… 

India. 

Tamil Nadu. 

Chennai. 

A crappy primary school run by control freaks.  

That’s how I would describe my school.  

Here in Chennai, we’re in the top 10 in ranking, but that’s because of two things: grade inflation and selective testing. If those two weren’t in play, we would be dead last for middle schools in the state. The school provides “extra” classes, which are taught by those same teachers, like one of the language teacher actually teaches six other subjects.  

And selective testing!  Oh Lord, this is basically grifting where the teachers pick the best testers.  

… 

… 

..  

“And that’s why, you have to work harder on your testing Mr. Ravi”. 

“Yes, sir”. 

“Don’t “Yes, sir” me! You haven’t done much to prove that you want to be in our class. So, every week, I expect a self-report from you! Do you understand?” 

“I do sir”. 

The overly controlling man in front of me, a burly light skinned man from Punjab state, such a hairy and smelly man. And those glasses seem like it is clouding his vision, his sweating out his own glasses! 

  

‘Why do I have to suffer’. 

My grades aren’t that bad, just in the middle. The man in front of me, thinks I'm a hidden future Einstein figure, that’s impossible when you think about it since Einstein was one person in the face of two billion during the 1910-40s era. Right now, the planet should have 8 billion so that means only 4 Einstein’s and that’s if the planet had similar socio-economic and industrial conditions of Germany during 1880, so most likely the planet only has two. What's the chances of someone like me, who lost money out on microtransactions scam? 

 

“Get out you fool! you're not even listening! Get that report in next week or else”. 

“Okay, okay” 

I ran out of the classroom and jumped out the ledge and began the long walk home. 

I live outside Chennai, so it going to be a rather bitter journey. 

Going down the regular route, I jump between taxis and cars. Circulating through the many passerby's. Jump past people running around. Seriously, city life is too hectic and crazy. 

I jump onto a bus going outside the city to the nearby district. One hour journey. That’s what working class looks like. 

 As I stared at the scenery passing by me, the angry customers yelling at vendors, people running in and out of stores and supermarkets. The university students waddling out to restaurants and the many people smugly looking at their fellow passersby with contempt, I’m reminded of my earlier home. When I was a child, my father and mother died, the died in a accident. My aunt took me in and moved me from my Tripura home to Chennai , but I wanted independence. So I started living with my aunt’s husband who commuted to work.  I have to visit my aunt every week, since she thinks, I might try to estrange from them. 

They are not bad people, honestly the textbook definition would be them. But I just want to be alone, I think this might be some childhood phase and I’m hoping it smooth itself out. 

My parents died and I have to accept that reality, nothing will bring them back. I have to accept and survive. I went to their tomb, to drill it into my head. Yet, I still am reminded of those days. I just turned 11 year and it happened when I was 8. Why can't I just move on. 

I want to live a life worth living, why do I have to suffer like this. I want to survive. As I deliberated on my thought, my eyes skimmed over the endless scene of the mass of people trotting through the streets, the train station packed full running and dumping and running again. The sky was a peach color, it's almost sunset. As the scene repeated itself, with the many people moving and buildings changing. We were stopped in traffic; something caught my mind. 

A man. 

A man staring at me. 

It was so weird because usually I see people looking past me or through me, yet he stared right at me. A strange colored man, everyone here has the skin of a cherry tree bark. Yet this man had the strangest color I have ever seen. His skin was pink. 

Pink. And no clothes, just sumo wrestling underwear. 

‘ What the……is it some kind of circus’. 

I stared at him, and he stared at me. What a strange person, but I’m winning this staring contest. 

‘I’m pretty confident; this man is a criminal or a scammer. Did aunty sell my information. She is a good person, yet she constantly gets scammed. How do you get scammed by men wearing fedoras and tattered suits, have you seen the movies, aunty!!!’ 

My anxiety shot through the roof when I thought over my aunt’s supernatural gullibility. The man stared and then raised in fingers and then…… 

Snap. 

I heard a snap and looked around, that had to be the loudest one I have ever heard in my life, I mean right now it filled with city noise. Yet through all that I heard somebody snaps their fingers. 

A dangerous thought bubbled up. 

“Wait a sec”. 

I looked back at the man. 

 The man suddenly wasn’t there anymore. There wasn’t that many people, yet clearly, he wasn’t there, just an old telephone pole stood there. 

‘ Okay, please god I do not want to die!!!’. 

Usually this would be an omen, right. What in hell’s name. I’m so scared, before I go home, I’m dropping by the temple. Seriously what the hell!! 

…. 

… 

.. 

After the bus stopped at my home district, I paid the fee and jumped out, running with the force of everything I believed in. 

My god. 

That was clearly an omen of death, why! 11 years is clearly not enough. By God, I just discovered gambling games. As I ran with all might to home, I heard a snapping sound. I stopped dead in my tracks, the fear took over, I have never felt this scared in my life. I’m going to piss my pants. 

‘I just bought this’. 

As I sadly ruminated over my depreciating financial worth. 

Snap. 

“Isn't that louder……”. 

A terrifying thought poured cold water in my mind. No way, right! I turn around slowly. 

Turning. 

I’m so scared! 

As I looked at the empty prairie with the road in front of me, there it stood. It stood there proudly, flagellating its fat stomach. 

The pink man! 

“Stranger danger!!! Stranger danger!!!!”. 

I booked it, I ran with all my strength. 

“What the hell!” 

I looked back. 

“Oh hell no!!” 

It was running after me, its fat stomach gyrating with insane precision. It was literally stomping its way through the road. Is this some cartoon, how in god's name is a morbidly obese man running with such speed! 

It was gaining speed. 

‘As a Hindu, my beliefs hold string against your adversity’. 

I steel my thought and laugh at this man’s foolish action; you will tire yourself out. 

The man was smiling and began licking his lips. 

Horror.

“Jesus, Buddha, spaghetti monster, help me!!!!!” .