Lunch break in school was always a jam-packed affair. The break lasted only for twenty minutes. There were so many things to do! In that limited time, they had to run down to the playground, catch up with friends, exchange gossip, show off that new pen, wait in the toilet queue,… To add fire to fuel, the ninth grade class was on the fourth floor. So they had to battle the staircase traffic jam as well. Finishing lunch was considered the least important task. That too only because Mother checked the tiffin as soon as they reached home. Of course, there were some like Ravi who found innovative ways to get rid of the food! Nevertheless, most of them ate their tiffin.
One of the touchiest issues during the break was the lunch group. The groups were made way back when they were in grade one. Once formed, the groups were quite tight. New members were hardly added. The rules were rigidly followed. There was always this fear of being thrown out of the group forever. So being in a particular group was considered to be a privilege.
This year, there was a new girl in the class. Her name was Chitra. She was a quiet and shy girl. She ate her tiffin alone and sat reading in the remaining break time.
Manasi always felt bad whenever she saw Chitra sitting alone. She once hesitatingly suggested her group that they include her, but they strongly opposed the idea. Rinku even hinted that probably she likes being alone and that they shouldn’t disturb her. But Manasi felt differently. So one day, she waited back during lunch hour and went to Chitra with her tiffin. “Hi Chitra, my name is Manasi. Can I join you for lunch?” Manasi said. “Of course” Chitra seemed genuinely happy. They shared their food and chatted. Soon, this became a routine. But the others in Manasi’s group refused to join them.
One day, Manasi noticed that Chitra was absent. She asked her friends about it but nobody seemed bothered much. Later, the class teacher shared the news that Chitra had met with an accident while going home the day before and she was in the hospital. Manasi was shocked to hear the name of the hospital, it was a shabby hospital where none of them had ever been! She persuaded her friends to go meet Chitra. They were quite reluctant but Manasi was so insistent that they finally agreed.
The next day was Sunday. They took permission from home and went to the hospital which was not far away. It was obvious that the hospital was not very well maintained. There was dirt and dust everywhere and stains of paan-spittings in each and every corner. Some relatives were sleeping in the veranda, others were waiting anxiously for the doctor. The atmosphere was filled with wretchedness and worry. A typical unpleasant hospital smell hung in the air. Manasi was used to it, her parents being doctors. But the rest of them were quite uncomfortable.
They found Chitra in a ward. She was lying in bed with tubes attached to her arms. Her left leg was in plaster. Her face was miserable and tensed up. Her worried mother was sitting nearby. “Hi Chitra, how are you?” Manasi ventured hesitantly. Chitra seemed quite surprised to see the gang. “I am ok. Thanks for coming.” She said. They chatted on for some time. As time passed, they were surprised how easily the conversation flowed. With the exception of Manasi, everyone else realised that in spite of being in the same class for six whole months, they had hardly interacted with Chitra. This was probably the first time that they were actually conversing with her. She sounded quite intelligent and well read. This was a very different girl from the silent classmate they knew. They joked and laughed a lot. When they left, Chitra was smiling. “I am so glad you came.” She said, “I am feeling much better now!” “Bye, see you soon!”As soon as they left the hospital, everyone started talking at the same time.
“Now I know why she eats alone. She told me that she always brings Poli-Bhaji or Bhaji-Bhakri in her tiffin and everybody else brings some snacks." “Actually, I love Bhaji-Bhakri. But my mother doesn’t get time to make all that in the morning so she gives me chivda or chips.” “Oh and She is always so nervous when anybody talks to her in school! It seems in the previous school, she was bullied. They laughed at her accent. So she was quite scared to interact” “Do you know she writes poetry? In fact, we are going to share our poems with each other when she is back.” The many qualities in her left them surprised. “Were we too quick to misjudge her?” they wondered.
The next time they went to meet her at the hospital, they were much less apprehensive. They took along story books, drawing papers and crayons. They also kept her updated about the classwork and helped her do the homework.
Chitra was back to school after two weeks. "Hello Chitra! Welcome back!" The group greeted her enthusiastically. Her leg was still in plaster and she was walking with the help of crutches. But now she was not alone. Every day, the whole group helped her climb the stairs to reach up to the class. Lunch break was a little different now. Instead of going down, they all spent the time in class reading and playing small games as Chitra couldn’t go down. And how they relished the tasty bhaji-bhakri or poli-bhaji in her tiffin! In fact, her mother sent some extra for them all. A beautiful, lasting friendship had flowered between them. And they welcomed it with open arms!
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