Muhammed Sunil was my close friend and protector during my high school days. Though Sunil was typically a backbencher, he started sitting with me in the front seat after being my friend. As the son of a school teacher, I was expected to excel in both studies and behavior. Despite this, I had a secret admiration for the backbenchers. Whenever there was a protest in the school, I would be the first one to leave the class. Then, it was all about fun and games. Bharathan and Vinayak, the other backbenchers, would often sneak out to smoke cigarettes. They also found pleasure in bullying weaker students. Sunil was always there to rescue me. Though small in stature, he was brave and quite strong.
Once, I visited Sunil’s house. His father owned a gym. One day, Sunil didn't come to school. Our class teacher told us he is absconding. He showed us a newspaper advertisement with a small photo of Sunil and a caption that read, ‘Son, wherever you are, please come back’, from his parents. At the teacher’s suggestion, we all stood up and prayed for his safe return. We continued this daily for a month. After a month, Sunil returned with tales of adventure. He had ran away to Madras. Thus he became a hero to everyone.
I had once planned to run away too. After my10th-grade exams, we had a three-months break. My father took me to Trichy to stay with my aunt Ramachithay. They hinted that I might join a college there. Afan, my aunt's husband, used to always chew betel nuts. He was thin but tall and very hardworking. He started as a peon and rose to become the manager of the company he worked for. Afan and my aunt had two sons and a daughter. That's where I got closer to my cousin, Jayasree. She was studying for her pre-degree. We would sleep next to each other. In the morning, we would brush our teeth together. She trained me in everything in her own ways, from brushing the teeth to other daily routines. We would go everywhere together. The house was always filled with music - devotional songs, Carnatic music, and Tamil film songs.
After three months, Jayasree visited me in my hometown. We even went on a trip together, which my mother didn't approve of. Mother sent Jayasree back to Trichy that very night. I cried a lot but no one listened. That night, wearing only my nightclothes, I left home. I had only fifty rupees with me at that time. I walked from Edappally to Ernakulam Railway Station in the night. I bought a ticket to Coimbatore. When I felt hungry in the morning, I bought idlis with the little money I had. Then I went to the bus stand and took a bus to Ooty. From there, I walked to Willington and reached my uncle's house in the military quarters. When my uncle saw me alone, he understood something was wrong. He didn't ask any questions. He made me a hot cup of tea. I cried for a long time and told him everything that happened. Meanwhile, a big search was on for me in Ernakulam. Eventually, with my consent, my uncle called my mother and informed her. I stayed there for a couple of days until my father came to take me back to Ernakulam. Then I joined St. Albert's College for my pre-degree...
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