Dhar Mann

The Shirt

To most people, Sadie was your average school girl: to the citizens of Burbank, she was a freak.

Sadie walked shyly through the school doors, past the blue walls and ivory lockers. She bowed her head down, avoiding eye contact with the mean girls and bullies. 'Soon enough' she thought, 'they would stop and learn their lesson. But then they would just repeat the same things again. When will the cycle end?'

First period soon began. All students arose from their chairs and stood straight, determination and loyalty firing in their eyes. With their hand across their heart, each voice spoke firmly in unison:

"Dhar Mann is love,

Dhar Mann is life.

He makes stories,

He changes lives.

Dhar Mann our leader,

All our love goes to you."

All sat down. The room was a sea of coloured shirts plastered with white text upon the front. Black, white, grey, blue, maroon... the options seemed endless, and yet, Sadie had no affiliation.

"Good morning class, if you would please open your text book to page" Mr Miles paused. "Sadie, what are you wearing? We've been over this so many times, how haven't you learnt your lesson yet?"

All heads turned to look at her shirt, a wordless black striped tee.

"Do you even own a Dhar Mann shirt?" The questioned

"N-No" Sadie replied. For a long time, she hoped someone would give one out her out of the kindness of their heart, but lately she had given up hope.

"This will be the last time I remind you, Sadie. Next time we may have to contact Dhar Mann. You don't want to waste his time, do you?"

"No, sir." In all truth she couldn't care less about it.

"Where were we?" Mr Miles proclaimed, "Ah yes, page 33."

The lesson felt quick and soon ended with a ring of the school bell - that was when she met eyes with her. Katie had a long brown ponytail coming out of her So You See hat and draping across her MANNIFEST white shirt and Dhar Mann rucksack. She stepped closer to Sadie.

"Well well, look who it is" she started. "There that ugly shirt is again" her finger jabbed at Sadie's chest.

"What do you want Katie" she clenched onto her book tighter.

"What are you reading?" Katie snatched the book out of Sadie's grasp. "The history of Italy, what a bunch of lame junk. Where's your Dhar Mann book? You know well it's required."

"I lost it"

"You really value that stupid book over Dhar Mann's New York Times Best Seller? I'm not surprised, nerd."

Her words did not hurt her, the true pain was from her disassociation from Burbank. She had no memory of her old home back in Texas, yet had never understood Dhar Mann's appeal, yet her father insisted that soon she would.

The school day came to a close. The walk home was uneventful and Sadie was soon inside her apartment. Her father was sat at the kitchen counter, head held in his hands.

"Dad, I need to ask you something" she felt it was bad timing, yet she persisted. "It's school, they need me to get a Dhar Mann shirt."

"I know, honey. I just don't know if I can make ends meet. You know how it is. Don't they listen?" He weakly responded.

"They don't take no for an answer. They'll ring him up if I don't."

Her fathers eyes widened. "He's a good man. He'll let you off, just like last time."

Sadie wanted to protest yet her voice would not allow her to.

"You've got a scheduled call with him soon, anyway" he smiled. Despite worry she replied with a short lasted smile.

Sadie slowly walked across the kitchen into her room. She switched her lamp on, which would often flicker on and off. She wandered to the window and pressed two buttons planted into the wall. Suddenly, a slight opening in the chimney wall appeared. She lifted up the door and grabbed a large rectangular object. She hooked it onto the wall with one quick click, letting the light flicker and reveal the thing. A large cork board plastered with photos of clothing, actors, and annotations, all linked up with a single, continuous piece of red wool looping around pins. Placed in the middle with red strands coming from all directions was one man: Dhar Mann.