© Alan Thomas 2021 All rights reserved All rights reserved by author. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author. Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within. First Published in February 2021 ISBN: 978-93-5427-449-7

BLUEROSE PUBLISHERS www.bluerosepublishers.com [email protected] +91 8882 898 898 Cover Design: Riya Parker Typographic Design: Ilma Mirza Distributed by: BlueRose, Amazon, Flipkart, Shopclues

Dedication This book is Dedicated to my late father Mr Jacob Thomas.

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge a few individuals who made this publication a possibility, few companions who have motivated me to pen this novel. Frist I would appreciate acknowledge my spouse Remya for her encouragement and being a powerful support in my world. She had assisted me with her support and evaluation since the start. My mother Mariamma Thomas, who supported my dream and her excitement to publish the work. Again I would like to thank these people who made it possible and were my initial readers and critics . Sajai Jose for supporting me as guide, Mentor and Copy editing. Savie Karnel Manuscript Review and Feedback. Dr Shaila Kumar, Sonia Pinto and Nanditha Mudgal who took a keen interest in reading and giving their strong assessment and supported me define the story. Last but not least, the Bluerose Publishers team who took keen participation in working me at every stage

Maharajas Of Mysore

Chapter 1

It was 4.15 pm and the school bell sounded for the last time. The boys immediately rushed towards the playground carrying their bags and sports gear. John Joseph, alias JJ, the leader of the ruling boys gang in Section 9C, was there to plan a game of football with the boys from Section 9A. They were engrossed in conversation, focused as they were on selecting and finalizing the team, when Arun, John's arch rival and senior in school, closed in on them with his gang. John didn’t notice them at first, as they had approached him from behind. The boy from 9A who he was talking to, however realised the danger and tried to warn John. But it was too late, and Arun's gang had surrounded him by then. John panicked at the sight, unsure what his reaction should be. Arun lost no time in laying down the gauntlet, “You prick! I had warned you that if you hit anyone from my gang who stay in your neighbourhood, you are screwed.” The challenge gave John time to react. “Hey creep, if I meet any of them, I will hammer them again,” he yelled back, the anger rising in him. John understood what was about to happen. Arun meant business and was carrying a cricket bat. His gang members 1|P a g e

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were just waiting for his signal, while John had nobody to defend him or mount a counterattack. He and Arun were sworn enemies and today he was cornered. John scanned the ground desperately for help, but there was no trace of anyone from his gang. Arun was the first to move, swinging the bat directly at John's head. John ducked, escaping the blow narrowly. John knew he was truly trapped; the boys from 9A were neither capable nor willing to take on Arun and gang. They had him surrounded, and there was no room for him to escape even if he wanted to. John, however, didn’t want to run away. In fact, he was going to attack. He understood that the odds were against him, but if he were to run away, it's his reputation that would take a beating. Advancing towards John, Arun lifted the bat to strike again, when he was jolted by a sharp blow to his back that made him wince with pain. He turned back to see Isaac, John’s best buddy, holding a hockey stick. In a menacing tone, Isaac said, ” Leave him or I will kill you now”. As things got violent, the boys standing close by started moving away, while others who saw the action from far, were quickly drawn to the spot. One of Arun's gang members grabbed John's arms from behind, and motioned to Arun to hit him. His opponent was taller and had a strong grip, making it difficult for John to break loose. John locked his right leg between his opponent's legs and pushed him hard. His buddy Rajeev, a.k.a. Chottu, took advantage of the opportunity, hitting the tall guy with a rock. As he reeled from the blow, John punched him in the stomach. Hefty as he was, he collapsed in a heap right there. 2|P a g e

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John saw that his friend Shiva and Isaac were fighting alongside each other, dealing blows to the seniors with ease. The fight was now in full swing, and had turned in favour of John's gang, who had caught Arun and his friends off guard. Arun, who was already injured, tried to put up a fight but failed. The pain from that initial blow was just too much for him, and besides, Isaac still held the hockey stick. Arun realised that they lost their chance; the juniors had carried the day. The crowd was suddenly broken up by PT Sir, who had run to the spot from the teachers cabin. “Off you little jerks”, he bellowed, his cane swinging wildly to strike anyone who crossed his path. Before he made his getaway, Arun turned to John with a furious look, shouting, “Jackass, you escaped for now but it won't be long before we get you.” Before PT Sir could get to them, John and Isaac ran towards the cycle stand. Shiva took advantage of the melee to deliver a few more blows on one of Arun's gang members who were left behind. He and Chottu then flung themselves over the compound wall to get to the main road. John and Isaac picked up their bicycles from the stand and quickly made for the road. John said to Isaac, “Hey, next time we should hit the loafer when he is by himself. That will make him fear us. It will show everyone in school that we rule the place”. Chottu and Shiva hopped on behind John and Isaac, and the gang quickly sped away from school. Chottu said, “Guys, Arun is a Karate champion and a Black belt. We 3|P a g e

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should take stronger boys from St. Stephens School with us when we attack him." “Nonsense,” declared John, “It's guts that count, not Karate, Chottu. Maybe you are scared, but I can deal with three of them alone." “Get lost, dude, you can’t beat Arun!” Chottu hit back. Shiva said, "Hey Isaac, be prepared to get caned by PT Sir tomorrow morning. He will surely inform the headmaster, too”. “But why should we be caned this time?" asked John. "He would find out from the other students it's Arun who started it, won't he?" “Forget about that jackass Arun,” said Shiva,” let's head towards Devamma's ice cream parlour and check if the old woman has choco sticks today”. Chottu responded, ” Dude, we owe her Rs 35 and we better pay her this time. The other day she told me to get lost in the presence of all the girls. I warned her that if she was rude to me again, she will never get her money." Devamma is a penniless widow, and her 'ice cream parlour' was actually a thermocol crate in which she kept ice cream sourced from a small scale unit nearby. She would sit under a banyan tree in that locality which had many schools, and made barely enough to make ends meet. Most of her customers, almost entirely schoolchildren, bought ice creams on credit and often cheated the old woman. John, who was still annoyed over the fight, said angrily, "That rascal Arun too owes her money, but she never asks him for it." "Not true, actually. I heard her demanding the money to him, and even threatening that she will show up in school if he didn't." said Chottu 4|P a g e

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The boys now arrived at Devamma's in their BSA SLR and Ranger cycles, which John and Isaac owned, with Chottu and Shiva riding pillion. “Hi Sweetheart Devamma, how are you darling?”, Chottu shouted from a distance. After turning to look at them, Devamma went back to her business, while commencing a volley of insults and complaints about not getting paid for her wares. This angered Isaac, who told her mockingly, "Hey amma, eating your tap water ice candies is as good as inviting some illness to fall on us. We buy them only to help you, looking at your sorry state. Yet, you don't appreciate us. Hey JJ, give her the Rs 35 we owe her and let's get going”. “Hey, cool off Isaac, Devamma is a decent lady. In fact, she is going to waive off our debt, is it not, Amma?" said John in a sweet voice. "Am I your grandmother, idiots?'' screamed Devamma. Shiva and Chottu stood grinning nearby, their eyes greedily eyeing the ice box Although he seemed in an irritable mood, John was actually feeling delighted. After all, he had managed to teach a lesson to Arun and besides, their gang had triumphed over the seniors. Before he convinced them, his gang was actually scared of Arun. It was John who insisted that they can and should strike Arun, so that in the later years, when they would turn senior, they would become the undisputed dons of the school and no one would dare to challenge them. As John was dealing with the cash issue with Devamma, a bunch of girls came over to the spot. Between them walked an angel. One by one, the boys were lost to themselves looking at her. It was Rajeev who noticed her first, then 5|P a g e

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Shiva and at last Isaac. John didn't see her, but turned around when Isaac placed his hand on him. He realised something was up when he saw the guys staring dreamily, and looked around. He was surprised to see Stella. Why were the boys behaving like this on seeing her, he wondered. Then he saw her for the first time and went quiet like the rest of them. For, next to Stella was a girl whose very sight made them all go weak in the knees. Isaac whispered to John, “Hey, who is that chick man, with your sister Stella?” Without commenting on the girl, John said, “I don't know. It must be Smitha, they claim she is the most charming girl in Sacred Heart. Stella says she is her best friend”. But in his heart, John went “Wow.” He thought to himself, “What a girl, oh Lord, so beautiful!”, before losing himself completely in her. It was Stella who brought him to his senses. “Hey John, how come you are here so early? Don't you play football till 5.00, and it is hardly 4.35 now...” she asked. “Hey Stella, we got out for football practice early and so we are here. And why are you late, by the way, and who is your new companion,” John enquired. “Oh this is Smitha, she has enrolled in our school from this year on,” “Hi Smitha,” greeted John with a smile, while Smitha just stared and said “Hello.” Smiling inside, John thought to himself, "‘Smitha John’ is an excellent name. Today is turning out to be extraordinary. It is my lucky day..." Stella and John grew up together in the neighbourhood and she had been his ally for as long as he could remember. 6|P a g e

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Stella's dad worked with Bharat Earth Movers Ltd, the giant public sector company. Until recently they were neighbours, but since Stella's family moved to their new house in an adjacent locality, John saw her only once a week. He made it a point to see her mom Sowmya Aunty for whom he had high regard and affection from childhood. And Sowmya loved John like he were a sibling to Stella and always checked on him. “Hey John, can you come with us till home, I need you to help us get there safely. There are all these guys near the circle, boys from your school. If they see us, they will be following us till home. Such vulgar boys you have at your school, I was about to inform you about this, buddy.” John looked to Isaac, saying angrily, “Who the hell would dare to trouble John's sister, Isaac?”. “We will take care of them shortly, don’t worry," Isaac responded Smitha threw a glance at Stella, as she felt a bit disturbed by this demonstration of John, so Stella winked at her to assure her that everything was fine. Isaac asked Stella,” Is it that tall and dark fellow who has a BSA cycle? I think he lives near your place”. “Yes he is, and he studies in your school. In tenth standard, someone said.” Stella replied. Shiva turned to John and said, “JJ, I told you last time, he's the one who keeps track of our movements and delivers messages to Arun. We should fix him shortly”. "I will look into it," John said, his face wearing a stiff expression. With that, Shiva and Chottu said bye and turned towards the lane that led to their homes.

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By now, Stella realized that there was going to be trouble. She knew she should have kept quiet for once and informed John only in case the issue had become worse. She said, “Hey JJ, it's ok if you threaten him if you encounter him, but don't create a scene in my name, please. Mom should not know this, John, because if you do anything to him outside school, the news will reach my home”. No boy had dared to trouble Stella since childhood, because everyone knew John cared for her just like a sister. Whenever she fell sick, John would not make it to school himself, and instead would keep her company. He was so watchful of her that even her cousins didn't dare to trouble her in the presence of John. They called her 'John ka Spoon' to agitate her every now and then. And true to her nick name, she confided every issue that she faced to him. As they approached the roundabout, Isaac said to John, “Hey JJ, look ahead, here is our hero”. And sure enough, the culprit was there, waiting for the girls. “JJ, don’t do anything bad now,” said Stella anxiously, while Smitha kept glancing at Stella in a perplexed manner. Isaac, who was until then strolling casually, suddenly pushed forward with an aggressive expression. Sensing danger, the boys who were hanging around quickly disappeared. As the quartet progressed, they gossiped about what was going on at school until they arrived at Stella’s home. John asked Stella if Sowmya Aunty was at home, to which she said that her mom had gone out and would be back only by evening. 8|P a g e

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As Stella proceeded towards the gate, Smitha just stood there, as if worried about what to do next. Stella noticed this and said to John, “JJ, let Smitha leave before you, her house is on the 3rd cross from here. You guys take off, we will see you very soon." As she opened the gate, she spoke to John again, ”Hey, I don’t want any trouble with that guy. Be certain you handle it carefully, JJ” .”Will do sis,” said John, before the two boys wished her and turned back home. On the way back, Isaac said to John with a smile, "Hey John, I saw it in your eyes. You have fallen for that girl, you dirty bastard." Suddenly realising that he had been exposed, John declared promptly, “Hey, no. Not JJ, my taste is unique and she is not all that charming”. ”Oh, is it? Then let me try for her. And I am sure some questions will come from Chottu and Shiva tomorrow at school. Chottu is ruled out but Shiva will be excited, no doubt!” Isaac said with a grin, before parting ways. That evening, after watching TV for some time, John retired to his room on the first floor of the house. He lay around lazily on his bed holding an Archie’s comic, but felt too lethargic to read. His mind was on Smitha. How come he didn’t know she was Stella’s friend and why was he so late to meet her, he thought to himself. He wished to learn more about her but didn’t know how to. Will Stella support him? Why won't she, he thought. I will kick her if she didn’t help her bro, he swore. “John...”, his mom called from downstairs, "your tea and refreshments are on the dinner table. Come and have it. I have to finish some work for papa, so call me when you are here…” "Yes mom, I will come after my bath,” he replied. 9|P a g e

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John’s father ran two hardware stores and a paint store in Mysore. The hardware stores were started by John's grandpa, while the paint shop his father started himself. On a regular day, his father would leave home by 8.30am and returned only by 9.00 pm after closing the stores and meeting his friends.

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Maharajas Of Mysore

Chapter 2

As he lay down, John heard the phone buzz and gathered that his mom was chatting with someone. Soon, she called out “John, pick up the extension, it’s Stella.” Hmm, the right person to talk to at the moment, John thought. John's Mom said to Stella, “Hey, convey my regards to your Mummy and tell her I will send John with the sarees she asked for. Ok, bye Stella.” They wished each other and she put the phone down John said, “Hey Stella, what‘s up, how come you remembered me now?”. “Bro, I need a favour from you”. “Tell me,” replied John. "I have to buy some clothes from the city and I want you to come with me on Sunday after church. I was planning to eat some snacks in Saraswathipuram on the way back. Can you come?”. “Well, depends," said John, adding, "By the way, can't you get Smitha too? I will have Raju uncle take dad's car so we can all go” “Hello? Keep her out of your mind, Mr. JJ, she is very orthodox and I can predict your intentions, dear” teased Stella. “I mean, she could be a great friend and you can show her our favourite pani puri shop, the park we played in by the lake, and all that,” insisted John. "Bro, I know what that means. Forget about it," said Stella. 11 | P a g e