A Friend Found

 Ragging someone and being a bully has never appealed to me. New students are as it is scared and insecure, and on top of that tormenting them doesn't seem like such a great idea. But to my utter dislike, my friend Archana enjoyed it more than anything. The moment she got to know that a new kid had settled in her dormitory, she would be itching to harass the poor kid.

Karishma the new student in our class had just arrived. She was short and fair; her plaited hair hung untidily till her waist and her skirt covered her knees. She had a grating voice and every time she spoke, it hurt the ears. It wasn't very easy to sympathize with her when Archana tyrannized her.

She was made to do all of Archana's laundry, her homework, make her bed, wake her up for morning PE class. If she didn't do any of these she was made to go through hell. Sometimes, I too gave her my math and physics homework, which I must say she did very efficiently. One thing to her credit was that she took all that we meted out with a sporting attitude. She probably thought sooner or later it would stop.

One night after the lights were off, Karishma was made to steal Maggi from the tuck room. We were in the middle of gobbling it down when the House Matron walked into our dormitory. We were caught red-handed. The entire incident was narrated to the principal the next day. Archana, being the vice house captain, had an upper hand; she blamed the entire affair on Karishma.

Karishma was punished severely. She had to get up earlier than the entire hostel and do rounds on the field. Her coupons were confiscated for two weeks. Somehow I felt uneasy about the whole affair; I didn't want to betray my friends but my conscience would not let me forget this incident. I wrote an anonymous note to the House Matron, mentioning that Karishma was innocent and she was actually a victim of ragging.

Karishma was released from the torture though the involvement of others was never found. I was glad to see her smiling again. From that day onwards, I did not let anyone push her around and decided I would not be party to anymore bullying. Eventually, she settled down and did very well in academics.

After the 10th standard, I went back to Delhi to be with my parents. To my surprise, Karishma and I were in the same school. I was amazed to see how soon she made a place for herself in a new school.

Soon she was elected Head Girl and the day the swearing ceremony took place, I couldn't help but think of the earlier times in the hostel. The moments we had terrorized her were still fresh in my memory. For a moment I thought she would make life hell for me; instead after the ceremony she came and gave me a big hug. Saving her from the unjust punishment earlier had found me a friend now. Yes, she had somehow guessed that it was me who had written that letter. 

That day I learnt no one can take away your success and your future. There will be phases in life when the world may seem like a dark tunnel but your determination can bring light and you can win over any obstacle. 

We remain friends even today and hopefully for ever............