Bestest, the journey continues #6

Sid had now become known in school for his transformational story in academics and also the recent successes. He was a step closer to what he had not imagined in his wildest dreams, being a part of the ‘BESTest’ circle. Following the techniques that he had picked from the wise man’s book with discipline, enabled him to continue faring well in his studies. The attention and the success that he had got made him feel that he had picked what was needed from the wise man’s book and he didn’t feel any need to continue reading it further. He felt he could always come back to it if need be.

Many students had started approaching Sid for getting some of his inputs for improving their own academic results. While he shared tips and techniques with fellow boys and girls, Deb and Kim were the only two to whom he gave more guidance, both being his close friends. Their academic struggles had bought Deb, Kim and Sid together over the years. However, he kept his little secret to himself.

One day at the insistance of Deb and Kim to give out something that would help bring about a turnaround in their academics, Sid decides to share his story about the book with them post taking their word that they would never share it with anyone. Both wouldn’t buy this story and feel that Sid is pulling a prank on them, they challenge Sid to show them the Book. Sid also does that, he takes them home and shows them the book, only to be mocked by Deb and Kim on how a book that was that old and tattered could be of any use or help anyone excel in Academics.

Deb and Kim dare Sid to share the book with them for a term, given that he anyway wasn’t reading it off-late. Sid accepts the same and shares the book with them with an understanding that they wouldn’t show the book to anyone else, they wouldn’t create a copy or scan of the book, lest it would lose its magic. Deb and Kim amongst themselves get into an arrangement where each would keep it with them for a week alternately. First week Deb uses it and hands it over to Kim who reads it in the next week. Both tell Sid that they found it interesting but they didn’t feel more intelligent or capable of doing better in studies. Sid assures them that it would show results over some time, but not so soon. This continues for few weeks. Deb would go over to Kim’s place to hand over the book to her and next week Kim would drop the book back at Deb’s place.

One day it happens that Deb is carrying the book to Kim, he takes a bus that day and places the book next to him on the bus seat, and being tired with all the academic preparation he was trying basis the advice of the old man, he doses off in the bus. He wakes up to the honking of a horn on th road, only to realise that the bus has shot past the stop where he was supposed to get off to get to Kim’s place. He rushes from his seat and gets off the next stop in a hurry. He starts heading back to Kim’s pace and in the daze its already late by the time he realises that he does not have the book with him. He had forgotton the book in the bus !

The day goes by with Kim and Deb trying to track the bus and find the book. They end up finding the bus, but the book was nowhere to be found. Someone had picked it up and with so many unknown passengers travelling on the bus in the day, it was difficult to find who had taken the book even if they managed to get some leads. Tired, they return to their homes and decide not to let Sid know yet. Few days go by in the pretence that they still had the book and they were reading it whenever they met Sid. They finally give up their search and the term goes by. Their results for the term also come out to be dismal and that leaves Sid surprised about why the book didn’t work for them like it did for him. Then he feels that may be the book was meant to be found by him and hence it may be working for him and not others. He asks Deb and Kim for the book and their lie gets caught, with Sid having to be told what had happened. Sid ends up distraught, has a heated engagement with Deb and Kim and they end up breaking their friendship.

Sid is at wits end on what he will do without the book, but the Book seems to have had other plan’s. He wishes that he had continued to read and complete the book to the end. Nevertheless the book meets the purpose and with whatever he had picked from it, Sid is able to get through the year with ease.

But he wonders where had the book gone, had someone picked it up. Or had it disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared to Sid. Keep reading the coming parts to know more !