"THREE........."

As usual the bell rang at 1:30 pm, I know its stupid, but yes our college did have a bell, anyways they replaced it with electric buzzers once we started ringing it at our will.
All those in dire need of knowledge (which can also be read as "a nap" after a heavy meal) streamed into their respective classes.
Irrespective of all this we the intellects, with a common belief that a fag was far more important than a nap after a meal, were in our favorite tea shop (BABU's tea shop & cool BAR) just outside the campus, busy making doughnuts of smoke and discussing ways to perfect them.

Kurian - "aliya...classel kerano, shaapel poyalo?" (bro..should we go in? Let’s go booze)
Deepu - "ooolleee nameke attendence shortageaa.." (dumbo we are on attendence shortage)
Abel - "seryaa aliya.." (tru bro..)

Putting those soulful thoughts to rest we took the final drag from our cigarettes, threw the butts in Rajnikanth style and moved slowly to our classes dragging our dirty jeans along to impart knowledge to the needy.
We reached our destination (class room) at around 1:40, thanks to the minor distractions en'route. Lo and behold there was Mathee Mary (sorry no offence meant, but I don't remember her actual name...) with her looming figure blocking the doorway.

Mathee - "where were you?" (it rhymes well Huh?)
Deepu drooped his shoulders and hid behind Dhils(mind you...its like the story in which the elephant hides behind the ant)
Dhils - "Ma’m we had 2 take some Photostats..." he tapped a stack of Xerox...god knows where he got them from, not his anyways...
Mathee - "okay get in but I won't give attendance...you are 10mn late.." (Huh!!! i hate it when she says that, considering all the sacrifices we had to make, just to bless her class with our presence...)

We walked in slowly with an air (or smoke) of aloofness, looking down pitifully at the soul-less mortals sleeping in the classroom.
Me and Nanu went straight to the last bench as there’s always a fight over the middle row, no idea why... just like that, everyone wants to sit there, maybe because they believe the tutors won't bother those sitting there, but nah!! That ain't true to the best of ma knowledge.
I opened someone’s book lying on the table and borrowed a pen promising to return it (which I obviously won’t).
then we got down to business...i.e., started talking about some babe we saw on the way....it deviated to cars, bikes and so on...finally I got bored and started scribbling down my thoughts (you know...on life, love, destiny, doom etc...you see... am never short of thoughts) on "that somebody's book".

And somewhere in between I dozed off into my world of fantasies....free from the worldly worries but I believe I had a nightmare (or rather a classroomare) about not being able to attempt the exams due to attendance shortage…that sure is a worldly worry, isn't it?
Meanwhile Mathee was busy teaching some godforsaken things to the few souls alive. We were at peace with each other (me and Mathee, not bothering each other's domain).

Nearing the end of the session, my deaf ears working in sync with my subconscious mind picked up "ONE...TWO....." you know, I got this incredible ability to filter out numbers from speech even when am asleep, I developed it lately...I believe it has something to do with my attendance shortage...anyways
Those numbers triggered a chain of events in my somniac body wherupon I shot my hand up with a newborn vigor and screamed "THREE..." with all my might as if my whole life rested on it (one has to put in that extra bit to survive in this competitive world of today...),but.....

I didn’t hear the quick "four" just plain silence..followed, the whole class turned back and stared at me....as if I was the one responsible for the 9/11 attacks...
Mathee was fuming, I swear I saw smoke...and it smelled trouble...
I didn’t get the hang of it for a sec....there was absolute wonder and innocence on my face like that of you know...hmmm..ummm.. Huh!!! Can’t explain it, putting an end to the silence and adding to my agony, everyone burst out laughing...I believe I saw a smile crack across Mathee's face too....tats when Nanu in between his giggles explained to me that she was dictating some page numbers of some book by someone for reference.....whatever...boy did I blush??? Damn and I thought she was marking attendance...and as you might know by now, we were already running short on them...so I didn’t want to miss any.....
I swear I’ve never felt more embarrassed in my colleage life, tell me...will I ever forget this???