Two Rupees

Lal Devidutt Nath Shahdeo… how would you prefer being called, our class teacher asked the new admission.

Devidutt sir, the new boy replied.

Ok Devidutt, welcome to class 6th A of KV No 1 Ranchi.

Thankyou sir, said the new boy and took his seat next to Rajesh, the strongest boy of the class.

I remember his first day at the school because everybody remembers it.
For the first three periods the whole class tried to memorize his full name and I became the first one to say it all in one go ,without a pause.
In the fourth period he fought with Rajesh and literally thrashed him for making fun of his long and strange name.
Over the fifth period and the adjoining lunch break we played the historic cricket match with class 8th, where Devidutt bowled half the team out in his 2 overs and won the match for us.
The seniors couldnt take the shameful defeat and invaded our class in the 7th period, beating us black and blue. The prime targets being Rajesh and Devidutt for making maximum runs and taking maximum wickets. The fight was still on when fat Mr PK Rai entered the classroom and gave a nice thrashing to everybody involved.
Devidutt’s shirt was torn and Rajesh already had a bad impression on Mr Rai … So they got a couple of sticks extra.
Nothing happened in the eighth period but I remember it rained like crazy at the bell. A watery end to an eventful first day for Mr Lal Devidutt Nath Shahdeo.
He wasn’t very tall but he was very strongly built and his first day was the last day when anyone had seen him involve in a fight. He was a jovial fellow who hated girls, very typical to guys that age. He hated wearing underpants too. He was the butt of our jokes for a week when he embarrassed himself and poor Mrs Sinha during the English period when she asked him to standup and give a reading from the text book.

He had a royal lineage and he was proud of it. His ancestors were Kings of Bhagalpur and he had interesting stories to tell about them. While I have forgotten almost all of them, one of them has somehow stuck to my memory. He once told us that his great grandpa brought down a palace and built a stage at its place.
What kind of stage..I remember some one asking
Like the one we have at our school..where the prayer team stands..but much bigger than that, he said
Thinking of it now, it seems quite illogical..I mean why would someone bring down a palace and that too to build a stage.
He might have meant an auditorium may be..still, there are better things to do with a palace..But that was sixth class..Logic had a permanent address back then..out of the window.

Devidutt never used to get his tiffin box. He would either get ‘ Frooty Bread’, sweet bread filled with sweet red things or he would get a couple of apples or other fruits. But mostly he would have 2 one rupee coins with him. He would buy “choley” or “jhaal mudi” during lunch break which would serve as his tiffin.
He didn’t have a mother. She died during his younger brother’s birth and his father never married again. The poor father wouldn’t manage to get much time to get his two children ready for school before going to work himself. So lunch box had to be sacrificed and alternatives had to be sought. Money and “Frooty Bread” were his dad’s idea of alternatives. Devidutt had different ideas.

He was an excellent deal maker. Once he got his feet firmly set in the new environment he showed the enterprising instincts that his grandpa lacked.
He would offer to buy our lunches with the 2 rupees that he had got and he would choose the one he liked the most. Everyone wanted to have the 2 rupees to eat ‘choley’ and ‘jhaal mudi’ and ice cream from the vendors at the school gate. Soon kids would started asking him what he would like to have the next day. They would urge their mothers to prepare that ..The lucky kid, whose mother fulfilled his requirement would get Devidutt’s 2 rupees.
Devidutt did it successfully for the 2 years he was in our class.

Me , Devidutt and rajesh, who was now his best friend were sitting on the rocks outside the school gate during the lunch break when Devidutt revealed his dearest desire.
Yaar pandey, I want to become the monitor of the class, he said
Why ? I asked, I was the monitor of the class
Maja aayega yaar..classmates would ask me for the toilet break when teacher wont be there.. they would ask me “ May I come in monitor”..I will feel good.
That isn’t any fun, I told him but he said it would be for him. He would feel like a King , he said
Then he made the offer I couldn’t reject..
“ Make me the monitor pandey and I would give you 2 rupees”..Rajesh will help you , he said
For the ‘ 2 rupees’ I was ready to run my brain. My thought process ran like this..
It was absolutely in the hands of the class teacher to decide who the monitor should be. But it was absolutely in my hands to declare that I wasn’t willing to be the monitor anymore. Once I step down Devidutt could be pushed for the post. For this the class should show that Devidutt was a good choice and Devidutt should show that he was willing.
Next day, I was ready with the plan.
I don’t want to continue as the monitor madam, I said to the class teacher
Why Pandey?
My Father is against it ..He says I am neglecting my studies..he asked me to step down..I too feel it’s a burden
Ok fine, but then who shall we choose as our new monitor
Devidutt would be a good choice madam, I said
Yes Madam , people listen to him, Rajesh stood up and said
For a one rupee coin,that I made Devidutt give him in advance, Ravi stood up and said-“yes madam..we want Devidutt to be our monitor”
Many others said “yes mam” , they weren’t promised anything, they weren’t part of the plan. They were just mass movers.
Ok then..we will let Devidutt be the monitor, are you willing Devidutt.
Yes mam , he stood up and said and as madam turned towards the blackboard to write, I caught the 2 rupee coin that came spinning towards me from Devidutt’s direction.