Edge Of Seventeen

13. Pure Drama

"Come and get your answer sheets as I call out your name!", Loukya mam said.

"I'm a goner", I whimpered to Riya who was sitting on the bench like it was a throne, looking least perturbed.

"Why do you say that?", Riya snapped "Have you never failed before or what?"

"I don't know what is wrong with you people these days! You won't get into any college if you go on like this. And it's my head on the block! I have to answer the Principal. I fully expect more hardwork from the next revision exam or I'm calling all of your parents. Now come and get your answer sheets!"

And then to our utter dismay, she began reading out the most atrocious answers from each paper for the whole class to listen before handing it over to concerned person.

"Abeer, please tell me how exactly is it possible to obtain cyclohexanol from benzene?"

"Er..it's not possible ma'am", Abeer said innocently.

"Then why have you written that rubbish here? Oh God!"

Abeer had had enough. Before Loukya mam could read any further he leaned forward and scooped up the paper from her desk.

"Take it! Take it and throw it in your house dustbin", Loukya mam said angrily and moved to the next paper.

"Maya Malhotra. Failed again! I don't understand how you can write two sentences for an essay question. I feel like resigning from my job!".

"I feel like she should resign from her job too", Reyansh muttered next to Mishti. I broke into giggles. Even Mishti had to smile.

"Now look at this people", Loukya mam was saying "When the alkyl and aryl amines react with nitrous acid, a dope compound called N-nitroso amine. It is yellow. Not yellow like SpongeBob but yellow like Nicki Minaj's hair in Starships. A dude called Libermann came up with this super cool discovery which is why...who is the hell is this?!".

Loukya mam flipped over the paper to see the name.

But I already knew. Only one person in our class was capable of such cheek and sure enough the next second Loukya mam thundered, "Riya Dixit!"

Riya stood up and sashayed over to the teacher's desk, got a slap on the cheek and came back clutching the paper looking she had just won a beauty pageant. If you asked me, she got away pretty lightly.

After all the papers were given, Loukya mam looked around the class in unconcealed distaste. It looked like she was debating whether or not to throw another diatribe at us.

"Mishti Kanwal remains the only one in this class to get a centum in Chemistry since last year. Come here dear", she finally declared and beckoned to Mishti who was now pink with pleasure.

Mishti walked up to the teacher's table and we watched enviously as Loukya mam pulled out an enormous bar of Diary Milk Silk from her handbag and handed it to Mishti.

"Just come here for a second Mishti. Let me smack you across the face", Riya drawled as Mishti came back to her bench looking highly pleased.

Mishti merely stuck out her tongue as she carefully placed the Diary Milk into her bag.

Riya rolled her eyes and leaned back on the bench while I stared at my answersheet feeling depressed. I imagined trying to conceal from Riya and Mishti that I had failed the boards and instantly resolved to work harder.

My chain of righteous thoughts was disturbed when Riya screamed next to me, "AAAAARRGH!"

"What?", I asked turning to her. I was not the only one.