Nowadays his parents and grandparents were constantly busy with the visitors. His mother especially was occupied from the moment she awoke – she had no time for him. On the contrary, she expected Pranjol to get involved too – to run errands or share his books and toys or even his clothes with Lala. Of course, the use of the bathroom, a place to sleep, everything had to be adjusted according to the guests’ convenience. But what Pranjol hated the most was the constant comparison between him and Lala – how Lala was well-behaved, good at studies, hardworking, obedient, a perfect saint ! And when Pranjol’s grandfather started yelling at him for getting poor marks in the last test (that too in front of Lala) it was the last straw. Pranjol wanted to run away from home and never come back – he felt so hurt and humiliated !

Pranjol pushed the plate away and got up. He was too angry to eat; his stomach was tight with frustration. His mother called after him, he heard his father shout, “What is the matter with this boy these days ? He has never behaved so badly before !” Pranjol walked out of the house and began to play with a ball all by himself, hitting it on the wall, hitting it real hard. What he really wanted to do was to scream.