It was lunchtime in school.A soft buzz filled the classroom — students whispering, pointing, giggling. At the center of all the attention sat Arjun and Priyanka, side by side, laughing at something only they understood.
"Hey! Have you noticed how close Arjun's gotten to that girl lately?" one classmate whispered."Yeah, they're always together now. Something's definitely going on," another chimed in.
Arjun leaned slightly toward Priyanka, his voice low."I don't know what's happening… I've never opened up to anyone this much. It feels strange, but nice."
Before Priyanka could reply, a tall boy from the back stood up, glaring. He walked over and growled,"You. Get up. Meet me at the last bench. Now. I need a little talk with you."
Arjun was confused but calm. "He doesn't even look strong… I could take him down if it came to that. But let's not make a scene," he thought."What's the matter? We can talk there," he said, standing up.
He followed the boy to the back, where a group of boys sat — clearly waiting. As he reached them, their expressions changed from casual to confrontational.
One sneered, "What's going on between you and her?"Another mocked, "Stay away from her, skeleton."And then a third boy spat out, "You son of a b*tch!"
Arjun's fists clenched, his jaw tightened. His voice trembled with rage."I'm not forcing anyone to sit with me. She talks to me because she wants to. And you—how dare you insult my family?"
The laughter that followed was mocking, cruel."Aww, look at the sweet little boy getting angry—"SLAP!
Everything blurred after that. Arjun didn't hold back. A fight broke out. Fists flew. Blood spilled.
TRRRR… TRRRR… The bell rang. Students screamed and backed away. Two boys lay bleeding on the floor. Arjun stood nearby, his hand cut and blood dripping. His friends rushed in with bandages.
Their English teacher walked in, shocked."Good afternoon—WHAT IN THE WORLD?!"
She looked around in horror."What happened here?"
Disha stood up immediately."Ma'am, those boys were bothering Arjun and saying disgusting things about Priyanka and his family. He just lost it… and then this happened."
The teacher frowned, "Still, beating up two students? Why didn't you come to me or any teacher?"
"No, ma'am," Disha interrupted. "He did this alone. His friends just came now."
"Alone?!" the teacher repeated, stunned.
Arjun stepped forward, holding back tears."Ma'am… please don't inform my parents. I'll accept any punishment you give me. But please, not my parents…"
She paused. Her heart softened. She had always seen Arjun as a calm, sincere boy. She gave a small nod and a forgiving smile."Just go wash up," she said gently.
School ended.Arjun went home, quickly making up a fake story in case anyone noticed the bloodstains. Luckily, his mom was asleep. He washed the shirt and lay beside her, pretending all was well.
Two hours passed.
Suddenly—CRASH! A glass flew past him."Aah! That was close…"SMASH! Another glass hit him straight on the head.
"Ow! That really hurt!"
He sighed, "And now… Mom's lecture begins in 3… 2… 1…"
Right on cue, she exploded.
"No one in this house cares about keeping things clean! This boy is absolutely useless! All he knows is playing games! This is what you call a topper? God knows what kind of son this is! Worthless… good-for-nothing…"
Each word hit Arjun like a slap. No one knew what had happened today. No one cared.
Quietly, he stood up and went downstairs. He sat in a corner, his arms wrapped around his knees, tears running down his face.
He whispered to himself:
"Why am I like this?""Why do I mess up everything?""Even when I fight for what's right… I still end up being the bad one.""Maybe mom's right… maybe I am useless.""Nobody sees what I go through… nobody understands.""I just want one person… just one… to say they're proud of me."
And in that silence, with only his own breathing and sobs echoing in the empty room, Arjun cried — not because of the fight, not because of the pain — but because he felt alone
"Please forgive me for being late, and mistakes . because I'm only 14yrs.."