SunShower - The Faux Rain (Novella) - Page 3

CHAPTER 2 ' The Rise of the New She

"Good Morning girls, My name is Priya Ramalingam. I'm your new class teacher and I will be teaching Chemistry"

As if it wasn't obvious enough.

Their chemistry teacher had been changed like 6 times in the past two years. Its like the job was jinxed. Kinda like The Defence Against the dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter. Heh.

Ramalingam. Priya Ramalingam. You've GOTTA be kiddin' me.

Ali groaned inwardly. Yet another Mallu to replace the previous one.

Wait a sec. Ra-ma-lin-gam?! As in Ram's ?!?!"

Ali let out a cough that sounded suspiciously close to a laugh. She crammed her fist into her mouth to keep herself from LMFAO-ing . This curious little episode did not escape Ahlam, who sent a questioning glance her way.

"Priya = Beloved. Ram = Hindu deity. Lingam = Sanskrit for ' boything. So If you literally translated her name in hindi , it'd mean "Beloved *boything* of Ram" "

Ali rolled up the tiny chit and inserted it into the cap of her pen before closing it as she passed it onto it onto Ahlam's outstretched palms. A pink flush made its way up the Palestinian girl's cheeks as she read the note. She made eyes at Ali, feigning mock consternation at such vulgar dissection of a teacher's name and at the same time, trying very hard to suppress a chortle before passing it onto a very impatient Heba who almost tore the note in half in her haste in snatching it from Ahlam. Biting her cheeks inwards to keep herself from laughing, Heba (Arab - No clue about Indian Culture whatsoever) scrawled back:

"Who the Sam heck is Ram !? and why would someone name their daughter after his ' boy-thing !?"

Ali :

"Where she comes from, people drink-cow pee to cure diabetes and worship a dude with an elephant for a head to make engineer and doctors out of their sons and daughters. In that particular order. I rest my case ' "

Heba:

"You gotta be kidding me o.O "

Ali:

"I.kid.you.NOT -_- Pinky Swear. Oh wait, we outgrew that in 3^rd grade. Spit slap ? "

Heba :

"Keep thy spit. I'll take thy word of honour -_-"

*scribble, scribble, scribble* X Infinity

This went on for a good few minutes until Ahlam decided to put her foot down.

Ahlam:

"You both are so are SICK !!! And you're so getting grounded if she catches you exchanging your little notes."

Ali:

"Don't you lie you little perv ! I can see you're loving it every bit as we are."

Ali stuck out her tongue at her friend who resigned herself to nodding head in exasperation.

"I really like your saari Ma'am !"

While the girls at the back were having fits thanks to Ali's little trivia-note, Farzana the frizzy one was already sucking up to the new class-teacher.

"Oh thank you, it was an Onam gift"

The new teacher was beaming at the unexpected amount of attention her Rs. 200 saari garnered.

"Yitt waaas an Onnnam gift-ah".

Ali perfected her mimic fininshing it off with the typical "Ah" at the end of every mallu sentence.

Multiple gurlie giggles sounded as Zara hi-fived-ed her friend Asra. Or more like low-fived her under the table, cuz it wouldn't do for the future head girl to be caught laughing at the new class teacher. That too at the resident troublemaker's jokes.

Too bad by the time Ms. Priya turned to look at them, Zara and Asra had re-gained full facial composure and Ali had all her attention now.

"Silence !!!"

Her voice was like the crack of a whiplash and everyone jolted back into their seats.

"You at the back ! Stand up !"

"Me ?"

Ali pointed towards herself with all the innocence of a Rottweiler who just ate the neighbour's chicken. Not that people with Rottweilers and chickens are usually neighbors, but you get the picture.

"Yes YOU, and stand up when you're talking to a teacher ! "

Ali took all her sweet time in getting up as Ms. Priyas's jaw tightened. Such blatant display of disrespect was unheard of in Kerala and she mentally vowed to teach this punk a lesson.

"And your name is?"

Ms. Priya asked with one almost non-existent brow raised.

"Goodda Morrning, I'm Ali and I'll be your new pain-in-the-butt"

Of course her voice trailed off towards the end and the pain-in-the-butt part was barely audible but as Ms. Priya's face grew a shade darker (not that it could get any darker), a slow, satisfied smile crept across Ali's face, realizing she'd hit home run with the exaggerated Mallu accent.

"I asked you what is your name ! You will only answer to what is being asked!! "

*Insert 😡 faces*

"You heard me."

Ali was having fun kicking fobby ass on the first day of school.

"Out of my class. NOW"

Priya Ramalingam was going to have none of it.

Ooops. Score one for Priya Ramalingam.

"Those back-stabbin' wenches, I'll get back at 'em later".

Ali grinded her teeth as she gave Zara, Asra and Farzana one last look before slamming the door behind her.

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