I am following David in silence, he is walking fast and I have to run to match his speed. As we reach near the stairs we had to climb down to reach Cafeteria , we find our immediate seniors talking to themselves. Finding them isn’t a worry , they are very friendly and helpful. They helped us a lot while we joined college. They helped us with notes and other things. “Hi David” said a senior, I got worried about how will David reply because whenever he’s angry he does not want to see others talking. “Oh Hi” David replies calmly and I feel relaxed the way he replied. For some time all the seniors who were there got busy speaking to David and I stood in silence watching David calming down . My phone starts to buzz ,I take it out of my pocket and find Haider sending some posts on Instagram. I open my Instagram to check what did he send . And as I open his chat, I find funny memes. I immediately keep my phone back in the pocket because I knew if I didn’t I will end up laughing and I will land in trouble. David keeps on talking to them and I keep standing in silence. After some time, the same senior who said Hi to David asks me why I am silent. I just look at him with a smile and tell him things unfolding have forced me to stay silent and they start to laugh and I and David join them in laughing. “Raqif since you guys have joined college, we have different things to come across which gives us entertainment and keeps us interested in college ” says a senior among them while we were still laughing. “Yes you are right” said a female senior.”What do you have to say about all this happening with your batch , Raqif ” asks another senior. I went to state of thinking, while we stop laughing. I remain at my place, I didn’t knew what to say because this was some genuine question about which I never thought of or which never came to my mind. While I am thinking what to answer David gets me out of my state of thinking by saying “Raqif You need to answer” . I know in what context he asked me this, he was taunting me but I found the situation very awkward to deal with because I never was part of what all happened in the class and I still have to answer all the questions because someone wanted to have fun. I want to shout at them and tell them that it’s none of their business to ask us these questions but I kept calm because I remember how they saved us from ragging from the super senior. My mind and heart refuse to agree with each other. I start to make up answer in my mind but I fail to do so. While I am thinking what to reply, David speaks up and says “Which world are you in , Raqif ” . “Nothing David it’s all fine”. I said looking at David with a smile. “Okay our beloved seniors as far as your question is concerned let me tell you, hmmmm” I said looking at senior. “Let me think ” I was quick to add. “Okay let me answer “, I said with confidence and started speaking . “If you guys remember when we were freshers , they came to our class and blotted the door and then started to speak to us with full ego and wanted us to be in full discipline, how’s that possible “. “Raqif but that was just an introduction “A senior said while interpreting me.” Well I don’t think they wanted any introduction, they were just there to prove their seniority ego and that was quite evident from their actions the time they entered our class”, I reply in a firm voice and everyone is looking at me with a serious look on their face and none interprets me this time, I continue to speak. “Okay after that , they have problem with us why do we roam around in the college premises, this is not their college this is our college, we all pay to study here . We got every right to do whatever we want to do. Who are they to say us anything? Why only us? ” I ask in firm voice and they have no answers to my questions. “Raqif you are right, they can’t dictate, whatever you guys have to do and what not . It’s truly our college not theirs ” a female senior said and other say Yes in one voice. Daivd starts to speak now “These people must know we will not do what they want us to do ,we will do whatever we want to do. If we are doing anything wrong the college management will tell us and they are the one to tell us not these people who are themselves students” . There is silence for some minutes after David completes. No one is able to speak; seniors are looking at each other in agreement. “We are the juniors no doubt but we won’t let them do this , we will tell them that their behaviour of showing seniority won’t work and we will make sure that their ego breaks into pieces” I say breaking the silence.
And now everyone is having a simple on face and David is looking at me with a huge big smile on his face. “You guys will surely teach these people a good lesson l am sure ” said a senior among them with a little smile on his face. “They don’t know what are they doing and with whom are they doing. They are messing up with us unnecessarily “, Says David with a smile on his face but his voice is firm. “We are also fed up with these people, but we are helpless . We tried our best but they’re highly influential, no one will do anything to them ” said a helpless female senior. Daivd and I pass a smile to each other and then Daivd speaks “Well I know all those influences and I know where from that’s coming and I also know how to stop that influence from working, let’s come out of this mess and then we will look what their influence can do” Seniors look at each other to figure out what Daivd just said . “Okay it’s time to go , it’s our time to attend class ” a senior said and they walk away saying us a goodbye . We also said them a goodbye . While they were climbing the last stair , David looked at me and said “Raqif it’s time to get rid of these people, they are getting out of control and it will cost us so much . Either we stop them or we continue to suffer for so long “.”Yes you are right, look at these helpless seniors. They are fed up but are suffering in silence. This is something that should stop” I reply while we fix our eyes towards floor. We both stoodd in silence; I know what is being given a thought . I wanted to speak and tell David that nothing will happen by stressing but listening to what seniors said and getting to know for how long they are make me stressed and silent at the same time. I wanted to move but anger in me refused to let me move. I could see David’s face turning red with anger. If I didn’t speak he will do something I say to myself while standing firmly. “David why are you getting angry ” I finally speak up but he didn’t reply. I ask him the same question again and then he looks at me and says “It time to make a move “”Yes it’s” . I reply.” So we had left for cafeteria, let’s go” David says and starts to walk and I follow him .
(The story is just a fictional piece and has no connection with the reality. The Characters are also fictional. Views are author’s own)
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