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Chapter 26: Monkey Bhai

The bus screeched to a sudden halt, jerking everyone awake like they'd just been slapped by fate.

"Abey kya hua?" Mihir yelped, rubbing his forehead where it had just collided with the seat in front.

Aaravi blinked, still halfway in her dream. "Pahuch gye kya?"

Mahi peered out of the dusty window, squinting. "Bro... is that... a monkey?"

And it was.

A full-sized, no-nonsense monkey was perched majestically on the front windshield, staring at the driver like he was the one driving the bus.

"OH GREAT," Ms. D'Souza exploded from the front seat. "NOW WE HAVE WILDLIFE BOARDING AS WELL?"

The driver, already looking like he'd lived through three lifetimes, slowly reached into his bag and pulled out a lone banana. Holding it up, he extended it towards the monkey like it was a peace offering.

"Le le bhai... le ja... hum gareeb aadmi hai," he mumbled.

The monkey tilted its head.

Sniffed.

And then ignored the banana with full attitude.

Instead, it scampered up the side mirror, climbed over the driver's side, and then - to everyone's horror - jumped right onto the roof of the bus.

A loud thud echoed through the ceiling.

"AREY MERA SIR!" Mr. Patel shrieked, clutching his head and ducking so fast his coffee almost flew out the window. "YE KYAA HO RAHAA HAI!"

"ALL WINDOWS SHUT! NOW!" Ms. D'Souza screamed like a general in war. "CLOSE THE WINDOWS, YOU GADHE LOG! CLOSE IT BEFORE YOUR NEW CLASSMATE ENTERS!"

Panic broke out.

Children scrambled to the windows, hands flailing, screams echoing.

"Abe khol nahi! Band kar! BAND!" Mahi shouted at a confused girl who had started opening the window instead.

But they were too late.

From the very back of the bus came a scream so blood-curdling, it could've started a horror movie franchise.

A monkey had entered.

Through the last window.

And had landed directly on top of a poor, unsuspecting boy's face.

"ABBE HATTT! MUMMYYYY!" the boy yelled, his hands flapping wildly as he tried to remove the wild creature that now considered his head a sofa.

Ms. D'Souza charged down the aisle, dodging bags and students like an Olympic athlete.

"STOP SCREAMING!" she screamed. "DON'T SCARE THE MONKEY!"

"TOH PHIR AAP KYU CHILLA RAHI HAIN, MA'AM?" the boy shrieked as the monkey jumped off his face like it had finished its ride.

Chaos.

The monkey, clearly unbothered by all the drama, now turned toward its true target: a chubby kid sitting frozen three rows ahead, holding a shiny packet of Parle-G biscuits like it was the crown jewel of India.

The monkey stared.

The kid didn't blink.

The monkey walked forward slowly, like a villain in a Bollywood climax scene.