Ekam turned slowly. Standing before him was Aarav. He was tall, fair-skinned, and leaned with a sharp, calculating energy.
"Main naya admission hoon," [I'm a new admission], Ekam whispered. "Aur tum?" [And you?]
"Aarav (No. 2)," the boy replied with a smirk. Ekam's eyes dropped to a metallic tag on Aarav's shirt: No. 2.
"Ekam Sanjeevan," he replied. "Ye tag kya hai? 'No. 2' ka matlab kya hai?" [What's with the tag? What does 'No. 2' mean?]
Aarav didn't answer. He pushed the door open. "Hallway mein khoye hue pilla jaise kyun khade ho? Andar aao. Jungle se milo." [Why stand in the hallway like a lost puppy? Come in. Meet the jungle.]
The classroom fell into a violent, sudden silence. Forty pairs of eyes locked onto them.
"Oye, sab suno!" [Hey, listen everyone!] Aarav's voice cut the air. "Ye naya ladka hai, Ekam Sanjeevan. Ye mera dost hai. Isse waise hi treat karna." [This is the new guy, Ekam Sanjeevan. He's my friend. Treat him like it.]
Aarav led him to the back. "Bhai, itna khade rehna pasand hai kya? Aise lag raha hai jaise bhoot dekh liya ho. Relax kar." [Brother, do you like standing that much? You look like you've seen a ghost. Relax.]
"Main... main kahan baithunga?" [Where... where will I sit?] Ekam asked.
"Choti baaton ki chinta mat kar," [Don't worry about small things], Aarav said. "Mere dost peeche baithte hain." [My friends sit in the back.]
At the back row, Raju (No. 3)—built like a tank—and Shrivastav (No. 7) were asserting dominance. Raju's predatory gaze landed on Ekam. He crowded Ekam's space.
"Jharkhand, haina?" [Jharkhand, right?] Raju sneered. "Lagta hai is shirt ke niche muscle hai. Dhekhte hein asli hein ya sirf dikhava. Utaro ise." [You look like you've got muscle under that shirt. Let's see if it's real or just for show. Take it off.]
Raju reached for Ekam's button. In a heartbeat, Ekam's hand shot out, clamping Raju's wrist like a hydraulic press.
"Maine kaha... mat karo." [I said... don't do it.] Ekam's voice was a low, guttural growl.
Raju's face contorted in pain as his skin turned purple. Aarav's eyes widened; he didn't see a victim—he saw a weapon.