"found it"
"finally"
As Kundan takes out a pair of keys from Grandpa's old cupboard.
One key is peculiarly wide and has a strange copper-green colour to it; the other one is a normal black old school key, which can be found in any 20 to 25-year-old house in Assam.
He hears the sound of the door creaking downstairs and shuts the cupboard in a panic.
It is 4 in the morning. The sky is a deep shade of blue, and the birds have already begun their restless chatter. The air is cold from last night's drizzle, and a soft, refreshing wind drifts through the tea fields.
Kundan slips back into his room and lies down, forcing his body still, pretending to be asleep. The door opens, and his grandmother walks in.
A gentle woman in her early seventies, light-skinned, her presence calm and familiar, she steps beside his bed and runs her hand softly through his hair, then leaves.
Kundan takes a sigh of relief. I almost got caught; if Dadu had found out about this, it would have been a big problem.
Why does he always keep these keys hidden?
And I'm sure these keys are of the old house where Dad used to live. Whenever I ask him about the old house, his face becomes pale, and he says it's not the right time.
Kundan mutters, setting a determined look on his face, "Well, it's the damn time when I get my answers, all about the old house and Dad's death".
Morning comes.
He goes through his routine and gets dressed in his school uniform. A light blue shirt, navy blue pants, a striped blue tie, and black shoes.
I hate these clothes,
They are 2 inches longer than my size.
Ma(grandma) does this every time we buy new clothes, almost every piece of cloth I have is oversized, and when I grow into them, they already look worn out.
"Ma, I am not eating breakfast cause I am already late."
Kundan hops on his bicycle and sets off for school.
The weather outside is still rainy, and the wind is howling like a storm is brewing.
Kundan passes through the fields, and suddenly he feels a sharp gaze piercing his back.
He looks behind while slowly peddling, and he sees a tall banyan tree in the middle of the field. Kundan ignores it and moves forward.
Kundan arrives at school.
The school sits on the edge of the city, near the old forest. A 50-year-old campus that looks like it has seen more than it should.
He parks his bicycle outside. The lot is already full.
He walks to the building where the class is.
He walks in, gives a quick greeting at the reception, and heads for the stairs.
His class is on the third floor in room number 315.
As he enters his class and sits on the 4th bench with his friends, the class has 3 rows of 9 benches with a capacity of 3 people each.
Girls and boys have separate seats in class, because some teachers believe that if humans of opposite genders sit together in this tender age, they'll somehow catch feelings towards each other.
Obviously, I don't believe in this crap, I have more important and interesting things in my life than this every 2 weeks new crush phase, Kundan thinks to himself while grinning.
"Who is she?"
"Who is who?"
"Girl, who you are thinking of while blushing like this?" says Kabir, giving a mischievous look.
"Say, say who is she, is she from the first row, the studious one?"
"As I told you before, there is no one like this"
"ok, not the first rankers than the athletic ones, hah!, I knew it"
"No"
"Then, the short and cute ones, Yaoi and smut reading, hand-comparing kind of girls."
"NOOO "
"Then definitely the curvy one. I did not know you were a man of culture"
Kundan exhales sharply. "What part of no do you not understand? Why are you always asking about my love life? There is more to life than this."
Kabir shrugs. "And love is part of it."
Now I understand why the teacher has different rows for girls and boys.
"Drop it. I am already late. Give me the notes from first period."
The teacher enters the class and starts the second lecture.
After the second, third and fourth lectures, the peon rings the bell for lunch break.
Kundan and Kabir leave the classroom and reach the cafeteria.
Each building has its own cafeteria, the kids' building has one shop, the middle school has one stationery shop and 1 food court.
The secondary school's cafeteria has 3 stationary shops, 2 cafes, and 1 mart.
As they walk in, heads turn. Not for Kundan, For Kabir. He has always been like that. Effortless charm, good looks, presence. Even seniors notice him. Which makes most guys quietly jealous
After reaching the cafeteria, Kundan takes a sandwich and a coffee, Kabir takes biriyani, and both of them go to the basketball court near them and sit there and start eating the food.
Suddenly, someone calls them out.
"I knew I would find you two here"
A skinny guy of pale white skin with extremely short hair and with framless obtuse shaped glasses on his eyes, holding a steel lunch box, walks across the court to reach them.
"Hey Arjan, what do you got on your lunch today?" says Kabir as his mouth oozes with water.
"Nothing, just Aloo Parathe and some green chutney"
"No, they are the best in the world, now give me that lunch"
"I knew you would do that, that's why I bought 3 extras, 2 for you, 1 for Kundan. "
"Oh, great sir, very considerate of you to give me one"
"You're going to eat it or not, give me if you don't want it", as Kabir tries to snatch the other one from Kundan's hand.
Kundan slaps his hands off and takes a bite and says, "No thanks, I'll be eating it, and why didn't you bring two for me?"
"You know my mom is a housewife, not a housemaid, right, and if you're that hungry, take mine"
"No. But you owe me a coffee."
"Fine."
Arjan sits down.
"By the way... have you guys heard?"
Kundan looks up.
"People have been going missing around town.