KK would have loved to sleep more but his mother was really angry now and he had no choice but to get up. When his mother would get really angry, her voice would start to shake and that was the clue which KK would never ignore, not after what happened to him the first time he had ignored it. That tremulous voice was the very last straw, he knew, and he better get up and do what she wanted to get done. He hit the shower and got ready for his school.
He was in class IV now and so he had to be more responsible now, like his father would always say.
"Now that you have grown a bit more, you should start taking care of your stuff. How can one boy lose so many pencils? What exactly do you do in the classroom, eh?"
This year KK would try harder. He had lost so many things, some of them had been stolen, some of them had been snatched from him. But he could not snitch on his friends.
Anyways, the school would be a bore. His father accompanied him to the bus stop and he checked AP, AK, TD and they were all sleepy too, bored also, hopeless lot. He looked at his father and found that his face was extra serious now. The moment his father would step out of the home, he would acquire this stupid seriousness on his face, maybe to deter other people from talking to him. Anyways, his father was a softie. KK always hid behind his father when things got ugly. He knew his father would always support him.
When the bus came, KK had to be the first to get in the bus. Ha! Just beat that upstart 5 years old CC. Trying to beat KK in his own game? Not a chance !!!!
Like I said, it was a normal boring day. But then things got interesting. TD and AK were whispering something. These girls !!!! They would always whisper and make plans, only God knows of what. But then there was shriek. It was not exactly a scream, more like the sound that might come of a dog with a severe throat infection. "kriaaaaa" or something like that.
KK had to turn around and check. It was a problem with him. Anytime there was any sound of a problem and KK had to be there to investigate and to satisfy his curiosity. Always !!!
So he turned around, got up on his seat and looked back. AP was as usual trying to ignore everything. He was in Class V now and he really believed that he was more mature and more responsible than others.
"What is in that bag?" KK asked TD. Now TD was a great girl. She could run very hard and she was never weepy about her cuts and bruises. But she had this very quirky sense of humor. Most people simply don't get her.
"A frog"
"A dead frog!!!!" AK squealed.
"is not dead, is very much alive" was TD's response.
Now AP was interested too.
"Kya? you have a frog in your bag!!!!"
KK rolled his eyes. They just kept repeating same thing again and again and called it conversation. God !!!
"Ok. we have established the fact that there is a frog in that bag" KK pompously proclaimed. He loved his voice when he thought he was in charge.
"now why do we have a frog there?"
TD looked straight in his eyes and said "it is a gift for mala madam".
KK lost his voice. Gift my foot, TD had planned something for Mala Madamji. Mala was a new teacher and she was very strict and she was stupid too. She would speak in her nasal voice and she taught Maths to class IV and V. Such an interesting subject was made so oafish, so stupid by her focus on making them memorize everything. KK did not like her but TD actively hated her. TD hated Maths and so hated Maths teacher. And on top of that, having to handle Mala Madamji was too much for her.
KK touched her forehead.
"you ok, right. feeling feverish, eh?" he impersonated his father's most annoying tone. His father would tease him sometimes and then he would use these different tones. It annoyed KK a lot but he was happy to note that it would simply derange his friends. They did not like it a bit.
"stop that" TD thwacked his wrist.
"I am ok"
"someone is not going to be" KK thought.
"but, why do you have frog" AP persisted. He really was a gentle soul, but he would always get caught in these pranks played by his friends and he had to really keep an eye on them. And this frog business was something that alarmed him.
"It is a gift for someone" TD clammed after this little gem.
AP, AK and KK kept asking questions but TD would not respond.
All through the first 2 classes, KK kept wondering. What was TD planning to do? Put that frog in Mala's bag? In her tiffin box?
In the very first break, when he stepped out, he found that there was minor commotion outside TD's class room. He thought may be the deed was done, so he rushed over there and pushed and jostled to get in front, when he saw that Princi was standing over, and then KK began to push and jostle to get to the back of the crowd. Too late.
"Kush, come here".
KK had to step up and he tried to come up with the most distressed looking expression, the kind that he used in front of his parents whenever he would get caught.
"yes ma'am"
"do you know what is going on here?"
"no ma'am". KK wondered on how could Princi ask him these questions. Didn't she see that he had just waddled in.
Now KK looked around and saw TD standing in the corner with books and tiffin boxes spread around her. She was looking very confused. KK marveled at that expression. He would love to do that.
But what happened here?
Then he saw Mala madamji who was in the other corner of the classroom. She was sitting on a desk and she was completely shaken, like she had seen some ghost.
KK's giggle almost escaped him. The sight of Mala madamji, so helpless, so clueless, so scared, was worth all of this.
Princi was looking very stern.
"Come to my room." And she turned towards TD and motioned her too.
The gaping crowd made way for KK and TD as they followed Princi. TP patted KK's back like he had done something grand and TD was still sporting that confused look.
The bell rang and children scampered to their classrooms.
When Princi entered her office, she went straight to her chair. The desk was cluttered. There were files all around, papers and paperweights. There were 2 stained cups, with tea or coffee. The file cabinet was properly congested. Yes, it definitely looked the room of a hassled principal.
"Now, tell me what all you know about this"
KK and TD just stood there. KK waited for TD to begin with some lameduck excuse of a story. But instead, TD started crying softly. KK was aghast. TD crying? Why, she had not even cried when she had fallen right on her face while chasing her brother and her lips were swollen for 2 days.
Through the tears and sobbing, the story came out.
"I don't know, Ma'am" It started with a proclamation of ignorance which was good. But what stumbled afterwards made KK think very hard indeed.
What TD had in her bag was a toy frog. It looked deadly real so she had brought it to school. The idea was not to scare someone or do something stupid. But then Mala madamji found a real frog waiting for her in the desk drawer, which had jumped on her. To her credit, Mala madamji had not shouted but she had gotten deathly sick and had vomited right behind the desk. TD still had the toy frog with her, so it could not be her. But when Mala madamji checked all the bags, she found the real one, alive, very much alive, croaking too, the slimy frog in TD's bag, she had turned out her bag on the floor where TD was left scratching her head as to how her toy frog had suddenly come to life.
" A likely story" said the Princi. " You can display your toy frog right now and I will believe your story and be done with it."
"I can't. The froggie is nowhere to be seen"
Princi coughed at this answer as to imply that she coughed on the answer itself. Very demeaning, KK thought.
And she turned her attention to KK.
"And what were you doing there?"
"Ma'am, but Ma'am, you must have seen me. I was in my class room. I just came there" KK protested his innocence and Princi had to call his class teacher who vouched for him. At this point, Princi let KK go but there was a tinge of regret in her voice and her eyes were like that of a cat whose fish had been snatched from its claws.
KK took a deep breath and left her chamber. What would happen to TD now? Her parents would be called, no doubt. But was TD really speaking the truth?
Only AK had touched the frog and only she knew whether TD was lying or not.
In the second break, KK saw TD in her class room, blissfully eating from her tiffin box. What mental fortitude? KK was knocked over.
When TD saw KK coming over, she looked at him and shook her head 2 times. This was the secret sign. That meant danger was not over. KK swung away from her class door just in time. He saw that Princi was speaking with Mala madamji. A close shave indeed!!!!
AK was not to be found in her classroom. She was not on the stairs. She was not in the lobby. Where was she? While searching for AK, he ran into AP, who was trying to look very sober, like the boy who has just realized that he was older than fools around him. KK came to the point directly
"Oye, AP, have you seen AK?"
Now AP hated someone to call him AP. and that too from someone who was a class junior to him. AP's lips quivered.
"bata na" was how KK exhorted him.
there were some chuckles now. AP was infuriated now. But he spoke slowly like he was expressing anger
"she is over there, in the music room"
"ok, ciao"
KK left AP there with his stupid friends and rushed towards the music room. There AK was talking with some of her friends.
KK barged right in the group and in his breathless voice he asked her
"in the morning, in the bus, when you checked TD's bag"
AK immediately kicked him in the shin and loudly said
"oho, the bag. no I don't have your tiffin box"
KK's brains did a little backflip. What was the problem with her?
Then AK caught KK's hand and said "let us search for it in your bag"
The other girls snickered. Kush's face was flushed with anger now.
what was she blabbering about?
But the moment they had walked some steps away, AK whispered sharply in KK's ears
"what are you doing? do you want to get in trouble?"
"TD is already in trouble. We need to find her froggie or else she would be fried"
"look, I tell you. that frog was real in her bag. she is just telling a story to get out of the jam"
KK thought about it and then shook his head
"nopes, she does not run away. no, she runs directly in them. and you know what, I believe her story. so tell me, was the frog a toy in her bag"
AK looked hard at KK and then closed her eyes like she was trying to relive that experience. KK really loved that. He also wanted to close his eyes and go back in time. But he could never do that.
After a pause, AK said
" I don't know. I wanted to touch the frog but she wouldn't let me"
"hmmm, so then it is her word against an alive frog which somehow found its way to the drawer"
KK checked his watch. He still had 5 minutes. He needed to go in the classroom where TD was sitting. How could he?
"AK, you need to help me. I need to check TD's classroom"
"What do you want me to do?"
They were walking back to the classrooms when they spotted AP loitering around all alone.
"hey AP, over here" KK shouted.
AK had a smile on her lips when AP presented himself, a bit livid, a bit embarrassed.
"do something, AP" AK said. "KK wants to enter TD's classroom"
AP looked at KK and KK thought there was solid respect in that gaze.
"OK. You go ahead. Princi and Mala madamji are in Princi's chambers"
Hooboy, KK thought and raced towards the classroom. When he entered it, he saw TD standing near her desk and looking vacantly all around her. There were some other children too but KK ignored them.
"Where had you kept your bag in the morning?"
He came straight to the point.
TD looked a little lost.
"bag?"
"oh, come on, we don't have the whole day"
"huh, oh yes of course. it was there, why"
"maybe some one stole your froggie"
"probably yes, but how did he put life in it"
KK hated sarcasm. And that too at this hour, when she was looking at a really long haul.
And then the bell rang. KK started moving towards the door when the bell rang again and then again. What was happening? Students who were going in the classroom were now frozen in the lobby. The bell rang again. And then there was utter chaos. Like a ripple, the crowd started to rumble, first at the very fringes, near the door of Princi, and then the waves kept coming closer, the children running helter skelter, pushing other children out of the way, who were pushing others, when suddenly the exasperated faces of Princi and Mala madamji were seen again, who were rushing through the crowd. Who was this desperado?This fool?
KK stayed put in TD's class for some extra seconds and when he felt that all was well, he stepped out and ran to his class room.
He could not focus on the subject at all. His mind kept racing to the frog suddenly turning alive and to the bell which kept ringing. There was no news of anyone getting caught for the bell mischief.
He had to quieten his mind. He raised his hand for loo break. The teacher had asked the classroom to revise the chapters for test tomorrow and she had no problem with his loo break request. When KK walked to the loo, he kept thinking about the days events. When he reached the stairs, he heard the lab assistant protest something.
" I am telling you madamji. I had that frog in the morning. now it is no longer there"
He was talking to biology teacher who taught grade 7 and above. Who were supposed to go to the lab in the morning? KK recalled it was TD's class IVB. So someone who knew TD was carrying a frog stole one real frog from the lab, placed it the drawer and stole the toy frog from TD's bag. Yes, this made a lot of sense. but who?
When KK was returning back to his classroom, he found that Princi was not on the stairs anymore but the lab assistant kept muttering
"if it was not that frog, where would my frog go on its own?"
Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. KK stopped right in his tracks and went back to the lab assistant.
"sir, did you find a toy frog in place of the frog that is gone missing?"
"arre, how did you know?"
"that explains everything. Please bring it to Principal's room. We were looking for it."
And KK marched straight to the Princi's room. She was checking some paper, when she noticed KK.
"yes, Kush, what can I do for you"
always so formal, so prim, KK thought.
When KK explained the sequence of events and when Princi called lab assistant and viewed the toy froggie, her face became very confused first and then she acquired the expression of someone who was completely sick of what ever she was listening to and just wanted it to end.
"oho, so this is that toy, is it" she picked up the plastic frog from the leg and swung it. Of course, it was dead. What was she expecting it to do? Dance on its head?
"call Tanisha"
When TD came to Princi's room, she immediately recognized her toy.
TD got an earful on why she should not have brought such toys to school but it was nothing in comparison to what she would have got if her parents would have been called to school. So it was cool.
When KK returned to his class, his class teacher made him stand in the corner for some time. And then asked for the reason as to why he was so late coming from the loo break. His class teacher was a softie too. She would never punish any child and all children loved her. When KK explained it all, he realized that every one in the class room was listening to his story intently and there were some oohs an aahs too coming from them which satisfied KK. What was the use of telling story if the audience did not like it?
When the school broke for the day, KK was satisfied. There was the mystery of ringing bells, but that could be taken later on. Right now TD's name was cleared and that was good enough for him.
When he reached his bus, he found TD seated with AP and AK and they were discussing the same thing. Who could it be who did this heinous act? And who was the one who rang bells in the break?
The mystery of the bell ringer was clarified in another minute. Some of the senior boys were laughing on the back seat and they kept mentioning bell and lab experiment. It turned out that some students of grade 8 were doing an experiment in the lab where in they had to complete the circuit and ring a bell. But 5 of them kept completing circuit together by pressing their buttons and the combined sound seemed like that of school bell. Of course, they were caught very quickly and had been punished. But it had all become part of school lore and they were all very chilled about it.
So, that was it. That did not require KK's involvement but he had the answer to the question and he was satisfied with that turn of events too.
Now to find out who was the master mind behind TD's frameup?
AK said softly
" I have a plan to catch that guy red handed"
And KK groaned. AK's plans were always out of sorts, weird plans which would get them in trouble. But AP and TD were listening so KK also joined in.
"Tomorrow, we bring this toy froggie again"
KK protested
"what do you want? TD will be kicked out of school"
TD was nonchalant about it
"no, princi will be cool about it. don't want to harm anyone"
AP was trying to act mature
"KK is right. this is a sure shot recipe for disaster"
AK dropped a bomb
"this time KK will carry the froggie"
KK was aghast
"no way, no can do"
TD whacked him gently on his back
"oh come on kiddo, take some risks"
KK did not mind the hit but minded the jibe
"who said I run away from risks? but this is foolhardy.princi will knock me down. did you look at her eyes when I got away scot free?"
TD started laughing. KK joined in.
AK was adamant.
"look here, that thief will try once again same trick. we will get him this time"
So, after a lot of hand wringing and protestations the motion was carried and the toy froggie was placed in KK's bag.
---------------------------------
story meandering now, need to rethink.
He was in class IV now and so he had to be more responsible now, like his father would always say.
"Now that you have grown a bit more, you should start taking care of your stuff. How can one boy lose so many pencils? What exactly do you do in the classroom, eh?"
This year KK would try harder. He had lost so many things, some of them had been stolen, some of them had been snatched from him. But he could not snitch on his friends.
Anyways, the school would be a bore. His father accompanied him to the bus stop and he checked AP, AK, TD and they were all sleepy too, bored also, hopeless lot. He looked at his father and found that his face was extra serious now. The moment his father would step out of the home, he would acquire this stupid seriousness on his face, maybe to deter other people from talking to him. Anyways, his father was a softie. KK always hid behind his father when things got ugly. He knew his father would always support him.
When the bus came, KK had to be the first to get in the bus. Ha! Just beat that upstart 5 years old CC. Trying to beat KK in his own game? Not a chance !!!!
Like I said, it was a normal boring day. But then things got interesting. TD and AK were whispering something. These girls !!!! They would always whisper and make plans, only God knows of what. But then there was shriek. It was not exactly a scream, more like the sound that might come of a dog with a severe throat infection. "kriaaaaa" or something like that.
KK had to turn around and check. It was a problem with him. Anytime there was any sound of a problem and KK had to be there to investigate and to satisfy his curiosity. Always !!!
So he turned around, got up on his seat and looked back. AP was as usual trying to ignore everything. He was in Class V now and he really believed that he was more mature and more responsible than others.
"What is in that bag?" KK asked TD. Now TD was a great girl. She could run very hard and she was never weepy about her cuts and bruises. But she had this very quirky sense of humor. Most people simply don't get her.
"A frog"
"A dead frog!!!!" AK squealed.
"is not dead, is very much alive" was TD's response.
Now AP was interested too.
"Kya? you have a frog in your bag!!!!"
KK rolled his eyes. They just kept repeating same thing again and again and called it conversation. God !!!
"Ok. we have established the fact that there is a frog in that bag" KK pompously proclaimed. He loved his voice when he thought he was in charge.
"now why do we have a frog there?"
TD looked straight in his eyes and said "it is a gift for mala madam".
KK lost his voice. Gift my foot, TD had planned something for Mala Madamji. Mala was a new teacher and she was very strict and she was stupid too. She would speak in her nasal voice and she taught Maths to class IV and V. Such an interesting subject was made so oafish, so stupid by her focus on making them memorize everything. KK did not like her but TD actively hated her. TD hated Maths and so hated Maths teacher. And on top of that, having to handle Mala Madamji was too much for her.
KK touched her forehead.
"you ok, right. feeling feverish, eh?" he impersonated his father's most annoying tone. His father would tease him sometimes and then he would use these different tones. It annoyed KK a lot but he was happy to note that it would simply derange his friends. They did not like it a bit.
"stop that" TD thwacked his wrist.
"I am ok"
"someone is not going to be" KK thought.
"but, why do you have frog" AP persisted. He really was a gentle soul, but he would always get caught in these pranks played by his friends and he had to really keep an eye on them. And this frog business was something that alarmed him.
"It is a gift for someone" TD clammed after this little gem.
AP, AK and KK kept asking questions but TD would not respond.
All through the first 2 classes, KK kept wondering. What was TD planning to do? Put that frog in Mala's bag? In her tiffin box?
In the very first break, when he stepped out, he found that there was minor commotion outside TD's class room. He thought may be the deed was done, so he rushed over there and pushed and jostled to get in front, when he saw that Princi was standing over, and then KK began to push and jostle to get to the back of the crowd. Too late.
"Kush, come here".
KK had to step up and he tried to come up with the most distressed looking expression, the kind that he used in front of his parents whenever he would get caught.
"yes ma'am"
"do you know what is going on here?"
"no ma'am". KK wondered on how could Princi ask him these questions. Didn't she see that he had just waddled in.
Now KK looked around and saw TD standing in the corner with books and tiffin boxes spread around her. She was looking very confused. KK marveled at that expression. He would love to do that.
But what happened here?
Then he saw Mala madamji who was in the other corner of the classroom. She was sitting on a desk and she was completely shaken, like she had seen some ghost.
KK's giggle almost escaped him. The sight of Mala madamji, so helpless, so clueless, so scared, was worth all of this.
Princi was looking very stern.
"Come to my room." And she turned towards TD and motioned her too.
The gaping crowd made way for KK and TD as they followed Princi. TP patted KK's back like he had done something grand and TD was still sporting that confused look.
The bell rang and children scampered to their classrooms.
When Princi entered her office, she went straight to her chair. The desk was cluttered. There were files all around, papers and paperweights. There were 2 stained cups, with tea or coffee. The file cabinet was properly congested. Yes, it definitely looked the room of a hassled principal.
"Now, tell me what all you know about this"
KK and TD just stood there. KK waited for TD to begin with some lameduck excuse of a story. But instead, TD started crying softly. KK was aghast. TD crying? Why, she had not even cried when she had fallen right on her face while chasing her brother and her lips were swollen for 2 days.
Through the tears and sobbing, the story came out.
"I don't know, Ma'am" It started with a proclamation of ignorance which was good. But what stumbled afterwards made KK think very hard indeed.
What TD had in her bag was a toy frog. It looked deadly real so she had brought it to school. The idea was not to scare someone or do something stupid. But then Mala madamji found a real frog waiting for her in the desk drawer, which had jumped on her. To her credit, Mala madamji had not shouted but she had gotten deathly sick and had vomited right behind the desk. TD still had the toy frog with her, so it could not be her. But when Mala madamji checked all the bags, she found the real one, alive, very much alive, croaking too, the slimy frog in TD's bag, she had turned out her bag on the floor where TD was left scratching her head as to how her toy frog had suddenly come to life.
" A likely story" said the Princi. " You can display your toy frog right now and I will believe your story and be done with it."
"I can't. The froggie is nowhere to be seen"
Princi coughed at this answer as to imply that she coughed on the answer itself. Very demeaning, KK thought.
And she turned her attention to KK.
"And what were you doing there?"
"Ma'am, but Ma'am, you must have seen me. I was in my class room. I just came there" KK protested his innocence and Princi had to call his class teacher who vouched for him. At this point, Princi let KK go but there was a tinge of regret in her voice and her eyes were like that of a cat whose fish had been snatched from its claws.
KK took a deep breath and left her chamber. What would happen to TD now? Her parents would be called, no doubt. But was TD really speaking the truth?
Only AK had touched the frog and only she knew whether TD was lying or not.
In the second break, KK saw TD in her class room, blissfully eating from her tiffin box. What mental fortitude? KK was knocked over.
When TD saw KK coming over, she looked at him and shook her head 2 times. This was the secret sign. That meant danger was not over. KK swung away from her class door just in time. He saw that Princi was speaking with Mala madamji. A close shave indeed!!!!
AK was not to be found in her classroom. She was not on the stairs. She was not in the lobby. Where was she? While searching for AK, he ran into AP, who was trying to look very sober, like the boy who has just realized that he was older than fools around him. KK came to the point directly
"Oye, AP, have you seen AK?"
Now AP hated someone to call him AP. and that too from someone who was a class junior to him. AP's lips quivered.
"bata na" was how KK exhorted him.
there were some chuckles now. AP was infuriated now. But he spoke slowly like he was expressing anger
"she is over there, in the music room"
"ok, ciao"
KK left AP there with his stupid friends and rushed towards the music room. There AK was talking with some of her friends.
KK barged right in the group and in his breathless voice he asked her
"in the morning, in the bus, when you checked TD's bag"
AK immediately kicked him in the shin and loudly said
"oho, the bag. no I don't have your tiffin box"
KK's brains did a little backflip. What was the problem with her?
Then AK caught KK's hand and said "let us search for it in your bag"
The other girls snickered. Kush's face was flushed with anger now.
what was she blabbering about?
But the moment they had walked some steps away, AK whispered sharply in KK's ears
"what are you doing? do you want to get in trouble?"
"TD is already in trouble. We need to find her froggie or else she would be fried"
"look, I tell you. that frog was real in her bag. she is just telling a story to get out of the jam"
KK thought about it and then shook his head
"nopes, she does not run away. no, she runs directly in them. and you know what, I believe her story. so tell me, was the frog a toy in her bag"
AK looked hard at KK and then closed her eyes like she was trying to relive that experience. KK really loved that. He also wanted to close his eyes and go back in time. But he could never do that.
After a pause, AK said
" I don't know. I wanted to touch the frog but she wouldn't let me"
"hmmm, so then it is her word against an alive frog which somehow found its way to the drawer"
KK checked his watch. He still had 5 minutes. He needed to go in the classroom where TD was sitting. How could he?
"AK, you need to help me. I need to check TD's classroom"
"What do you want me to do?"
They were walking back to the classrooms when they spotted AP loitering around all alone.
"hey AP, over here" KK shouted.
AK had a smile on her lips when AP presented himself, a bit livid, a bit embarrassed.
"do something, AP" AK said. "KK wants to enter TD's classroom"
AP looked at KK and KK thought there was solid respect in that gaze.
"OK. You go ahead. Princi and Mala madamji are in Princi's chambers"
Hooboy, KK thought and raced towards the classroom. When he entered it, he saw TD standing near her desk and looking vacantly all around her. There were some other children too but KK ignored them.
"Where had you kept your bag in the morning?"
He came straight to the point.
TD looked a little lost.
"bag?"
"oh, come on, we don't have the whole day"
"huh, oh yes of course. it was there, why"
"maybe some one stole your froggie"
"probably yes, but how did he put life in it"
KK hated sarcasm. And that too at this hour, when she was looking at a really long haul.
And then the bell rang. KK started moving towards the door when the bell rang again and then again. What was happening? Students who were going in the classroom were now frozen in the lobby. The bell rang again. And then there was utter chaos. Like a ripple, the crowd started to rumble, first at the very fringes, near the door of Princi, and then the waves kept coming closer, the children running helter skelter, pushing other children out of the way, who were pushing others, when suddenly the exasperated faces of Princi and Mala madamji were seen again, who were rushing through the crowd. Who was this desperado?This fool?
KK stayed put in TD's class for some extra seconds and when he felt that all was well, he stepped out and ran to his class room.
He could not focus on the subject at all. His mind kept racing to the frog suddenly turning alive and to the bell which kept ringing. There was no news of anyone getting caught for the bell mischief.
He had to quieten his mind. He raised his hand for loo break. The teacher had asked the classroom to revise the chapters for test tomorrow and she had no problem with his loo break request. When KK walked to the loo, he kept thinking about the days events. When he reached the stairs, he heard the lab assistant protest something.
" I am telling you madamji. I had that frog in the morning. now it is no longer there"
He was talking to biology teacher who taught grade 7 and above. Who were supposed to go to the lab in the morning? KK recalled it was TD's class IVB. So someone who knew TD was carrying a frog stole one real frog from the lab, placed it the drawer and stole the toy frog from TD's bag. Yes, this made a lot of sense. but who?
When KK was returning back to his classroom, he found that Princi was not on the stairs anymore but the lab assistant kept muttering
"if it was not that frog, where would my frog go on its own?"
Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. KK stopped right in his tracks and went back to the lab assistant.
"sir, did you find a toy frog in place of the frog that is gone missing?"
"arre, how did you know?"
"that explains everything. Please bring it to Principal's room. We were looking for it."
And KK marched straight to the Princi's room. She was checking some paper, when she noticed KK.
"yes, Kush, what can I do for you"
always so formal, so prim, KK thought.
When KK explained the sequence of events and when Princi called lab assistant and viewed the toy froggie, her face became very confused first and then she acquired the expression of someone who was completely sick of what ever she was listening to and just wanted it to end.
"oho, so this is that toy, is it" she picked up the plastic frog from the leg and swung it. Of course, it was dead. What was she expecting it to do? Dance on its head?
"call Tanisha"
When TD came to Princi's room, she immediately recognized her toy.
TD got an earful on why she should not have brought such toys to school but it was nothing in comparison to what she would have got if her parents would have been called to school. So it was cool.
When KK returned to his class, his class teacher made him stand in the corner for some time. And then asked for the reason as to why he was so late coming from the loo break. His class teacher was a softie too. She would never punish any child and all children loved her. When KK explained it all, he realized that every one in the class room was listening to his story intently and there were some oohs an aahs too coming from them which satisfied KK. What was the use of telling story if the audience did not like it?
When the school broke for the day, KK was satisfied. There was the mystery of ringing bells, but that could be taken later on. Right now TD's name was cleared and that was good enough for him.
When he reached his bus, he found TD seated with AP and AK and they were discussing the same thing. Who could it be who did this heinous act? And who was the one who rang bells in the break?
The mystery of the bell ringer was clarified in another minute. Some of the senior boys were laughing on the back seat and they kept mentioning bell and lab experiment. It turned out that some students of grade 8 were doing an experiment in the lab where in they had to complete the circuit and ring a bell. But 5 of them kept completing circuit together by pressing their buttons and the combined sound seemed like that of school bell. Of course, they were caught very quickly and had been punished. But it had all become part of school lore and they were all very chilled about it.
So, that was it. That did not require KK's involvement but he had the answer to the question and he was satisfied with that turn of events too.
Now to find out who was the master mind behind TD's frameup?
AK said softly
" I have a plan to catch that guy red handed"
And KK groaned. AK's plans were always out of sorts, weird plans which would get them in trouble. But AP and TD were listening so KK also joined in.
"Tomorrow, we bring this toy froggie again"
KK protested
"what do you want? TD will be kicked out of school"
TD was nonchalant about it
"no, princi will be cool about it. don't want to harm anyone"
AP was trying to act mature
"KK is right. this is a sure shot recipe for disaster"
AK dropped a bomb
"this time KK will carry the froggie"
KK was aghast
"no way, no can do"
TD whacked him gently on his back
"oh come on kiddo, take some risks"
KK did not mind the hit but minded the jibe
"who said I run away from risks? but this is foolhardy.princi will knock me down. did you look at her eyes when I got away scot free?"
TD started laughing. KK joined in.
AK was adamant.
"look here, that thief will try once again same trick. we will get him this time"
So, after a lot of hand wringing and protestations the motion was carried and the toy froggie was placed in KK's bag.
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story meandering now, need to rethink.
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