School Redux

Moments Apart

"Oe, how long are you going to sleep?" Dawa shook Neeraj, who was showing no signs of waking up.

Dawa's voice carried a mix of amusement and exasperation as he tried to rouse the sleeping boy. Neeraj mumbled something unintelligible, burying his face further into his arms.

"Neeraj, wake up," Dawa insisted, giving him another gentle shake. But Neeraj seemed determined to cling to his slumber, his breathing steady and deep.

Dawa sighed, running a hand through his own tousled hair. Did he find himself a sloth as a new deskmate?

As Dawa extended his hand toward the sleeping boy and pinched the smooth skin on his cheek, Neeraj let out a grunt of protest, swatting weakly at Dawa's hand before retreating further into his slumber.

"Dude, seriously?" Dawa chuckled at Neeraj's sleepy antics.

With a resigned shake of his head, Dawa decided to give him a few more minutes of rest. After all, waking up a sloth-like sleeper was no easy feat.

He reached for his account notebook, deciding to make the most of the extra time. Before he knew it, the last equation was neatly written, and Dawa glanced at the watch to find that only five minutes had passed.

He held his chin and stared at the sleeping face beside him. He was not in a hurry to get back to his room, where no one ever visited. He was looking forward to going back to his hometown and meeting his parents on the coming holiday.

His eyelids became heavier with increasing seconds. He thought that it didn't matter if he took a nap for a few minutes.

Dawa soon fell asleep leaning on the chair, his head finding its place on Neeraj's back.

After some time, a sudden burst of laughter from the hallway startled the two people who were sleeping awake.

Dawa frowned as he felt the pain in his neck. As soon as he raised his head, he was greeted by Neeraj's owlishly blinking eyes.

Dawa laughed and stretched his stiff muscles. He looked at his watch and saw that it was already fifteen minutes since he had fallen asleep, and he was woken up by students who were going back home late.

"Let's go." Dawa smiled at the frozen teenager and zipped his backpack.

Neeraj shoved the books into the corner of the desk and grabbed his backpack. "Were you waiting for me?"

Dawa slowed down his steps and waited for him to catch up. "Umm. I thought that you would sleep here for the night if I didn't stay with you."

Neeraj's eyes widened in surprise, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. "It's not that bad." he mumbled, shifting uncomfortably.

Dawa eyes stayed on the red cheeks for a moment before he averted his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Neeraj replied, his voice barely above a whisper. His usual irritable expression was nowhere to be seen, he looked soft and cute.

Dawa was very surprised under his calm surface. "That's good."

Dawa waved his hand to Neeraj, who was standing at the school gate, refusing to budge. He took the hint and said "See you tomorrow."

Neeraj stood still there until Dawa's back was no longer seen.

Dawa soon reached home. He slowly walked up the dark stairs and took out the key to the room. He opened the door and walked inside.

As Dawa stepped into his room, he was greeted by the faint glow of a single, flickering light bulb hanging from the ceiling. The room was small, barely large enough to accommodate a bed, a small desk cluttered with textbooks and papers, and a rickety chair. A worn-out rug covered the cold, creaky floorboards, offering a semblance of warmth.

With a heavy sigh, Dawa dropped his bag onto the floor and slumped onto the bed.

Despite the comfort of the bed, Dawa found himself restless. He reached for a well-worn notebook on his bedside table and began to write, the scratch of pen against paper echoing softly in the quiet room.

Hours passed, the only sound in the room was the rhythmic ticking of the clock. Eventually, fatigue claimed him, and Dawa drifted into a restless sleep.

As Dawa's eyes fluttered open, he was greeted by the dim light filtering through the curtains of his small room. The hunger pangs gnawed at his stomach, reminding him of the meager meal he had skipped the night before.

He rose from the bed and rummaged through the small cupboard in the corner of the room, finding only a few stale bread crumbs and an empty can of beans.

As Dawa's hunger intensified, he remembered the small stash of Satu tucked away in a tin container atop his cupboard.

Quickly, he poured a generous portion of Satu into a bowl and added a splash of hot water from the kettle on his desk. Dawa took a spoonful of the warm Satu and reached for the water.

As Dawa finished his breakfast, he felt a sense of relief that he didn't have to venture out to buy groceries on an empty stomach. Despite the grainy texture of the Satu, he appreciated the convenience it offered, especially on mornings when he lacked the energy to cook.

Dawa went to the bathroom and freshened up. After drying off, Dawa retrieved a fresh set of school uniforms from his wardrobe. With a final adjustment to his collar, Dawa glanced at himself in the mirror, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

He was ready for the day. He locked the room, and he walked down the stairs unhurried.

"Going to school?" A fat woman who was sweeping the storefront greeted him with a warm smile. Dawa nodded, returning her smile with a polite one of his own.

"Yes, Auntie. Off to school," he replied.

"Good, good. Study hard, young man." An old man sitting on the chair reading a newspaper encouraged him.

Dawa acknowledged the old man with a respectful nod and a grateful smile. "Thank you, Uncle. I will," he replied earnestly.

He was in a good mood, he walked toward the school with his hands in his pockets. The neighbors were very nice and friendly, it was always a good thing to be greeted nicely by someone when one lives alone.

"Neeraj Dada, Should we bunk today?"

Dawa glanced at the narrow alley tucked away from the main road, its entrance concealed by branches and the shadows of nearby buildings. It seemed like the perfect spot for troublemakers to gather, away from the watchful gaze of passersby.

"Yeah, there is a holiday tomorrow for the exam, so let's do it today."

"The teachers are paying attention to me these days." Neeraj's voice confessed, but it still sounded nonchalant.

"From when did you start to fear teachers?"

"Exactly. I don't want to go to school today. Lets go Neeraj."

Dawa saw Neeraj surrounded by three boys from section 'B' and he only knew one of them. He was the same one who was seen with Neeraj when he played a game with him for the first time.

Dawa's gaze was drawn to Nischal's hand, where a cigarette lingered between his fingers. Then he noticed that all of them were smoking together.

The conversation ceased as they saw Dawa, who was staring at Neeraj. He watched as Nischal brought the cigarette to his lips, inhaling deeply, the embers flaring bright against the darkness.

He saw that Neeraj was ignoring him, and he didn't even look toward him after the first glance.

Dawa pursed his lips and turned around, going back to the path to school. He was greeted by his friends as soon as he got into the classroom.

Dawa looked at the empty seat beside him as the bell rang and knew that he would be alone that day.