Ankita’s hold on his hand loosened as they drew closer and halted before them. The first thing they spotted were the bruises on Punit’s face.

Raj held his son’s face and assessed the damage, while Ratan studied Anki and Punit.

Noticing the elders, Anki’s bandmates inched closer.

“What happened?” Ratan finally asked.

“Sibal and his gang beat him up, uncle,” said Jyotsana.

“There were six of them,” Bruno informed.

“He never got the chance to attack him these past years, ‘cause we were around most of the time. But today, we had practice with Mr. Andrews. So, he took advantage of it. When we… Anki and us… got there, they’d already messed him up.” Edwin sighed.

"And you did nothing?” Raj shot at his son.

“I tried, but there were six,” Punit reminded quietly.

“Next time, don’t stand there like a mutt and take all the hits. Give them hell whether one, six, or twelve. Do you understand?”

“Yes, papa.”

Though Raj sounded strict, it was obvious that his son’s state stung him.

“After that, we took on those guys, we murdered them, and then, Mr. Shah tried to punish us, instead of them,” said Jyotsana, “Anki tried to stop him, and he… slapped her.”

A pained silence followed.

Ankita’s eyes went round as her heart dropped to her guts. He didn’t have to know that! She never wanted him to! She knew how much it would hurt him. The deadly silence told her that he already was. She wanted to confirm that he was okay. Just one look at his face would tell her, but she didn’t have the courage to. When she finally worked it up to meet his sharp gaze, she found his eyes studying her, clearly, with a lot of agony in them.

That was the moment every bit of resolve and courage crumbled. Throughout the ordeal, she’d tried her best to stay strong-headed like always, not to cry though she was on the verge of it a couple of times, seeing the hurt in her father’s eyes rammed through the last barrier and stung her heart.

Punit, whose attention ping-ponged from Ankita to her father, and back, noticed red, hot tears brimming in her eyes.

Shit... is she crying; he wondered and leaned over to get a better look.

She stood with her head hanging low and her eyes on the ground, as if desperately wanting to hide her tears from the world. Her cheeks, eyelids, and nose shone scarlet red from the struggle she put up to get a grip on herself. As the tears spilled over, she hastily swept it away while struggling to stop her face from crumpling up.  

Damn, she’s crying, he realized with a crushing feeling in his chest. “Anki…? Hey…” he cooed and nudged her in the side. Her hand trembled, and he reached out and held it to comfort her with a gentle squeeze.

It only broke her further.

“Hey, shh, listen, come on…” His chest and throat hurt that he could barely talk. Seeing her so broken and defeated made him weak in the knees.  He felt helpless. Guilty! How he wished there was a magic charm to cheer her up, but all that he had at the moment was a squeeze and gentle strokes with his thumb to her hand.

Mr. Ratan tore his eyes away and nodded his head as if determined to fuck the whole world. “Okay…” he finally uttered and returned his glassy eyes to his daughter. “You don’t worry, okay? Everything’s going to be alright. Trust me on this. Okay, baby? Hmm?” He gave a few comforting pats to her tear-stricken face.

Mr. Ratan couldn’t do it anymore or hang around for another second. His daughter was hurt and humiliated, and it was killing him inside.

“Don’t worry, darling, we’ll sort this out, cheer up!” Punit’s father, Raj, joined in comforting her. 

Mr. Ratan turned to Ankita’s bandmates while trying to look unaffected. “Your parents not here yet?”

“On their way, uncle, they’ve been informed,” said Jyotsana.

“Good,” he said and turned to Punit’s father. “Shall we, Raj?

“Sure,” Raj answered, pausing to give Punit a slight nod.

Edwin, Bruno, and Jyotsana stood around and watched the men disappear into the Principal’s office. When they turned back to Ankita, they found her hiding in Punit’s chest and seeking comfort while he held her close, stroked her now and then, and whispered sweet, consoling nothing’s into her ear.

A smile appeared on their lips. Seeing these two together always did that to them, especially now. 

***

That day, there was an uproar in the Principal’s office, so much that the entire school kept mum and listened to the conversation.

Mr. Ratan, Raj, and the other parents could be heard roasting the Principal.

“Who gave you the bloody right to lay hands on my daughter? Did I! This is NOT why I’ve sent my girl here. Get that straight! If you have any issues with her, call me up. That’s what I’m here for!” Mr. Ratan’s angry voice rang from the Principal’s office.

“Teach your girl to behave, and then maybe no one would lay hands on her,” followed Mr. Shah’s response.

“Teach your master’s son first! IF you have the spine! IF you have any bit of self-respect!” Mr. Ratan barked back.

The victims of Sibal’s bullying episode – Punit, Ankita, Edwin, Bruno, and Jyotsana huddled outside the office with eyes as wide as gooseberries.

Punit goggled at Ankita in horror. The loud voices were scary. It also reminded him of where she acquired her temper from. Anki and her dad were very much alike. She was bull-headed, stubborn, wild, and aggressive, just like him. On the other hand, her mother was too sweet and gentle, so unlike her.

As for Punit, he really didn’t know if he had anything similar to his parents. Their temperaments were so different, and so was everything else. Why was it so? It was a question that many wanted to be answered.

He could hear his father too in between. “That brat and his goondas have been torturing and threatening my son and other students for years. He was so traumatized, and he never even told me about it! I pay his fees every semester so that he could get kicked around like trash!”

The ‘meeting’ went on for hours. The parents almost swallowed Mr. Shah along with his chair. But it didn’t end there. The dark secrets of the school and its management were reported to the media, the school and its management were sued after that. But alas, justice wasn’t served as usual.

Without further ado, their parents got them transferred to a quiet, new school in town. It was a startup but decent enough. At least, the kids were safe and were assured love and respect.

***