Seth Astill: Church without the pope

Separated brothers of a circus

"Hello class, I am Isha Kora. The class teacher of I.T students, would like to formally welcome you to our esteemed college......" she said and continued.

Seth stopped listening to her after a while, he had been in many seminars to know that this was a time waste. He started thinking about his grounded punishment.

He wasn't grounded anymore, at least not fully. Thanks to his father who was able to persuade Mrs. Astill to lift the punishment, she had agreed with a condition.

The condition was that he will have to help her with housework and never to repeat the mistake.

Seth had agreed to the condition knowing full well that he had no mind of keeping half the promise.

There was going to be delivery soon, he won't miss that in any condition whether anybody liked it or not. He must call Yash to ask when the delivery is going to happen.

Suddenly he was pulled into the present by what miss Isha was saying,

"..........power house is the major part of the syllabus......"

The word powerhouse had caught his attention and he started thinking about the one he had found back in Eze. Xenia had told him that it was a working one that used solar energy to produce electricity and that there were generators all around the place.

GENERATORS, he suddenly thought. He never asked where in the towns were these generators located, it is possible that the man might be using generators to help him power his prank machine. He will have to call Xenia and ask about this.

He saw a new miss entering the class, she was a short and grey lady.

"Hello, I hope you've all understood what Isha ma'am have to say. I am Kashvi Ucchal and I am the class teacher for the Hindi group" she announced in a monotonous voice, "We both are the class teacher here, hope you enjoyed the session. You all can go now"

As if the students were waiting for this they all got up and started downwards. Seth and Parth got up to leave.

Seth went down amidst the crowd of excited students, he reached the canopy and started to get out of the main gate, Parth walked beside him.

"Is it okay if I accompany you?" Parth asked doubtfully.

"Sure," Seth said with a smile and they made their way out of the school gate to the road.

"I am excited, this is a new thing for me. What about you" he asked in an excited voice.

Seth smiled inwardly, this Parth was totally different from the one he had met in the school, he had opened up to him so quickly, "I don't know, this isn't different for me. I have already changed two schools" Seth lied. He had never changed school.

Seth never opened up to anybody, he trusted only himself and the few trusted friends he has. They took the turn to the renovating road and walked up the makeshift bridge.

"Miss said we will be getting our, library cards soon" he continued expectantly.

"Good for you"

They reached the bus stop talking about the other things that the miss has instructed, Seth was amazed by the strict rules he had not thought about this possibility.

He came to know that there would be a fine for a day's absentee without a leave letter and the parents will be asked for the reason.

How in the world was he suppose to bunk the class, he would have to think about a way out, if he wants to attend the dealing.

Seth was just looking around the bus stop when he spotted the guy, whom he had seen sitting with Tejas. Their eyes met and the other boy too seem to remember him. They looked at each other for a while daring each other to look away.

"Did someone say statue to you?" Parth asked, looking strangely at Seth.

Seth looked down amused by the comment.

"What?" Seth asked flustered by the comment.

"What, you alright," Parth asked doubtly.

"Yeah, What did you say that for anyways," Seth asked sourly.

"About the statue," Parth asked, and Seth nodded "I thought that you were statued by your friend, won't you introduce him to me"

"I am not his friend," the other boy said who had been listening to them, he was grinning.

"What, then why were you both looking at each other like you were the separated brothers of a circus," Parth asked confused, this made them both laugh.

"We don't know each other" the boy stated.

"Yep," Seth agreed.

"Oh, okay," Parth said indifferently.

"I am Smith," the boy said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Smith, I am Parth and this is Seth," Parth said pointing out to Seth, they both shook hands.

"So, how did it go for you, after all you were with Tejas," Parth asked, hitting the nail.

"Boy, that guy is impossible, he went on and on about how he calculated the probability of things out and his useless opinion about the teachers," Smith said in a groan.

"I feel for you, that must've been tough," Seth said feeling pity for him.

"Yeah, my only solace was the fact that there would be sports tryouts soon and I can't wait to show out my football skills. That will at least keep me away from Tejas" he said his eyes sparkling.

"What do you mean?" Parth asked tilting his head.

"Well, if I am selected in the football team then I would be in the field for practicing most of the time, giving me some break over that guy," Smith said as if it was obvious.

"How can you be so sure about this" Seth asked doubtfully.

"My big brother told me this, he always used to try staying out of the lectures in the name of practice" Smith explained.

"So, your brother is in the same college" Parth asked as a bus came to stop at the stand.

"I will get going now, bye," Seth said and went up the bus. He entered the bus and took his seat at the back, taking his ticket. He was now thinking about what he had just heard. A plan already forming in his mind.

If what Smith said was correct then he might be able to attend the dealing afterall, he would only have to be selected in one of the sports and that was all. After that, he will be able to bunk out while the teachers assumed he was out practicing. Being selected in any sports wouldn't be any sweat for him, he can easily get selected.

A smile tugged at his lips as these thoughts came. Now he will be able to attend and without anybody getting a hint about it.