3 September 2025
A fine morning right in the middle of the week. Raghav came panting inside his classroom just on time. Sweat-soaked as always.
He walked past Draupadi's bench. Raghav couldn't stand near the first bench for more than a couple of seconds as he was allergic to it.
Draupadi looked up at him, "Holy …", she stammered, "Why on earth did you shave your face again?"
Raghav shrugged, "Just thought why not?"
Draupadi scorned, "Why not remain a hairless blub who has no probability of romance within the next decade?"
Raghav combed his hair with his hand and furrowed his brows, "Hairless?"
Draupadi stood up, "Of everything I said, only 'hairless' mattered right?".
He has certainly mastered the art of annoying her.
Raghav started walking to save his throat from being bitten off, "Where's Hanu?"
Aditya rolled his eyes, "No idea. Pretty sure he isn't dead."
Raghav sat on his bench near Aditya's, "I won't be so sure"
Aditya turned towards him, "Why? Did his not-so-good politician father sell him to a random businessman like he sold his conscience earlier?"
Raghav bit his lips, "He proposed yesterday."
Aditya adjusted himself uncomfortably, "If he's dead, you're the sole reason."
Raghav whispered, "How? It's like saying J.P Morgan and Eoin Morgan are cousins."
Aditya leaned forward, "Aren't they? First of all, who are they?"
Raghav clenched his teeth, "I asked how I am related to Hanu's death"
Aditya rolled his head, "You laid his path to that devil in the first bench."
Raghav reassured, "Chill, dude. He's just absent."
Draupadi came and sat near Aditya, "I watched Dune yesterday."
Aditya shrugged, "Bene Gesserit watches Dune."
Raghav added, "After you met Hanu on your way home."
"So you knew it?", Draupadi turned towards Raghav.
"What did you say?", Raghav leaned forward.
Draupadi cleared her throat and answered coldly, "I said that I never saw him as a boy. You guys are more like a family to me."
Aditya smirked, "Hanu just wanted to become your family!"
Draupadi placed her hand on her cheeks, "Those are not same."
Raghav replied, "But you could have been warm. That's too cold."
Draupadi said plainly, "Being real is more important than being warm."
Aditya started, "When a person loses their warmth, we heat the body in a pyre and call it a funeral."
Raghav deduced, "A dead person is a cold body. And the law works vice versa."
Aditya added, "Sure. But what about cold-blooded animals dude?
Raghav laughed, "This law holds good only for humans."
Draupadi interrupted, "You boys can't talk about a topic for five minutes straight."
Aditya smiled, "Girls gossip. Boys doodle in the fabric of thought."
Draupadi questioned, "Why are you invoking heat and temperature here?"
Raghav laughed, "Everything is interrelated. Like you think you're hot and that makes your heart cold."
Draupadi was ready to kill them and reserve a seat in the juvenile jail. But the teacher entered the class and saved the catastrophe.
That evening
Raghav and Aditya went to Hanu's home. It was three-storeyed house where Hanu's room was in the second floor. Aditya screamed, "Hanuuu…"
Hanu looked out of his window. Raghav sighed. He came down running towards them.
Aditya placed his hand on Hanu's shoulder, "I can understand."
Hanu looked puzzled, "What? You thought I didn't come to school 'cause she rejected my proposal? There are bigger perils."
Raghav raised his eyebrows, "Your father, right?" Perhaps, he had some good skills.
Hanu nodded, "Yeah", he paused, "It's getting worse between my parents."
Aditya asked, "Why can't your mom dump that brainless son of a -", Aditya was stopped by Raghav's deeply condemning look. Aditya hesitated, "If that's the only way out." Raghav gasped.
Hanu replied, "My mom is too Indian to get a divorce."