'...kuch bhi hota hai'

'Hamare school mein kuch bhi hota hai; aur sab kuch sach hai,' said Shreya. Shreya talks. She needs a listener. She has put an ad in local papers. Response thin. On Thursday, Rama birthday, she cornered Ajoba in the sofa, talked. To ease the listening, she put in eats and drinks bought in Singapore. Her sister, Chiyu, is deep into eating anything the doctors protest with icecreams dipped in chocolates her choice. We were having cups of Walls strawberry icecreams with some foreign jams and were wowing...no talking. Yet, through the wowing Shreya came across. In her class is a student, Ravi, who has made some sort of a happening, never happened. In the final exam of Class 6, Ravi has no scores. The computerised report card reads: ZERO. Against every subject: ZERO. It did not impact Ravi. Ajoba never had so many zeros all his life. Marks did not matter. Football goals, as Ravi is a Barca fan and plays the game more than reasonably well. He has never missed a goal, Shreya said and added, that is if he is ever allowed near the goal. Most school teams fear Ravi. Mostly, Ravi kicks the ball out of the ground, in frustration. He is made that way. The class teacher wrote out complaints on his diary, requesting his parents to make a visit. Never did Ravi show the diary to his parents. The class teacher mobiled his mother. She came and told the teacher outside the class room: Please do anything to him. He does not listen to us. My husband is afraid of  him. Teacher said: But Ravi is your son. Mother came back: My son plays football at home, has left nothing uncracked. The Ravi issue rode up to the school principal in a confidential file. She has ordered a retest in all subjects. Now Ravi visits Shreya regularly to pass into Class 7. 'Kya karoon,' Shreya asks a nodding Ajoba. He thinks, not a possibility. 'Let him play football. Send him to Messi,' he suggested. Shreya responded: 'Ajoba pagal hai.' When the door bell squealed, in walked Ravi with a birthday cake for Aji. And Aji hugged him, Mohanlal style in Snehaveedu. Ajoba thought the talk was over. But Shreya did not turn off. She talked of a Ravi revolt and not something happening in Kashmir. Morning classes started. English teacher walked in, a strict, grim lady. Opened a yawning Shakespeare and some boring Thou art, silly poetry, when from the last bench flew a call: Kowa (crow); followed caws. Lady Teacher turned grimmer. Stared over her specs (she is a crow, says Shreya) when the entire class of 40 girls and boys, screamed in unison: Kowa, caw, caw... A temper losing point. The entire class is ordered out of the class including Shreya. They walked out. Some sat on the veranda while others strolled to the canteen. A few, including Ravi, went home. Laughs all over.  Ajoba asked: What did you do, Shreya. Me walked out for vada pavs. Chiyu listening to the Shreya show said: Wish our class teacher turns us out.