Prologue
Its late afternoon on a rainy Friday and the school corridor is unnaturally busy. Children aged between ten and twelve are hanging around their classes in clusters that hint at the subtle nuances of social evolution that the children have unconsciously succumbed to. Its annual health check-up day; a day suspended from all teaching activities across the middle and primary school where the children get their routine check-ups done by the hospital affiliated with the school. The check-ups include a routine height, weight, eye, motor system and ears.
A seventh standard girl leans across the staircase chatting with a boy from different section. They are old friends who share thoughts about books they have read and the music they listen to. She is talking about the concept of loading vegetables and cheese on a flat bread and calling it a meal. She just doesn't get why The Hardy Boys love it or is the most common food that she has come across in western fiction.
"They make pizza sound so...awesome, you know?" She exclaims, arms making a complicated gesture to ascertain her prerogative.
"And all the cheese..." The boy sighs in response. "I wish it wasn't so expensive." He bemoans tragically.
"Congratulations Khushi!" She turns around when a boy's voice loud enough to cut through the plethora of noises around them calls her. She stiffens when she recognizes the owner of the voice.
"For what, Karan?" Khushi asked softly, hoping it wouldn't be what she thought it would. It was a yearly ritual that started three years ago when they were only nine years old. She had hoped that now that they were twelve, her classmates would forgo the insults that came her way during every health exam.
"You made the school's top ten list!" The boy, Karan, swept his hands in mock jubilee. Khushi groaned internally. "You have dropped from being number four to number nine though," Karan continued with a studious expression on his face. "But whatever," he said cheerfully. "You are the ninth fattest student in the school!" He shouted the last bit. At that his cronies yelled cheers and clapped loudly inviting dubious stares and teasing chuckles from other children nearby.
Khushi swallowed the insult and humiliation but didn't bother to respond. She knew if she ignored Karan long enough and didn't engage in his act, he would soon get bored and walk away to bother someone else. She grinned sheepishly and shrugged. Karan waited for handful of seconds debating internally to continue the rant he had or find the next kid on his list. Throwing a sneer at her, he walked away shouting yet another Congrats fatso' in her direction.
Khushi's shoulder slumped in defeat and her friend pats on her back gently. "Don't let that stupid boy get to you Khushi."
Khushi gave him a watery smile and nodded.
She hoped she could forget Karan, his stupid fat-list and the stupid incident in coming few years. She prayed fervently to God that she would lose this baby chubby cheeks one day and don't have a bulging stomach anymore so that stupid kids like Karan wouldn't mock her anymore.
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