It all started when our botany teacher asked us to submit a leaf album. "Remember, I don't want everyone sticking the same neem leaves and Ashoka leaves. Look for unique leaves! The best leaf album will get 20 marks and that group needn't take a test on this chapter." Her eyes glinted and our hearts fluttered.
Thus began a fierce competition for the best leaves in town, for, a waiver from a test, was not only a big relief, it was also a great thing to brag about. Akash proudly showed us some ornamental leaves he had made his father get for him from Ooty. We crowded around to look at the carefully pressed leaves in his geography textbook. Akash challenged, "I bet nobody can get leaves as good as this!" We are very sensitive to such challenges and Sushant, Mridul, and I, immediately made up our minds to collect the best leaves in the world!
After school, we trudged along to Voltas Colony, wheeling our bicycles. That was when we spotted ‘Jupiter House'. It was one of those swanky bungalows that had bougainvillea blossoms on the walls. We knew at once that this place would have amazing crotons. A woman with puffy eyes and a permanent scowl was giving orders to the gardener about weeding the rose beds.
We opened the gate and walked in. She stared at us and Mridul meekly stammered, "Can we take some leaves f… from the plants over here!" His hand pointed towards a collection of the most beautiful plants. "Those plants?" she asked hotly, a frown creeping on her face. Mridul hurriedly shifted his hand by a sufficient 60 degrees and pointed at some browning plants a little further away, "No, no… I meant those plants, of course!" he said, grinning widely. She considered this for a few moments and slowly nodded her head. "Mind you, if ever you touch a leaf from any of the plants there…" The threat hung in the air. A proud look spread across her face as she pointed at a fl amboyant purple plant with blue fl owers. "That is a Thalus sophisticatus hybrid. Specially ordered! Ah! And that over there is Plumetta extraordinaria. You can never see another plant like that!" she said. "Which school are you from?" she demanded, and goodygoody Sushant answered with great pride, "St Margaret Matriculation School!"
My eyes rested on the beautiful leaves of the forbidden plants. The gardener was watching over us like a hawk. I nudged Mridul and spoke to him while Sushant carefully removed black smudges from some leaves. We didn't want Sushant to hear… he's a sort of sincere dude…he'd never approve of my plan.
