Ominivars : Romence of the Light.

।। श्री: ।।

Gupta Sir’s voice rang out over the prayer ground, cutting through the silence like a knife.

Gupta Sir (mockingly): "The prayer is nearly over, Prince. It’s time for you to complete your punishment. Or do you want to keep all of us waiting so we can’t start the day?"

The entire prayer ground seemed to freeze as all eyes turned to Prince. The weight of a hundred stares pressed down on him, each one filled with judgment, curiosity, or worse—amusement. Prince felt his heart sink into his stomach. His body refused to move, rooted to the ground by shame. What terrified him the most wasn’t the punishment itself—he was used to that by now. No, it was the thought that Nishu Ma’am was watching him. Of all the people here, she was the one he never wanted to see him like this.

Prince (thinking to himself, panicked): “Why does this have to happen in front of her? Just imagine she’s not here... come on, get through this, Prince.”

His thoughts spiraled, but Gupta Sir’s voice broke through again, more sarcastic than before.

Gupta Sir (smirking): "What’s the matter, Prince? Lost in thought? The prayer’s over. If you could kindly bless us with your performance, we’d all appreciate it."

Prince could feel the heat rising to his face, anger bubbling up inside him. He wanted to shout, to tell Gupta Sir to shut up, but he clenched his fists instead, forcing the rage down.

Prince (thinking angrily): “This isn’t new. I get punished every day... Just imagine she’s not here, get it over with.”

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. Then, in one humiliating burst, he shouted:

Prince: "Kuk-doo-Koo!"

The prayer ground erupted in laughter. The students’ giggles filled the air, and even a few teachers couldn’t suppress their smirks. Gupta Sir stood there, his face filled with satisfaction as if he had just won a personal victory. For him, this was peace. Prince, on the other hand, felt his stomach twist as humiliation washed over him.

When the laughter finally subsided, Gupta Sir clapped his hands sharply to get everyone’s attention.

Gupta Sir: "Alright, enough. Everyone to your classrooms."

The crowd slowly dispersed, the giggles dying down as students shuffled toward their respective classrooms. In the middle of it all, Prince stood motionless, feeling the sting of their stares. He could still hear the mocking laughter echoing in his head. His chest tightened, and he fought back the wave of shame that threatened to overwhelm him.

Among the dispersing crowd, Govind watched from a distance, shaking his head.

Govind (muttering to himself, disappointed): "I told this idiot not to be late again."

He, too, turned toward his classroom, leaving Prince behind in the now mostly empty prayer ground. Only a few students and teachers lingered. Prince felt utterly exposed, as though the ground beneath him might swallow him whole. His body was still tense, his breath shallow. He never imagined it would be this hard.

As the remaining crowd thinned, he noticed Nishu Ma’am watching him from a distance. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and then she turned away, walking briskly toward her classroom. The sight of her retreating figure made Prince’s heart sink even further.

Prince (thinking, disheartened): “She saw everything... I’ll never be able to face her again.”

He waited for a moment, letting the silence wrap around him like a cold blanket. When he was sure the coast was clear, he stood up, shaking off the dust and embarrassment, and slowly began walking toward his classroom. His feet felt heavy, every step a reminder of the humiliation he had just endured.

Just as he was nearing the entrance, a voice called out from behind him, laced with teasing.

Voice: "Hey, hero! What a performance! Seriously, man, that made my day!"

Prince didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. He recognized the voice immediately. He stopped in his tracks, bracing himself before turning to face the two boys approaching him—his best friends, Keshav and Vikram. Both were dressed in the same school uniform, but like Prince, their appearance was far from neat. Shirts untucked, ties missing, and shoes scuffed from the punishment they had just finished—cleaning the school toilets. They looked rough, but behind their mischievous smiles was a camaraderie that only long-time friends shared.

Keshav, the taller of the two, placed a playful hand on Prince’s shoulder, grinning.

Keshav (mocking playfully): "What happened today, huh? You didn’t wait for us to join the fun? I heard someone turned into a rooster—too bad I wasn’t there to see it!"

Prince shrugged off Keshav’s hand, giving him a deadpan look.

Prince (flatly): "Do you really want to know?"

Keshav, sensing the seriousness in Prince’s tone, raised his hands in mock surrender.

Keshav (laughing nervously): "Okay, okay, no need for the details! We’ve got class anyway."

Vikram, the quieter and more thoughtful of the two, stepped forward, concern flickering across his face.

Vikram: "You alright, man? I heard Gupta Sir really laid into you this time. Made you do the punishment in front of everyone."

Prince glanced at Vikram, his expression softening slightly. Vikram had always been the more caring of the trio, often acting as the voice of reason.

Prince (nodding, with a sigh): "Yeah, I’m fine."

Before they could continue, the bell for the first period rang, and the three friends exchanged quick looks before rushing toward their classroom.

---

As they walked toward the classroom, Prince’s thoughts drifted back to his friends.

Prince (thinking to himself): “Keshav and Vikram... My best friends since junior school. We’ve been through everything together. Keshav’s always been the joker, 17 and full of mischief. He wasn’t always like this, though... I guess Vikram and I influenced him over the years. Vikram, on the other hand, used to be the troublemaker. But now, he’s the calm one, almost like an older brother to us.”

These thoughts gave him some comfort as they entered the classroom. Inside, the chatter of students filled the air. There were 23 students in total—13 girls and 10 boys, including Prince, Keshav, and Vikram. The trio made their way to the back of the classroom, where they always sat. Prince settled in the middle, Vikram by the window, and Keshav on the other side, despite Keshav’s playful attempts to switch seats.

As they sat down, the banter between Keshav and Vikram continued, though their voices were low to avoid the teacher’s attention.

Vikram (with a grin): "So, Prince, what’s the excuse this time?"

Prince glanced at him, the events of the morning still fresh in his mind.

Prince (quietly): "I left home early... but the road—"

Before he could finish, Keshav cut him off, smirking.

Keshav (teasing): "Let me guess... You were busy checking out some girl again, weren’t you?"

Prince shot him an annoyed look, shaking his head.

Prince (gritting his teeth): "No, you idiot. I was on time, but that c**kblocked me."

Vikram (raising an eyebrow): "You mean Harish Kumar?"

At the mention of Harish Kumar, Prince’s face darkened with anger

.

Prince (growling): "Yeah, him. That arrogant idiot didn’t let me in."

To be continued......