Journey Towards Truth

Next day at 8 in the morning.

Om, who was unable to sleep for the entire night, watching the empty garden through his window from his new room.

In his right hand, he was handling his Grandpa's ashes. His eyes were red. Face was pale and lifeless.

"Grandpa! you never wanted to reveal anything right. The conditions you put in are almost impossible for me to achieve with my weak body." he thought.

Knock! knock! Someone knocked on the door.

Om turned.

"Om, if you are ready for school I will drop you there." It was Raj.

Om put the pot on the table near him and walked to the door.

"Hey, is anybody there?" Raj asked.

Om opened the door.

"Wait for 10 min. I'm not ready".

In a lifeless tone, Om answered. Raj was not happy with Om's current behaviour.

"Hey! buddy keep yourself together. Mr Shiv gave us a chance to be something. Have some positivity at least."

"I'm waiting for you in the parking. Your lunch is with me so be quick. And we will take your bag from your home on the way."

Ring! Ring! Raj's phone rang.

In a flash! Raj vanished from there.

"Hey, how are you gonna drop me to school?"

Raj was so far that Om's voice did reach Raj.

Om found himself dumbfounded.

Raj's talk cheered him a little.

Om to himself, "Mr Raj is right. I should prepare myself instead of wasting my time thinking."

He closed the door and turned. There was a little smile on Om's face.

After a few minutes....

Om went to the parking lot. There many armed vehicles were present. It was like a maze for him.

After searching for a while, he finally found Raj's voice talking to someone. He followed the voice.

"What? How? Why?"

Om's look was confused and dumbfounded at the scene in front of him.

A bulky muscular man in an armed uniform clicking Raj's picture, who is posing on the bonnet of a super car.

"Mr. Raj what are you doing?" Om asked.

Om went down from the car bonnet.

"Hey Om! Do you like my new car? Mr Narad gifted it to me".

"But isn't it too expensive."

"And why did he give it to you?" Om to Raj

Raj continuously poses for photos without looking at Om.

"So that I can take photos of myself with it." Raj explained.

"So you cannot drive it."

"Yes, I don't even have a driving licence."

"And who is this man?"

"This is Mr. Bhanu. He is a funny guy. He is our driver from today."

"Ok. Ok. Let's end our conversation here. And where is our ride?" Om with a confused and shy look asked.

"I thought Mr Raj was an intelligent person but he is a fool." Om imagined and removed that image from his mind.

"This is your ride." Bhanu pointed towards an armed vehicle.

It was a vehicle that was often seen with the army.

"Another fool." Om found himself lost.

After talking about Om's school bag, Bhanu and Raj dropped Om a little far from school.

Om thanked them both and all went their own way.

Om's school is the only one in his whole country. Since the total population of the nation is only a few more than 20,000. And not many desire to get educated. Only a single school was enough.

As he entered the school gate, an announcement was announced through speakers.

[All teachers, students and other staff, please gather in the assembly ground.]

In the assembly around a thousand students were lined up in sequence of their classes and teachers in front of their respective class. The school's other helping staff was gathered to the right of the assembly of students. In front of the ground, a large stage was constructed. On top of that a dice with Mic was located at center.

From where the process of assembly conduction always happened.

A man of around 50, with short hair, gray suit came on the stage. It was the principal of the school, Mr Raghav.

From the dice, Mr Raghav greeted the assembly, "Good morning everyone,"

Everyone together greeted him back, "good morning sir".

"Yesterday, we lost a respected member of our family. Mr Shiv."

As everyone listened to the principal, their gazes turned to Om, who was looking towards the ground.

"He was not just part of our school, our family, but he was the soul. Whenever our school was in need, he was the first to support us."

Everyone in school knew that the school is functioning because of the connection Mr Shiv built not only in the country but throughout the world. Although his lifestyle appears to be similar to a middle class person his knowledge on the history of the world is profound.

Also there were rumors that all five universities sent people to invite him to be a teacher at their respective University. Due to his devotion to his Nation, he always denied them.

Not only that, but many big families tried their best to recruit him through marriage proposals or through offering money.

Out of his devotion to the nation, he refused to get married.

As Mr Raghav was speaking everyone present there started to remember the good deeds Mr Shiv did to them.

Slowly but slowly everyone's eyes started shedding tears.

The principal cleared his tears with his napkin. Put his napkin back to pocket.

"I know everyone is saddened with his departure. The vacant space his absence has created in our school, in our life, in our heart will never be filled. He was our hero."

"For his soul to rest in peace, I request you all to maintain 2 minutes silence"

For those 2 minutes, the entire school felt like the place was never a place of crowd. Not even the chirping of birds was heard. Only the blow of the wind can be felt.

Many tried their best to hold their tears back but were unable to do so.

After 2 minutes, assembly was dismissed and all students and teachers went to their respective classes and other helping staff went to their work.

Om walking to his class was busy with continuous pouring of thoughts.

"Grandpa put through those conditions might have some reason behind them otherwise he knows better that I'm too weak to be a strong inheritor."

I have to ask Mr Narad about this."