How to Get Suspended Before Lunch..
I swear I wasn't trying to burn the school down.
It was just a harmless prank. A test. A little scientific inquiry into how fast Mrs. Sharma could run if she thought the chemistry lab was on fire.
Spoiler: she can't.
"VEER! PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. NOW."
Ah. Music to my ears.
I strutted past the stunned crowd of students, who parted like I was Moses and they were allergic to me. Rohit jogged up beside me, wheezing like a grandpa sprinting for a bus.
"Bro," he puffed. "You actually did it? The smoke bomb? In her drawer?"
"Rohit, please. I am an artiste."
"You're an idiot."
"Thank you. I try."
Rohit is my best friend, emotional support clown, and the only person I know who treats every canteen meal like it's Michelin-starred. He once tried to bribe a prefect with a samosa. It worked.
As we approached the office, I saw my grandfather—Nanu—already sitting outside the door, sipping tea like this was a Sunday picnic.
He looked at me. Then at the secretary. Then at me again.
"What'd he do this time?" he asked, not even surprised.
"Set off a minor chemical disaster," Rohit offered.
"Only minor? I'm disappointed," Nanu muttered.
Yes. That's the kind of support system I have.
Inside, Principal Verma was already red. Not angry red. Boiled lobster red. The man had a talent for looking like he was perpetually seconds away from spontaneous combustion.
"Veer," he began, in that slow, trembling voice teachers use when they're deciding between suspension and exile. "Would you like to explain why Mrs. Sharma's desk erupted like Mount Vesuvius today?"
I sat down calmly. "I believe in hands-on learning, sir."
He banged the table.
"You believe in terrorism!"
"Well now that's just harsh."
Outside the office, Rohit was already texting the class group:
> Veer just got called a terrorist. We live in a society.
Principal Verma made several threats involving my future, the education board, and possibly Interpol. Nanu just kept sipping tea.
Eventually, I was let go with a warning and a three-day suspension. I was actually impressed. My record was usually one day max.
---
"Bro, we're legends," Rohit declared as we walked out of school. "We should have a Netflix series."
"They'd cancel us after one season," I said. "Too many crimes."
"Worth it."
At the park, we spotted them. The Girl Squad. Riya in the center, as usual. She looked like someone who had her entire life planned down to what font she'd use on her wedding invitations.
"You're going to trip again," Rohit whispered.
"I will not."
I tripped.
The laughter was instant. Riya smirked. "Still falling for me, Veer?"
I lay flat on the grass, staring at the sky.
"Gravity works harder around you," I said.
Rohit dragged me up. "You know she's gonna end up Prime Minister, right? You're gonna be her embarrassing high school anecdote."
"And you'll be the punchline."
"Fair."
---
Later that evening, we were at Nanu's house, sipping overly sweet tea that could cause instant diabetes.
"You boys ever think about consequences?" Nanu asked.
"Only when they catch us," I said.
He laughed, but then got quiet. That wasn't normal.
"Something on your mind?" I asked.
He looked at me, his eyes sharp. "You ever feel like someone's watching you?"
I blinked. "You mean, like, the CCTV cameras I disabled last week or—?"
"No," he said. "Not that. Just... eyes. Always on you. Like your life's not entirely your own."
I didn't know what to say. Nanu had never sounded paranoid before. But something about the way he said it gave me chills.
Then his phone buzzed. He looked at the screen and immediately stood up.
"I have to go," he said.
"Where?"
"Just... be careful, Veer. And if you find a key in your room, don't use it. Not yet."
He was gone before I could respond.
That night, I got a text from an unknown number:
"They know what you did today. You're not ready. But you will be."
I stared at it, my mind racing.
Suddenly, the fire prank didn't feel like the biggest thing that happened today.
And I had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
But I was sure of one thing:
I'd still crack jokes while the world burned.
...