I am Bhaskar.... Bhaskar Chowdhury. It is my second life right now. My actual name is Ajay Dash. However, after an accident I got regressed back into a body of fully different person whose name is Bhaskar. So, thus my name became "Bhaskar" later. Becoming an actor is my one and only dream. I practiced modelling on the guidance of my uncle. But, my father was not in support of this dream. Everytime, I tried to find a new path to reach to my goal, he blocked it. My father divorced my mother because my mother dumped him or in other words she cheated on him. At the same time, my mother was a top actress in the world. Maybe, the resistance was coming from that trauma. But, what was my mistake? No, my only mistake was to be born. He used to lock me up for days during my childhood to prevent me from escaping. I used to see all those children playing in nearby playground making me feel lonely.
Finally, when I started going to my elementary school i.e. Aditya Academy at the edge of 8, I thought now I would be able to make new friends in the school. But. I was wrong. Their were more bullies of mine than friends. They used to make me buy all their lunch from cafeteria or pull out their anger on me by hitting me. I thought of informing about it to my father, but I knew at the end one thing nothing will change, he will not care. I am sure of that. What if I got smacked from him instead of getting attention for complaining about such unnecessary things? The trauma and bullying crushed my confidence to nil until a new transfered student arrived. It was love in a first sight. By then, I was 12 years old. A soft gaze with gentle voice coming out from that very new student. It made me felt like to say everything that was being filled up within me to her and cry in her arms.
'Hi, my name is Rina...'
'And anything else..' asked the teacher.
'Nothing..'
'Okay, go to that bench in the middle-row and sit'.
(To myself) 'Wait, she is sitting just sitting in the bench just beside mine. What to do? I can't handle my excitement. Wish I was able to talk to her with confidence!'
But, my confidence was not at all enough for me to stand up and go to her and talk to her. Ultimately, I were a loser. But, one day.....
'That boy is again late to buy my lunch and give it to me', said one of the bullies.
'Why don't you just smack him when he comes? Maybe, it can be a lesson for him. So that, he doesn't do that next time. After all, a loser will always be a loser. This is one of the advantage of having a rich loser, boss', said the another.
I reached there to give them their lunch. But, instead they kicked me in my stomach.
'Why are you soo late? Don't you know the lunch period is about to end? Do you want to starve me? Ooohhh! Are you planning to rebel against me? Try to and I will smack the shit out of you'.
They continued to kick me, hit me, bit me. It hurted, it hurted very much. They bruised many parts of my body only by hitting me.
'Hey, don't you have any shame or don't you have any dignity? Are you beggars? Taking money from others and eat. Or did your parents gave you any food to eat all day? I complained about all of you to Principal. Now, bully as much as you want because at the end of the day you all will be expelled', said by a gentle voice which is none other than that girl's.
'Hey, are you the new transferred student? Who are you to stop us? And-'
'And what? Continue? How dare you to even do this to all these innocents? Who gave you the permission to do all of these?' said our homeroom teacher.
Later, they were taken to the principal office and I was taken to the nurse room. Rina was also present.
'Are you feeling better, right now? Does it hurt very much? I wished to take actions much earlier'.
'It's okay. I am okay. Thankful for helping me. Thank you for everything. I was bullied for quite a long time like this, I am already used to this. So, it doesn't hurt much'.
She looked at me with teary eyes which rather made me laugh for the first time. At least, there was one person in this wicked world who cared about me for a moment, maybe.
'By the way, my name is Ajay Dash'.
She smile and said, 'My name is Rina Grande. My mother is an Indian but my father is an American. Let's be friends.'
(To be continued)