School Bags Vs Exams.

“I hate milk, mumma, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.” Ten minutes later I was wiping that stupid milk-moustache off my mouth.

Today is a big day for me. It’s Prakalp’s birthday and he had promised 3 chocolates to Sahil and me. “Let’s ask for 4,” Sahil had screamed on the phone last evening before disconnecting. If he gets four, I will ask for four chocolates too. I combed my hair and picked my bag up. It was heavier than my younger brother! I hated him too. He gets to sleep till 9 AM every day and I have to wake up by 6, just because he was in grade 3. And he had eaten all Oreos. And he liked milk.

I carried the bag from my room and kept beside the sofa. Mumma had already kept my shoes and socks ready, but they weren’t polished. “You haven’t polished my shoes,” I said, almost angrily.

“And you haven’t prepared sambhar for Idlis that I will be cooking today,” Mom screamed from the kitchen.

“What?”

“You did not cook those 16 chapatis last evening, did you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s your job to get those shoes done. Be happy, that I’m putting them in front of you. Act smart and I’ll complain to Nana”

I still didn’t understand why she screamed about sambhar, but when she stomped out of the kitchen with my tiffin box, her face told me that she was serious.

“What’s in the tiffin?”

“Your favorite! Potato bhaaji and chapatis”

“Superb,” I said. Of course may sarcasm wasn’t wasted, but I was pushing it.

“if you don’t want it,” Mumma said, “I’ll give it to Chintu when he wakes up.”

I snatched the tiffin box from her hand and opened the latch. As I walked out of the door I heard my next door neighbor say a bye to his wife. A minute later we were waiting for the elevator to arrive.

“Exams finished?” he asked me? I mean, who writes exams these days. Old fashioned people know nothing.

“I don’t have exams.”

The neighbor widened his eyes so much, I was almost ready to catch them in my hand if they pop out.

“What, no Exams?”

The elevator slowly crept to the third floor.

“No”

Second and the first floor passed by in silence.

“Well,” he said, “at least my bag is lighter than yours”

We laughed for a second.

“I’ll be getting three chocolates, not you!” I thought to myself. “I should’ve said it to him.”

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Based on a little incident that happened this morning. Given below is the related tweet.