A tale of friendship and rebellion
Read in: English | മലയാളം | தமிழ் | ಕನ್ನಡ | తెలుగు | हिंदी 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, whe...