.

"Oh, is it? Which poem are you referring to?" she asked.

My jaw dropped. What was the name? It was a Shakespeare but I couldn't recall the name. Something about death... What was it?!

Mrs Arora shook her head in disappointment.

"Maybe Kabir can answer." The literature teacher then turner to glance at Kabir who was perched beside me.

"It was 'Fear No More' by Shakespeare," Kabir answered with hesitance crossing his features, not wanting to show off while his friend got pathetic remarks from the teacher.

Mrs. Arora smiled brightly at him.

"Very well, Kabir. At least someone pays attention to my class," she said, throwing an annoyed glare at me.

I lowered my head, gazing down at the words over my textbook.

"Mr Neil, as a punishment I want you to write a summary of the poem Fear No More and I want it on my desk by Monday morning. No excuses," she said to me. Sadistic teacher. 

"Yes, ma'am," I responded meekly, my head still lowered.

***

"No, I'll manage fine. Don't worry," I said to Kabir as we walked out into the open lawns of the campus.

After the literature class, both Kabir and I had a free period so we decided to go and spend some time with Ravi who also had a free hour. We three used to meet at the lawn and talk about whatever was going on in the campus.

Kabir insisted on doing the assignment about the poem for me since he was well acquainted with the universal fact that I sucked at literature. But I had decided that it was time to do it myself. I was somewhat tired of being dependent on him for completing my assignments in literature. A wave of regret would wash over me whenever I would look at the marks I had scored all because of Kabir's help.

Our conversation paused with perplexed abruptness when we reached the lawns. Our eyes focused down upon a small crowd gathered at the center of the lawn. Some were hooting and cheering and others were recording the ongoing drama on their phones. In short, it looked like a fight had broken out. There was heavy cursing and yelps coming our way as well.

Kabir and I quickly pushed through the crowd only to stare at two figures rolling over the grass, punching and kicking each other. One of them was Ravi.

Exchanging one look with my friend, the both of us then dived in to part the two boys who were ready to tear each other's heads off. I pulled Ravi back and held him facing me by his shoulders.

"Let me at him, Rishav!" Ravi growled but one glare from me was enough to shut him up.

He pressed his lips into a thin line with fury blazing in those brown eyes and looked away with sheer protest. His face was all bloody and his lower lip was slashed open and was bleeding profusely. In all honesty, an injured Ravi was more or less a typical sight. With the way he loses the reigns over his temper and lets it trample everything down its path like a wild horse is a big downfall to Ravi's otherwise charming persona. 

I looked back at the crowd of students who were busy recording the drama. My glare made them stagger back a few steps.

"Show's over. Get out of here before I break someone." I said angrily.

All the students dispersed away in a matter of seconds, whispering and laughing. I then turned all my attention to the guy who was being held upright by Kabir. If Ravi had a few bruises, the guy was in an even worse state with a black eye and the imprint of a punch on his jaw. Ravi could do some serious damage when he loses his calm.

"Get going before I bash you some more," Ravi threatened in a low warning tone at the guy, earning a look of reprimand from me.

The guy staggered and walked out of the campus as quick as he could with a limp. I then turned my eyes back to Ravi who was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with fury, and his soiled shirt making the fight more evident.

"What the hell was that?" I asked him.

Ravi glanced at me with his brown eyes. They were filled with rage; something that rarely made it's way to his calm face. Ravi used to punch and kick and curse all he wanted, but it was all always momentary. The anger would usually blow away like a gust of wind. So when it persists on him, it had to be something serious. 

"That guy was talking shit about Ananya. How could I sit and listen? She hasn't even stepped in the campus and these assholes have already started their nonsense." Ravi said.

Ananya? Oh that impatient princess.

I wanted to say it wasn't a big deal and that Ravi should've ignored that guy but I knew better than to poke the bear, so I just kept silent.

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