Page 31 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

I paused in sobs. “Did you say Lopon?”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “He won’t beat you now.”
“Tell him you didn’t find me, please,” I said.
“He wants to talk to you.”
“I don’t want to see him, please.”
“Please don’t worry.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Come, please.”
I traipsed after him into the classroom. “May I come in, Lopon?”
Lopon nodded with a weird face. I settled down in my seat and kept my head low. The bell rang. As
Lopon shuffled out, we all rose. “Lopon Kadrinchen la!”
He turned back and said, “Dorji Wangdi.”
“Laaa!”
“Come,” he said.
My heart leaped as I slogged after him. “Drat, why don’t you strangulate me?”
Outside, he tucked my bloodstained sleeve and stroked my tousled hair. “You shouldn’t have done that.
I will make sure Mr. B.N. Batarcharjee bears no grudge against you.”
His words of wisdom hurt me more. So, before he finished, I sniffled and scuttled back into the
classroom.
Rhadhey Shyam said, “Did he beat you again?”
I shook my head and covered my face and sniffled as much as I could.
The next day, Mr. B.N. Batarcharjee walked into the class, lifting his chin. He grinned as he wrote on
the board. “Copy this, please.”
I frisked my satchel. “Pema, I lost my pen. Can you lend me one?”
“Please write, Dorji,” said Mr. B.N. Batarcharjee.
“Sir, he doesn’t have a pen,” said Pema.
“Oh, never mind,” said Mr. B.N. Batarcharjee, plucking out a Mitsubishi pen from his shirt pocket.
“Here.” His teeth gleamed as a big grin spread across his face. “Don’t hesitate. Use it, please.”
I couldn’t refuse him, but I can’t remember if I returned his pen.
Back home, Dad scowled at me. “What do I hear?”
“Hear what?” I said.
“That you went against a teacher. How could you go?”
“Who told you?” I asked, mouth wide open. “I did nothing.”
“Got beating?”
I remained silent for a while, tapping my feet. “Yes, Dad.”
“How bad?”
“I became senseless after he slapped me,” I said, tears welling in my eyes. “There was blood all
around.”
His glaring eyes turned sympathetic. He stroked my hair. “I am just a security guard. Nobody would pay
heed to our complaint, son.”
“It’s okay, Dad. It was my mistake.”

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