Twisting Odds

Rishi was handed the ice cream cone with two scoops of strawberry flavoured ice cream. The vendor smiled at him and the eleven-year-old handed him the money.

 

Rishi stood watching the crowd. He felt that there were more people that evening than what he had seen a day before when he had a quick glance at it from outside while passing by with his parents.

 

On the opposite side from where Rishi was standing, there was a bench and on the bench was sitting a girl older than him with a boy of her age. They were engaged in a conversation decorated with smiles and laughter, the subject of which was only known to them.

 

That was Rishi’s sister Krisha. Rishi had sensed something off the rhythm when Krisha looked eager to take Rishi to the fair and even pay for whatever he wanted with her pocket money. He felt a hint of sadness thinking Krisha had preferred to spend time with her friend instead of her own brother.

 

Krisha had asked Rishi to stay within her sight but…

 

‘Given the secret she would ask me to hide next, it’s only fair that I disregard her words and do some exploring of my own. I will be back before they know it, besides, she has asked me to be within her sight just for her own convenience,’ Rishi thought as he munched through the cone and looked at his hand and thought, ‘that ended faster than what I had expected’

 

Rishi walked around and looked at the various stalls, offering a variety of items to purchase. He did stop at a stall or two especially at the one which was selling action figures of various popular superheroes and other cartoon characters. Rishi found a figure which he liked, but what he did not like was the price, which was way above the money his mother had secretly given him without letting Krisha know.

 

‘Wait, does mother know about Krisha and her friend?’ Rishi thought for a second or two or three but then he was back to the thought of not having the money to buy the figure.

 

The giant wheel rotating with its colourful lights was the main attraction of the fair or any fair for that matter where it is present. Unlike many children his age Rishi did not like rides at all, he was afraid of the unusual movements they made him experience.

 

‘Toss and Win’ , the sign of a stall caught Rishi’s attention and there were quite many children gathered there. It was a simple game of tossing the ring and if it landed on any of the rewards placed at the distance, the person could have it.

 

Rishi knew this would just be a waste of money, only if one of the rewards was not an action figure which he would love to have. It was at the farthest end where the throws were never meant to succeed.

 

Rishi had a plan, since his target was only one, he would take four throws. In the initial three throws he would learn how to direct the ring accurately towards the figure and in the fourth throw he would get it.

 

Rishi paid the money for the first throw and focussed his attention on the figure through the sounds of children talking and laughing and he threw the ring and he got it, at his very first throw.

 

The man managing the stall was visibly very surprised. But he knew what he had to do, he packed the figure and handed it to Rishi and said, “Well isn’t that some very good luck”

 

Rishi smiled and walked away with the reward he wanted. Just as he was reminiscing in his moment of happiness, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

 

Rishi turned back to see a much older boy along with a boy around his age, both of them were quite obese for their age. The face of the younger boy clearly showed the presence of some recent tears.

 

“Listen,” said the elder boy, “my brother here tried to get that action figure but he couldn’t, and he is very upset about it as you can see, so how about you give him that figure”

 

Rishi stayed silent and confused. The elder boy pulled out some money from the pocket and said, “It is more than what you paid for that throw, so how about giving us that figure.”

 

‘The figure costs way more than that,’ thought Rishi, ‘besides there is no way I am handing them my figure’

 

Rishi started to step back which angered the elder boy a little and he stepped forward as well and said, “I am trying to be very reasonable here” and then he spoke in a suppressed voice, “don’t make me do something none of us would like”

 

Rishi could read the expression and he knew things were getting out of the situation of being normal.

 

Rishi could feel his heart beat and he could feel the air he breathed in and out and then he entered a sudden burst of speed and bolted away.  

 

Rishi turned back to see the elder brother following him trying to match his speed. There was nothing to worry, Rishi had a plan, he ran for a while at a speed which was just enough to maintain his distance.

 

The plan worked, with time the elder boy slowed down with his breathing getting heavier and his excess weight turned into a great disadvantage. Rishi slowed his own pace, he knew he wouldn’t have to increase his speed, he ran for a while and then came to a stop. The elder boy could run no further.

 

Rishi had successfully saved his possession and he took his time to smile his victory at the elder boy who was distracted by his own tiredness.

 

“I have got him,” came a voice as Rishi felt his free hand being held. Rishi turned to see the younger boy behind him.

 

‘How? I did not see him follow me. Where did he come from? Did he follow me from the other side of the stalls’ Rishi thought and he realised they had clearly planned beyond what Rishi had expected them to. He turned to see the elder boy slowly walking towards him with a smile.

 

Rishi tried to free his hand but the young boy had quite the strength in his grip, he tried to pull rishi towards him and get his hand on the figure.

 

Rishi knew it was over as he saw the elder boy grinning at him.

 

“So,” he said, “It looked like you were smiling thinking you outran me. Now, first you will get the punch you deserve, and then we will take that figure for free.”

 

The elder boy closed his fingers to form a fist and then he took his stance to deliver the punch. Rishi closed his eyes and thought, ‘Well, I gave it my best.’ But the punch never came instead he heard the elder boy grunt with pain.

 

Rishi opened his eyes to see Krisha’s friend looking angrily at the elder boy who was holding his face from the punch he had previously received, while Krisha freed Rishi from the grip of the younger one and then she turned to the elder boy.

 

“What is wrong with you? Do you think bullying a kid younger than you is funny? Do you know he can’t even hear or speak?” screamed Krisha

 Rishi could see expression of regret spreading over the elder boy’s face and the gesture he made while he spoke something next, made Rishi understand that he was apologising. Meanwhile, Rishi had started to develop a liking towards Krisha’s new friend and he smiled at him.

Written by Anuran Chatterji

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