It was a usual hot sunny afternoon. I was in my 7th semester, so it was that time of the year when you have very few classes in a day but you don’t wanna go home. Lazing around in the college canteen, sitting for hours on the green grass in college ground, wind in the air smile on the face, all the friends around. Seemed that all what mattered was right there. The perfect background score at this time would be ‘Those were the best days of my life….’.

I was known as the Bomber Man back then. I was given this nick name way back in 9th standard, when I put up a cracker in the school building. And the tradition continued till my college days. I just love it. Pure silence. Everybody’s doing their work. Someone is teaching algebra in one room and literature in the other, while some would be delving in which chemical goes where….. and just then it happens BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!! Everybody’s outside. Suddenly they forget whatever they were indulged in. Suddenly all the students are smiling, wishing they were the one’s who could do that. Teachers are out of their classes pondering who did that and catching up on latest gossip. Suddenly for 4-5 minutes its like a refreshing break in their monotonous lives. A sense of excitement. Deviation from the normal, the routine.

It was Diwali time. It was only yesterday that I had planted one carefully in the central hollow of the building, where it would make the most bang. It always had to be the biggest one available in the market. And what do you know it did make the most bang !! The authorities were snarling, fuming in anger at this mockery of their so called decorum. They were on the lookout for this so called Bomber Man. Realizing this I planned to let the day pass without making any buzz. This would be the last day before college was on before Diwali. But little did I know what was in store for me.

I had a little pack of crackers in my bag. We used to call them headbangers. You just need to throw them down with force and they strike with a bang. Nothing to light, nothing to set the timer on, just the kinetic energy from your arm would do the trick.

The classes were going on behind those closed wooden doors. The corridor was so quiet that I could hear the squeaking sound made by my sneakers on the sparkling clean floor. “Hey Kaps, aint the bomber man gonna make some noise today” Jatin my classmate said with a wink. Now I had an image of a studious and simple guy in front of my teachers. And that was what I was when in class. But outside I was the complete opposite. He opened my bag and found the crackers. He playfully picked up one and out of being a total moron that he is, hurled one towards me thinking I would be able to catch it. Now I am not that good at cricket. The result was BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!! The silent corridor provided the Dolby effect. We both attained the ‘lets run from the crime scene’ posture, just then the economics teacher came out and yelled “Stop both of you!”. She called the Administration incharge.

It felt like I was wearing shoes made of stone. Both of us couldn’t budge a bit. The news spread like butter on a hot toast. The administration incharge Mr. Nijhawan came rushing so did all my friends. It was me, Jatin and Mr. Nijhawan at the centrestage while all of our friends were surrounding us in a circle. I was already thinking of whom should I call posing as my father (I have already done this before…. that story some other time).

“Tell me who did this and I will be a little lenient on you”. United we stand, divided we fall. The english teacher was so damn right. None of us uttered a thing. Suddenly Jatin said “Sir it was not us”. The economics teacher had just heard the bang. So we appealed not guily. “Then who did it??” Nijhawan was snarling down our throats.

“Somebody from the second floor threw it”. What the heck was Jatin saying? “Then tell me who it was?” was Nijhawan’s next question. “Sir we cannot tell his name, otherwise he might hurt us outside college”. What a complete nonsense thing did I just say now? “But you two were found at the site, so action would be taken on you guys! Pray that you will just be suspended for a week, principal is a strict man”. The thoughts on who should I bring posing as my father again started crossing my mind.

“Sir that’s not fair! You are also standing here and if somebody throws a cracker right now, would you also be convicted?” Jatin asked. “Yes, no matter who it is action would be taken against them” Nijhawan said sternly. Jatin had just provided me with the solution. My mind was running like a Ferrari’s engine on full throttle. I let my hand slipped inside my bag, picked another cracker and just when Nijhawan wasn’t looking in the crowd that had gathered around us I handed it over to Gyan and winked at him. He knew what to do. BOOOOOOMMMMMM!! There went another one. Nobody could figure out who did it among the crowd. And this time Nijhawan was also there. Oh how he wished he could take back his words. “Sir if that’s what its going to be please go to your seat and start typing your suspension letter too alongside ours”. A Kodak moment. Yes, that was what i would aptly call it. Me and Jatin were smiling down his face and walked away. That was one close call.

…… And the Bomber Man remains a mystery till now .