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Manan Banik : Beyond the Rumours

Manan Banik : Beyond the Rumours

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Beyond the Rumours

Manan Banik, a talented yet troubled ninth-grader, struggles to balance his passions—art, cricket, and writing—while facing harsh criticism and unfounded rumours.

Manan, to be precise Manan Banik,  a ninth grader, had always been a bright student. A passionate artist and a dedicated tutee, he was gifted with the art of cricket and a little bit skill in writing. However lately, he went through a bad patch.

Whispers began to trickle into his ears about people criticizing him for attempting to juggle too many passions and failing to master any one of them. The constant circus of judgmental views weighed heavy on him, and he could feel his self-confidence slowly crumbling like a treasure map under the ocean…

Then came the breaking point. His history class teacher, Shalini Ma’am, summoned him right in front of the class one afternoon. “Manan,” she began, her voice sharp and disapproving as if pointing to the imperfections of an already messed-up soul, “I’ve been receiving complaints about you. A school prefect quoted a ridiculous rumour circulating that you’re involved with a girl, Radhika Sutradhar from Section H.”

Manan’s artery in the neck instantly froze. Radhika was merely a new friend he had recently started talking to. The thought of her being falsely linked to him, especially in such an absurdly shameful manner, filled him with a mix of shame and anger. He could hardly imagine the cruel repercussion in his family the moment parents got wind of this.…..

Shalini Ma’am continued mercilessly. “I think I expect far more from you, Manan. This is completely uncalled for. These distractions—cricket, art, and now this dirty rumour about a relationship—are clearly digging your focus. You need to make a choice; you must stop wasting your time on such trivialities and instead devote yourself entirely to studies. Such behaviour is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

The words cut through him like a knife. To make it worse, she called up Manan’s mother which only added to the devastating humiliation. The more he thought of his family being dragged into this mess over a groundless rumour, the worse it became. His heart ached and the weight of it all felt like crushing him to dust.

A frustrating Manan grabbed his phone and typed a message to Shalini Ma’am in a sudden fit of anger: “You don’t understand anything! You think I’m wasting my time, but you’re wrong! I’m doing my best, and you don’t have the right to call my mother and speak nonsense .” He sent the message, helplessly…..

Next morning, Alakh  Sir, his English teacher and the closest mentor to Manan, whom he respected and loved the most among the flock of the teachers in the school, intervened. Seeing the reddish veins in Manan’s eyes, he quietly sat down beside him. “Manan, what’s going on?” he asked, his voice soft but full of concern.

Manan couldn’t hold back the flood of emotions anymore. “Sir, I’m not good enough. No matter how hard I try—cricket, art, studies—it’s never enough. And now, people are saying I’m dating someone I don’t even care about. It’s too much. I don’t know what to do after all this.”

Alakh sir placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Listen to me, Manan, You don’t have to be the best at everything. Life isn’t about proving you’re perfect in each segment. What matters most is that you stay true to yourself. There will always be critics, but their words don’t define you. You are just enough as you are. And yes, tomorrow you must be approaching Shalini ma’am and boldly say sorry to her….. ”

Manan wiped away the tears that had clouded his eyes. Alakh  Sir’s words, simple yet powerful, soothed the tempest inside him. He didn’t have to be perfect. He just needed to be genuine, and that was enough.

Still, the imapct of the landfall of the storm didn’t disappear. On the next day, unable to carry the burden of his emotions, Manan trudged to the staff room where Shalini Ma’am would be around. His legs felt heavy like a stone, but he knew he had to make things right. He stood outside the door for a moment, took a deep breath, and then knocked.

Shalini Ma’am looked up from her desk, her expression cold and distant. Manan forced himself to speak. “Ma’am, I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to cause any hurt feelings. The rumours about Radhikaaren’t true, and I didn’t want you to think badly of me.”

Shalini Ma’am didn’t even look up from her papers. “Just focus on your studies, Manan,” she said sharply. “I’ve had enough of your excuses.” Her words hit him harder than he expected. His apology was dismissed with such indifference that it left him feeling smaller than ever.

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With a heavy heart, Manan turned away and walked out of the staff room, tears welling up in his eyes. But as he passed by the school courtyard, something unexpected happened out of the blue. Radhika, the girl at the center of the rumour, was sitting on a bench, her head bent in thought. When she saw him, she quickly stood up.

“Manan,” she said; a slight smile lighted up her face, “I just wanted to tell you something.” He looked at her, puzzled.  “I overheard the rumour from our class teacher RK sir,” she continued “and I think it’s time we set the record straight. I’m not your girlfriend. I’m your biggest fan. I’ve seen your artwork, read your stories, and watched you play cricket. I admire everything you do.”

Manan stared at her in disbelief. “Wait… you mean you’ve been rooting for me this whole time?” Radhikasmiled warmly. “Absolutely. And you know what? You’re amazing at everything you do. Don’t let anyone, not even a teacher, make you feel otherwise.”

For the first time in these days of black clouds thickening in the horizon , Manan could feel as if a bright sun suddenly appeared out of nowhere; an overwhelming sense of relief washing over him.

The accusations, the stress, and the doubts that had pinned him down for past couple of days faded in the air. What truly mattered was this recognition of his efforts by someone who believed in him.

With a renewed sense of strength and confidence, Manan walked away, no longer burdened by the weight of the world’s expectations……he was now that Manan, Manan Banik, beyond all rumours……..

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