Roses and Durians Volume 1 (CANCELLED)

Hi everyone! This is the author here. I'm really glad that I'm receiving a lot of support during my time here on story mirror. I'm glad and grateful I'm able to share my stories here on this platform and all of you have been with me in this journey so far. I just want to clarify a few things here about this very story. This story is not suitable for children below 16 or those who are easily disturbed. This story can contain language and situations which some people can find disturbing. Parental advisory or personal assistance is required for this story if the reader has a mental problem or is below 15. If you are uncomfortable with such stories, I invite you to withdraw from this story. I hope you the reader understands not only this warning but also the situations presented in this story here.

It was the beginning of the school year in the Patel academy in New Delhi. The air around from summer warmth turned to a Himalayan breeze. There were students coming to and from the campus chatting, laughing and some either playing on their phones or reading books while walking and continuously walking into each other. 16-year-old Dhruv looked at the new school he would be attending for the next 2 years. He looked at it up and down and looked at his own uniform and sighed. He never imagined that he would be here in a new school. He missed his home country and wanted to go back. But he knew that being here in India would be safer than being in his home country in bloodshed or seeing another pool of blood on the streets in his country or hearing gunshots when he is walking back home. As he started walking trying not to cry about missing and leaving behind his home, he felt the petals of the sakura and flower trees around him and the many students blowing and covering the air around like they were shielding them from evil. As Dhruv walked into the school, he thought once more. Was it a good idea to come here? Was it a good idea to come here? or was he better off in his home country? He hid his thoughts and kept his peace and entered the school

He thought that that would be the end of his troubles when coming here. He hoped that this would be a new life for him in the very academy. But arriving now, he started to doubt himself on the choice that he made. Was he really safe? No matter what country he went to would he be safe or unsafe? did it matter? he shrugged it off and continued to go to class along with the many other students asking him to step aside. 

He was wondering through the hallways to his 11th-grade class seeing a peaceful setting. He stopped, he tried to picture what this scenario would look like in his home country. Bullets on the wall, a corpse here and there from a grenade. Someone with a knife trying to chase him before he or she being shot by security in the area. Messages spelled in the blood such as "The end is near" or "Death to all" or "Society is a lie". He was glad it is a school he wanted to be in. As he sat down in a random seat. He realised he was the only one.

The class was nearly empty around this time as most people were either at the hallways or outside in the plaza or still making a commute by metro, by bus or walking, or getting a quick breakfast along the way. He sat down and took his laptop out to take a few notes before the first day of school to prepare a few things. He was minding his own business slowly developing a bubble around him when all a sudden he felt a hand on his shoulder. He froze... He pictured a psychopath or Lonewolf holding him about to stab him as he saw happen to many others in his home country. He froze and started panicking inside until he heard a friendly voice. "Hey! are you new here?". He turned around now confused only to see a girl with rosegold hair next to him.

She was in the same grade and she looked like she just came straight out of an anime show. "Are you new here? My name is Sahiti by the way". "Oh.. sorry, where are my manners. I'm Dhruv, pleased to meet you". "Are you from around here? I can tell you aren't Indian even though you look like one". "Yeah... I'm actually from abroad". "Oh, you'll fit right in! This academy has a lot of foreign students from all around the world. Name one country and you will be sure that there will be someone from there". "Oh, heh... Thanks for letting me know about that. Maybe I don't have to be afraid". "No need, I can guarantee that the overwhelming majority of the school is a friendly place to be at. There is no place better than Patel Academy".

At first, Dhruv felt confident about this. But then his confidence and with no surprise also, even Sahiti's confidence went down. "Well almost everyone here... some people can act like shit or complete airheads". Both of them were talking while looking at the little elephant in the room barging in like he owned the place. He had blue hair, bluer than any blue jay or twitter bird. His eyes reflected his nature with his fists formed ready to give someone a punch. He rushed towards a desk and sat down right next to Dhruv. Dhruv turned his eyes to get a full picture since the guy ran like an ant. He looked at him one last time before being given a glare. "What are you looking at bitch?" "Sorry... I'll just look the other way... I'm Dhruv by the way". The boy gave him a death stare one last time before turning his head the other way and taking out his phone and started watching a live stream of digital art. Dhruv also felt that he was a bit cold and dense.

But he also felt he wasn't this way. "Maybe he will warm up this year?". Sahiti looked at him with a puzzled expression. "You are pretty optimistic and lighthearted. His name is Gupta and he is never that warm towards anyone. He is pretty Arrogant and cold most of the time. to be honest, I never heard the words Gupta and warm come together until now that you say it actually". "Huh... ok" "I'm sure we both will be great chums this year".

As more students rushed in when the school bell rang. Dhruv started to feel calm about his surroundings except having someone hostile sitting next to him and a girl he just met a few minutes ago. But he didn't think much and didn't have that much to worry about and decided to slide on it. "good afternoon class, today we have a new transfer student his name is Dhruv and he is right... ah! there! why don't you come and introduce yourself?". Dhruv looked around in a panic, He was in an area of people holding knives of judgement aimed at him. He would have prefered actual knives but in this case, he was not into knives of judgement aimed by his classmates. He stood up from his desk and proceeded to the whiteboard as white as ever. He looked at the 25 people in his class from well-built sportsmen to delinquents glaring at him, to geniuses taking time to look away from their precious books, to Manga fans, to the most normal people in the school and the class. He gulped quietly and introduced himself. "Good morning... My name is Dhruv and I'm 16 years old, I recently just transferred here from abroad. A few things about me is that I like to draw and I also like film making. That's pretty much it about me". The class looked at him like they looked at the wall, but they did see some colour, Dhruv couldn't tell if they were interested or just ok as their emotions were a mix of both, but he didn't think much of it and looked at the teacher sweating. "Thank you Dhruv, you may have a seat". "yes ma'am".

Dhruv looked down sheepishly like he was in an examination hallway about to receive his exam results that determine his entire future. He sat down still looking down sweating and feeling the eyes of a few looking at him like compasses pointing to the north pole. He sat down thinking that would be it and started to once again take notes from the lecture. 

After what seemed to be an eternity in the classroom, It was time for physical education. He dreaded physical education for the change of clothes and for people peaking and seeing him. He felt the whole world was watching and was going to look down on him and think less. He thought he would never be in that position where people would look down on him when he was in his home country and now, he also always feared people looking down and thinking low about him. But Dhruv always tried his best and walked with a little confidence towards the locker rooms. Every step he took, he felt a tremor and shivers crashing into his mind. He felt like there were guns aimed at him and he was going to be another victim or body on the wall. He tried to let go of these memories but deep inside, he still felt low and still felt someone will get him even if it is not death, someone will bring him down once again to hell and into an eternal loop of suffering like many. But he shrugged that off. He thought, that is something that wouldn't happen to him, he will never end up in such a position. 

As he entered, he noticed that the stalls were occupied and one was ready to be used. As more students came and started changing to their Physical Education uniforms or some were just goofing and chatting around, he had the thought "when was the last time I had a normal moment in school". He finally spotted a ready-made changing stall and rushed there but as he was about to enter another tall and buffer guy approached him. Dhruv froze. Their eyes met. Eyes of fright met eyes of intimidation. Dhruv suddenly realised he was a jock in his class. He was one of some looking at him like he was a new colour on the canvas.

Guy then proceeded, "Hey, I had my eye on this". "Oh... sorry then... I'll just wait here". The guy looked at him in a confused manner like it was something new to him. "Oh come on, you're just going to let go? You're making me feel bad". At this point, Dhruv was straight-up confused whether this guy was intimidating him or was confusing as shit like the unrealistic idols in high school movies or was actually feeling bad. Dhruv thought "Wait... What the hell?... what is he trying to say to me". The guy proceeded to slap him in the back like it was a brother - brother thing. Dhruv tried not to cry as it felt like he was slammed by a brick. "Shut up and get in, you earned my respect bro". Dhruv was even more confused on what on earth was happening but decided to go on to change. He thought about the guy for some time but like the rest, he brushed it off. 

It was a physical education class and everyone was at the court while the teacher was taking attendance. He was minding his own business and just daydreaming for some time until he felt someone bump into him and fall down. Dhruv froze and panicked inside, feeling he had hurt someone or that someone was right behind him about to stab him. He looked behind only to find a tall girl with long dark hair down. She fell down rubbing her head from getting up. Dhruv panicked thinking he hurt her. "So sorry! are you ok?". Dhruv helped her get up and she then replied calmly and timidly "I'm fine... sorry about that". 

'No no, it's ok, I should also be careful". At this point, some of the class was looking at the back and wondering what was going on. The girl was so embarrassed she ran away from him in shame and tried to blend in with the crowd. "Guess like she is a bit anti-social". Dhruv once again didn't mind and decided to look away and back to the front. "Ok everyone, I have set the groups for this activity, this is just basic teamwork". Everyone looked calm as it was the most normal. As the teacher explained Dhruv felt he was finally returning to normality and was finally feeling the feeling of being ok for once in such a long time. He thought that now life can revert back to normal starting from today and felt like he was in a sanctuary. A pretty awkward sanctuary but any sanctuary would do in this time. Dhruv soon awoke from his daydreaming with a shock from the teachers calling. "Next group is Dhruv, Sahiti, Gupta, Michael and Carolina.

He awoke and knew which group he had to go to. He knew 2, but the other 2?. As soon as he saw who were the other 2 in his group he was speechless and thought "Holy shit... these 2!?". And if you haven't already picked up, it was the guy he met in the locker room and the girl that bumped into him during attendance. No one was paying attention as they went to their groups.

Dhruv went on to his group, forever step he took like the ones towards the bathrooms he sweated and felt sick to the stomach. he hadn't experienced this in a normal setting but he somehow felt uncomfortable being around other people. He never once felt welcome before, but here it seemed like everyone was fine with his presence. He pleaded he would have a better life. "Oh hey! you're the kid that I met in the locker room". Dhruv nearly fainted, he wondered if this was fate. "Oh.. it's you, the weirdo" replied Gupta. "Hey... um... sorry again for bumping into you that time". "Guess like you made quite an impression on many" replied Sahiti. "Yeah.. I guess". "Don't say you guess, you have". As soon as Michael replied he put his arm around Dhurv and patted him like a 90-ton block of metal slammed against his back. Dhruv tried not to cry, picked himself and replied in a weak voice. "guess I do" and chuckled a bit hiding the pain. After the P.E session with Gupta not even participating a bit and a few here and there. P.E class finally ended after what seemed to be more than an hour, everyone finally got to go to their next class and change. As everyone went to their break times before the next class, Dhruv stayed in one of the changing stalls sitting down. He rolled up his coat to see the many scars.

Scars both bright and dark red scattered across both his arms. "why did I have to act so awkward around everyone? He reached out in his bag and took out a small pocket knife and started cutting, thinking about what he had done as guilt swept him. "already it has been a few hours and I have screwed up those few hours. Can't I do anything right?" He tried not to cry and he continued to blame himself as he swiped the blade along his skin already red and blistered from the many scars. He soon cleaned the knife, placed it in his bag, and arrived before the next class. He hoped this time, he won't screw up the rest of the school day and maybe he can act normal. But... Dhruv never felt normal once in his lifetime. He forgot what normal, ok, and fine meant. He forgot the feeling of being normal and ok that he has to fear and doubt himself every day from the horrors he had experienced in his home country. But he tried to move on. 

It was a math block and Dhruv had to sit in the front once again. Usually, it would be to see clearly but this time it was not to be the odd one out in such a case. He decided he would settle and try to make the most. He tried to bear with this already spiraling day. He hoped that things will get better in his new life. He was busy procasonating and thinking to himself that he forgot the teacher's explanations. And surely enough the worst case scenario came. He was paired with Gupta. He looked at the back of the room only to meet Gupta staring at him like a beat stares at his prey. He also looked at Sahiti's expression of regret and concern saying the words, "well shit"... Dhruv wondered from that moment, will he survive here?

(end of volume 1)