TRIAL BY MARKS

Antony, Vinod and Karan linked their arms and entered the class. Holidays were fine, but school was so much more fun. The trio had been classmates and best friends, since they were in Pre-Primary. Vinod was athletic, outgoing and confident. His massive kick could land the football in the nearby girls’ school ground. This was a fun way of saying “Hello!” to the pretty girls next door. Karan was a daredevil and loved getting into mischief. He would crawl under the school desk and hide, because he did not want to do cursive writing. He was intelligent and could excel in studies without much effort. Antony was shy and sometimes tongue-tied. His golden voice was his calling card. Vinod and Karan played the guitar and keyboard. This was a magic space they loved and shared.
Yet, there was a secret compartment in Antony’s life which he never shared, even with his best buddies. The villain entered Antony’s life silently. Antony felt as if someone was holding a giant pair of pincers and squeezing his heart, he could feel a heavy rock constantly pressing against him. He could not breathe, he could not sleep, he agonised over every possibility. He had nightmares, in which dark, evil figures clutched at him and mauled him.
Soon, the intruder had taken over Antony’s life. Did his dad even notice it? Could his mother’s love shield and protect him? Could Vinod and Karan, his best friends, and the magic of their music, take him away from all the ugliness in his life?