My Monday morning

7:10
Omg! Late again! No auto at the stand. Damn.

7:18
I swipe my ID card at door. ‘Thank you’, the machine says and I try to enter the classroom

‘Please may I come in sir?’

‘What time does the lecture start?’

‘I am sorry sir, I couldn't’t get an auto.’

‘Come in’
I sit with my loyal group of friends who have saved me a seat on the last bench.

7:20
I take out my notebook and stare at its cover. It’s a Photoshop disaster! There is a picture of a vase with roses that are three times the size of the vase. The text reads ‘Time and tide waits for no man’. What does that have to do with oversized flowers?

Rucha punches me hard. ‘Homework kiya? He said he will check.’
Damn, I haven’t done it!

7:30
The professor talks about atoms, molecules and nucleus. It’s hard for me to concentrate as I am really not interested.

Rutherford’s model… postulates... energy of a electron in Bohr’s orbit... hydrogen spectrum...yaaaaaawn…

7:45
Yet another hour left for the break.
I look at Shruti; her face is screwed up in concentration, Megha is staring back at sir, Divya looks bored just like me but is still listening. I try very hard to concentrate.

8:00
Yaaawnn…
I think I might have just slept for two minutes right now.
Note: Sleep early tonight.

8:05
The professor asks us to draw some energy profile diagram, I doodle something. Scribble lyrics in the margin. So bored.

I stare at Rucha, who mouths, ‘Ultra pakking, yaar.’
I nod in agreement.

‘Last bench, stand up.’
My professor’s cold, dark eyes pierce me. I want to say, ‘Who? Me?’ but I remain silent.

‘Explain hydrogen spectrum’

‘Whaaa...’ I choose to remain silent.

His eyes seem to penetrate my brain… He has probably figured out that it is empty and none of the spectrum has entered it.

His bushy moustache is perfectly perpendicular to his nose.

‘Why were you talking?’ he asks me, his south Indian accent drawls.

‘Because I’m bored,’ I want to say but I keep my mouth shut.

‘Answer me, why, eh?’

My giant dumb head does not come up with anything. Maybe I could say I had a doubt but since I was paying zero percent attention, it wasn’t right. Or I could say I was asking for a pen or something but he hadn’t asked us to write anything.

Or I should have told him the truth that I was ultra bored and left the class for ever. But that would have lead to a quick phone call to my parents, followed by screaming, yelling, shouting, punishments and assignments!
Err.. no thanks.

Just then I could hear students from the next class make noise outside. It was time for the break, finally!!

The professor gave me another cold stare. The atmosphere was becoming more and more restless.

‘Everyone revise and come next time.’ Another furious look and he left the class.