The school was a large single house, with just three rooms and two bathrooms. There was no proper building, only a home-like shape that the villagers had adapted for classes. Despite its simplicity, it was the center of learning in Nandipur — and of chaos when Arko Singho was around.
One morning, the students arrived to find something unusual in the classroom. A piano.
Arko's eyes grew wide. "What is that, sir?" he asked, inching closer like a cat. "Why is it here?"
The Headmaster, standing tall with a serious expression, said, "I bought it for morning prayers. After the National Anthem, we will sing songs, and this piano will accompany us."
Arko tilted his head, staring at the shiny keys. "Sir… after the songs, can I… play it?" he asked innocently, bouncing on his toes.
The Headmaster frowned. "You? Play… the piano?"
"Yes, Sir! I promise! I'll make the music sound like birds and cows talking!"
The class burst into laughter. Even the Headmaster tried to hide a small smile.
"Arko Singho," he said slowly, "you are the Grand Lord of Mischief. But the piano… is not a toy."
Arko bowed dramatically. "Yes, my lord of keys and music! But one day, I shall play it and make the cows dance!"
The Headmaster shook his head, muttering, "This boy… I swear he will give me gray hairs before he turns ten."
True to his word, after the morning songs, Arko tried to sneak his hands onto the piano.
"Sir, can I try just one note?" he whispered.
The Headmaster crossed his arms. "One note, and only one."
Arko's finger pressed a key… and immediately hit three more accidentally, producing a chaotic mix of sounds.
"Sir! Listen! It sounds like a frog singing in the rain!" Arko exclaimed.
The Headmaster sighed. "No, Arko. That… is not music. That is chaos."
"Exactly, sir! I am a… Chaos Composer!"
The classroom erupted in laughter again.
Another thing about the Headmaster: during playtime, he always told the students to clean the grounds. He joined them as well, sweeping leaves, arranging benches, and picking up trash.
Arko, of course, had other plans. While pretending to sweep, he would fling leaves in the air, chase chickens, and sometimes even hide in a pile of dust to surprise classmates.
"Arko Singho!" the Headmaster called. "Why is there more mess than before?"
"I am… uh… helping the dust move to new places, sir! For… air circulation!" Arko replied innocently, hiding behind a broom.
The Headmaster could only groan. "I should have known…"
Despite the rules, the piano, and constant cleaning instructions, Arko remained curious, mischievous, and unstoppable. Yet, even in the midst of chaos, the Headmaster began to see a spark in him — a mix of energy, creativity, and curiosity that no rule could contain.
By the end of the day, as Arko ran past the schoolyard with a handful of leaves in his pocket and a grin on his face, the Headmaster muttered under his breath, "One day, that boy might either become a genius… or drive everyone completely mad."
And for now, that was enough to keep Nandipur School lively, chaotic, and completely Arko-proof… or at least, they would try.