As he stepped out of his father's silver coloured Santro, he was awe struck at the sight of the abominably imposing structure that stood looming over him. Sahil, in his short time on this planet, had not yet been witness to such a devilishly daunting building which was now to become his new school. The thought and sight of it turned the butterflies in his stomach, which had accompaned him to school and had risen out of pleasant expectancy and excitement, into sharp and acute bites of pain.
His father took his hand and led him inside the premises, all the while Sahil kept looking up and trying to distinguish where the top of the building ended and the sky began. What they entered into was a large hall surrounded by square corridors swirling up on every floor. Sahil couldn't prevent himself from still looking up. The skylights were grand and allowed the morning rays to bath the huge foyer where a great many number of students had assembled along with a few parents as well.
Sahil made it a point observe everything because before he left his home this morning his mother had told him to pay attention to everything. He was doing exactly that. It seemed that the place was thronging with people and thronging in a manner which frightened five year old Sahil as he did not like crowded places.
The only consolation he appreciated was that he wasn't out of place. With his little blue coloured bag hanging from his shoulders and a white coloured water bottle around his neck, he recognized a couple of children who also looked the same as he.
Suddenly a gust of people came from no where and Sahil lost his father's hand. He was swept away with the crowd and dumped somewhere else. A mortal fear came gushing over him. He was now frantic, calling out for his father. But since he was vertically changed at his age he couldn't peer over the shoulders of the other people and locate his father. The noise in the hall took a humming tone and so his little weak voice couldn't even be heard inches away from him.
Sahil was on the verge of tears when suddenly he felt a hand grasping his own and tugging at him. For one moment he thought it was his father but the hand felt smaller and softer. He turned to see a little girl wearing the same school uniform as he and probably his own age pulling and taking him out of the crowded spot he was stuck in. A little later he found himself face to face with this girl, standing at a reasonably less crowded area near the surrounding corridors. He looked at her and felt a bit strange. The little girl had a beautiful face but it wasn't the face which seemed to draw attention. It was her eyes which did so.
He was staring at her and she was staring back. But she wasn't really looking at him.Her gaze seemed distant and there was something void about it.
A voice came from somewhere, "Maria, where are you?".
"Here mom", the girl called out. Her mother came and took her hand and for just that fleeting moment Sahil saw a hesitant search from the girl for her mother's hand. It dawned upon him in a flash. Maria couldn't see.
But it didn't stop her from turning to face Sahil and although she might not have known where Sahil was, she waved at him. Sahil stood a bit surprised but he too waved at her smiling.
