3. The Batch As A Whole

11th April 2023

Sanjana D, Neil, My Love For The 3rd Bench, And From Where Did That Bag Come??

Shashank sir's lecture was followed by Sajit sir's math class, which was held in room number 10. The early days of twelfth grade still demanded a sense of confidence and dedication. Arriving fifteen minutes early only meant that the back benches, already occupied by two students, were the only options left.

I managed to secure the second bench for this lecture. Kavya, seated on the second bench in the opposite row, beckoned me to move to the third bench in my row where Sanjana D was sitting. The classroom was still relatively empty as most students were outside taking a break. I gladly moved, knowing that Sanjana D was one of the few who never minded my habit of shaking my legs while sitting. She was also considerate and respected my comfort zone.

I shifted back to a bench, and Kavya positioned herself in front of me. We started discussing a question she had struggled with during the previous physical chemistry lecture. I realized I had been a bit harsh with her earlier.

As the break neared its end, students began to trickle back into the classroom.

"Andar khisak," a voice commanded, drawing closer.

"Aye sir, aa gaye kya?" someone called out from the back.

"Abe khisak andar," the voice came closer and was now right beside me. I turned to see who it was.

"Abe jaldi khisak!!" the voice persisted.

"Abe bhosdike, already two people are sitting here," I retorted, irritated.

"Abe mai betha hu yaha pe," he insisted, pointing to his bag, which was lying on the floor. "Mera bag yahin pe rakha tha."

"But there was no bag here when I came," I argued.

"Ha, no bag was lying here," Kavya supported me.

"Sanjana, was there any bag lying here?" I asked.

"Pata nahi, mai bahar thi," she replied, which was expected.

"Ha, but there was no bag here when I arrived," I continued to argue, with Kavya agreeing each time.

He was adamant and refused to leave, which made sense given that Sanjana D was nearby. I had no choice but to accommodate him. I told him I would sit on the outer side, and he seemed content to sit beside her.

The physics doubt lecture with Kashyap was scheduled after the math lecture, and, as usual, only six of us attended. I had two doubts about waves, and one turned out to be about wave optics. After the lecture, I headed home and took my usual afternoon nap. When I checked my phone in the evening, I saw a message from Kavya.

[4/11/2023, 17:31]

Kavya: Hey Tanish, what did Mohit sir teach today?

Me: Doubts kiye bas. Only six students were there.

Kavya: Itne kum the? Okay.

Me: Yeah.

Kavya: Thanks!

I switched to Instagram, scrolled through some reels, and, as I was closing my phone, I noticed a WhatsApp notification with a count badge. It was Kavya again.

Kavya: Sorry for what happened this afternoon.

The discomfort of sitting with Sanjana D and Neil on a cramped bench during Satish sir's math lecture came rushing back. The habit of taking naps during afternoon lectures, a result of my sleepless nights, was still settling in. I had taken two naps in his class, despite being on the outer side of the bench.

Every time someone disrupted my comfort zone, it felt like an invasion. First, it was Kavya, asking me to shift a bench when I was comfortable, and now Neil, who claimed his bag had been there all along.

Me: Koi baat nahi.

Kavya: But uska bag waha pehle se nahi tha.

She justified the same point, and I knew she was right.

Me: Ha, I know. But then what could be the reason for him sitting with Sanjana purposely?

Me: Are tu samjhi?

Kavya: Kya?

Me: Usko Sanjana D pasand hai.

Kavya: Maybe he's more comfortable with her.

Me: Even I am more comfortable with Sanjana D because she's the only one who doesn't ask me to stop shaking my legs.

Kavya: Acha.

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Wednesday, 12th April 2023

Classroom Dynamics and a Lizard Incident

During Shashank sir's afternoon lecture, Ramesh and I occupied the second bench. Behind us sat the trio: Sanjana J, with her hair tied up in a clutcher, which was a messy bun as I was told by Lea. Naira with a single ponytail that occasionally revealed her flowing hair as she flipped it while answering questions, and Shubh, who assisted Naira with solving problems.

As the lecture concluded, the seating arrangement shifted. Sammy, Shubh, and Tejas moved to their usual second bench, which had been Ramesh's and mine. I was prepared to move a bench or two back, but I repeatedly refused Sammy's requests.

Sammy then approached Naira, who also declined to switch places. She was already settled with Shubh and Sanjana J. The final arrangement Sammy proposed was to switch Shubh with me, placing me on the third bench with Naira and Sanjana J. Despite the unusual arrangement, Naira accepted the deal.

A memorable event of the day was when a lizard landed on my t-shirt while I was leaning against the wall, chatting with Sushant. Panicked, I cried out and begged someone to remove the lizard. Shafique finally helped, using my hanky, but only after he had filmed the incident.

In Kashyap sir's lecture, I sat with Naira and Sanjana J on a single bench for the first time. I was on the outer side next to Naira, who was her usual smiling, talkative self. Sanjana J sat quietly on the wall side, her face partially obscured by a mask, revealing only her eyes. Her demeanor suggested she might be disinterested in the class or perhaps had a complex personal life.

As the lecture continued, the situation grew uncomfortable.

"Are you comfortable?" I asked Naira.

She replied affirmatively, then paused before asking, "Tujhe jagah ho rahi hai?"

Her concern was incredibly sweet. With a smile, she looked at me, and I responded, "Yes, I am comfortable… tere sath toh kaise bhi rahu comfortable hi rahunga yaar," keeping the latter part to myself.

A few minutes later, Naira asked, "Tujhe anxiety hai?"

"Why?" I responded, a habit of mine, to question before answering.

"Why are you shaking your legs?" she asked.

To be honest, I was more distracted by her infectious laugh than the question itself.

"Hamara toh local train jaisa haal hai," I joked, referring to the cramped situation.

"Ha?" she leaned closer with her smile still intact.

"Hamara toh local train jaisa haal hai," I repeated, shifting myself away from Naira.

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Sunday, 23rd April 2023

A Test to Never Forget

I was still reeling from Mumbai Indians' loss the previous night. It was a bitter pill to swallow, especially since my intuition had predicted Mumbai's victory over Punjab at the Wankhede. The match was lost by 13 runs, thanks to Arshdeep Singh's crucial dismissals.

The usual Sunday class test anxiety kicked in as I entered the academy. As soon as I opened the door to classroom number 9, I was met with teasing about my incorrect prediction.

Sunday JEE tests were always daunting, and this one was no exception. In room number 9, the elite toppers of Batch 1 occupied the front benches, while the rest of us, including me, were seated at the back. Ananya was in front of me, Paresh in another row, and Aaryan, Karan, and Piyush were also present.

Ananya revealed that even the elite students weren't immune to cheating. "Mai bhi chhaap leti hu," she said with a faint smile.

Aaryan spoke about the challenges of copying from Ayaan's OMR sheet and offered a deal: he would help me with physics or chemistry if I assisted him with math, where he excelled with his fast calculations.

When the test paper was distributed, I noticed Paresh and Ananya debating an answer to a chemistry question from the Disha question-solving book. The four of us discussed answers and passed them to the front benches. Panic ensued when Sameer sir called Vishaka mam and asked her to send Piyush home, as he was caught cheating.

"Tanish…"

I looked up to see Ananya.

"Cricket ka rank wala question dekh," she said.

"Ha, even I am stuck on that one," I responded.

I signaled to Shubh, who was sitting four benches ahead. Known for his exceptional math skills, Shubh's look suggested the question wasn't worth debating.

"Something is wrong with the question, right?" Ananya and I were still puzzled. A staff member, who monitored the test, caught us talking and sent me to Reshma mam to explain our discussion.

I lied, claiming we were discussing chemistry questions that were out of syllabus. Reshma mam sent me back to my class.

After the test, I sent the paper to Kavya before checking the answers online. I scored 77 marks out of 300, unsure about the six chemistry questions on IUPAC Nomenclature, which were out of syllabus. I put my phone away and took my afternoon nap.

"Pass hone ke toh laale pade hai. Bhagwan jaane kaise niklega tumhara JEE…" Indian parents never change. They never understand that competitive exams are about qualifying, not simply passing.

To my surprise, around half past seven, the rank list for the test was released, which was unusual since it typically took two to three days. I found myself ranked 20th. I had scored 105 out of 300, with 34 marks in math. The seven out-of-syllabus questions were marked as bonus, adding twenty-eight marks to my initial score. It was a pleasant surprise to share with maa, who still insisted, "Pass ho paoge tabhi toh qualify kar paoge."

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 Monday,24th April 2023

I suddenly realized that He had marked the arrangement for the next 8 months long ago.

I still couldn't get over the fact that my sixth sense's prediction had gone wrong. Piyush and Tejas asked me for a party to celebrate crossing the 100-mark score only for the second time in six months. Surprisingly, a physics question had some errors, resulting in four bonus marks. Thanks to Satyam sir for adding six questions on nomenclature—a chapter that was never taught, neither then nor after our session with Synergy.

Twenty-eight marks were added to my score of seventy-seven, making it one hundred five. That day, the only thing that frightened the students was Sameer sir catching us cheating live on the CCTV camera. Even then, I wasn't worried since I was sitting at the back, out of the camera's view.

The afternoon lecture of physics was anticipated with dread. "Aaj sir sabka murder karenge," was a common sentiment among the students.

We were in room number 7 for the lecture. Sameer sir always arrived at least twenty minutes late. I was on the fourth bench with Achintya and Ramesh, while Naira and Sanjana J sat behind me. Achintya was leading the conversation, and I was busy laughing at the chatter around me.

"Oye Tanish," Sanjana J called out, pausing their gossip. "Kal kaise jana hai?" she asked, her eyes looking down at the bench.

"Heh? Kaise jana hai matlab?" I responded.

"Kal practical hai na?" she clarified.

"Ha," I replied.

"Toh kaise?" she pressed.

"We always go by local train," I said.

"Local se kyu? Bus se jaa sakte hai na?" she suggested.

"I don't know which bus to take," I explained since bus numbers 53 and 51, my usual rides, didn't go to our college in Neral.

"Ham 135 wali bus le lenge," she proposed.

"We will see," I said.

"Bhai, ham kaise bhi jayenge, chaahe bus se ya train se. How will this girl come with us? She stays in Belsar. Matlab woh ayegi bhi kaise hamare sath?" I wondered.

The conversation fell silent as always.

Achintya continued chatting with Naira about a ray optics diagram she found on the floor, which Achintya humorously compared to a vagina, claiming it was what boys craved for their entire lives.

Sameer sir finally entered the class half an hour late. The first question he asked was, "Kitne logon ko yeh paper thoda sa halka laga?" I raised my hand, murmuring that I found the paper a bit easy.

Next, Sameer sir asked, "Kitne logon ne yeh paper ghar jakar dobara solve kiya?"

My sixth sense warned me, "Haath neeche karle beta, ye jhoot bhaari pad sakta hai," so I put my hand down. Piyush and Karan raised their hands, claiming they had solved the paper at home.

Sameer sir's memorable line was, "Mere ache khaase mood ki maa behen kar di tumne kal." He warned that from then on, he would monitor us via CCTV during tests. The real panic set in when he asked, "Who was that person sitting on the first bench yesterday?"

It turned out to be Sai. Sameer sir taunted, "Sai beta paper seedhe beth ke likhte hain, peeche dekh ke nahi."

The topic was eventually dropped, and we proceeded with the last lecture of electrostatics. Thankfully, the horrors of electrostatics were no longer as frightening. Sir was dictating some important theories, which he hadn't done for previous chapters. His face looked tense as he scrolled through his iPad. I wanted to ask him about the pattern of the board-level tests starting from the upcoming Sunday but struggled to gather the courage.

After framing and repeating my question in my mind, I finally spoke up, "Sir…"

His eyes remained on his iPad, sliding from the bottom of the screen to the top. "Bol beta bol," he instructed.

"Sir, what will be the pattern of the board-level tests?" I asked politely.

"Wahi, MCQs, 1 marker, 2 marker," he briefed.

"Okay sir," I said.

Little did I know that this question would make her approach me every time she had to ask something of any faculty.

"Saare subjects ka ek saath hoga kya?" one of the two girls behind me whispered. I turned to see the girl with rasgulla cheeks looking at me.

"Wo pata nahi yaar," I replied.

"Ek baar puch na," she urged, blinking her eyes and whispering loudly enough for me to hear.

I quickly turned back to Sameer sir and repeated Naira's question, "Sir, so all subjects—"

"Message has been put on your group," he answered, likely having heard Naira's question.

I headed towards Neelkanth sweets craving a samosa. Passing Beautiful, I met Arjun, whom I always respected for his gentlemanly behavior, and Lea, who was still on Sushant's mind as he often texted me late at night about her.

With my Puma cap on, I was about to exit the Chaturbhuj complex when I heard someone calling my name.

"Tanish!!"

If you see me walking alone somewhere and call my name, there's a high chance I might ignore you because I'm usually lost in my thoughts.

"Tanish!!"

This time, I expected someone to wave at me from a scooty, but there was no one from my batch. I couldn't make out who was calling me.

"Fish Lea!" I realized it was Lea. I quickly walked back to her, apologizing for not noticing her earlier.

"How will you be returning back tomorrow?" she asked.

"Maybe by local train," I replied.

"Okay, while coming I'll be with Suniti, but while going, I'll need someone," she said.

"Ha sure, we will see," I said, keeping my thoughts to myself: "Aao na aao, kisko fark padta hai."

I took a U-turn after getting my samosa pav and, approaching my bus stop, met Sanjana J. It was one of those rare moments when I saw her on a call, just about to begin. I smiled, and she waved in return.

"why did she wave when I only smiled? I don't even know her.", I asked my sixth sense.

"That's a friendly gesture, Tanish," it replied.

"You should have confirmed with her about tomorrow's timings and other details."

"Nah. I don't believe she will join us, especially since she stays in Belsar."

The ' BS girls of B1'—Lea and Shreya J—were always together. As Ramesh told me, I should have witnessed their friendship in 11th when I was in B2. Both were topics of discussion among students, with girls back-bitching about Lea while Sanjana J was popular among guys. Hearing various opinions about them, I found one seemed like a child and the other like a senior when I first saw them.

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Wednesday,25th April 2023

Cs2 practical

Sorry sir, I won't be attending today's doubt session due to practicals in school at the same time.

I put the message on the organic chemistry group after 9 other people had already posted the same message. Without a doubt, missing Dr. Satyam's lecture was never going to be easy. I had somehow managed to attend his doubt lecture the previous day, but the timings of our CS2 practicals clashed with his lecture that day, something he couldn't do anything about, except posting the message:

"No issues... whoever has practical/exam they are exempted from lecture ….," was his obvious reply.

For CS2 and physics practicals, Ramesh, Sanjana, Lea, and Neil were together as a group. Sanjana did all the practical work of operating a microcontroller. Ramesh stayed with the teacher and understood the complete procedure of dealing with the device. Lea seemed quiet most of the time, completely focusing on the microcontroller and seeing how Sanjana operated it. Neil assisted the two girls, and then there was me, standing a yard away from all of them.

I had never been good at computer science, nor was I a practical guy who would understand the procedure and then perform it. I always carried that bookish knowledge with me. Standing with the four of them, I could do nothing except look at their faces, simply because understanding a microcontroller was beyond my capabilities.

After Sanjana was done performing practical on one device, it had to be someone else's turn to do the next practical, and interestingly, none of us showed up.

"Sanjana," I called her, standing behind Neil. She took her eyes off the device, blinked once, and brought them on me. "Do this one also na," I told her in Marathi without any embarrassment.

She did not judge me for not having done anything since the practical began. She replied, "Ha," and it was only then that I felt embarrassed for staring at them like a duffer throughout the practical and then asking Sanjana to perform the next practical quickly so that I could go home.

"I wonder if anyone would have attended the doubt lecture today," Lea said after the next practical had been performed by us, and the four of us were standing, with Lea and Sanjana leaning against the table, facing me and Neil.

"Mai iska message copy hi karne wali thi ki tabhi sir ne message daal diya," Sanjana laughed, pointing her finger at me. "Ha sabne wahi message copy paste kar ke bhej diya bas naam change karke apna naam daal diya," I stated, agreeing with her.

This short conversation was followed by a pin-drop silence among the four of us. I was lost in my thoughts.

"Tanish…," I looked up at Sanjana, her face glowing as always. "...ye cheating hai," she taunted. I lifted my head and looked at Sanjana, who had her eyes on my pants. "Huh??" I was confused. "Your pants," she continued.

I never bought the college uniform because maa said papa had the same colored pants; and I could only see myself being a fool that I believed her. The dark blue color of my pants differed from others, and the change was quite noticeable.

Hardly had it ever happened that I replied to people without looking around for a couple of seconds, making it awkward for them.

"Ajeeb hai. We don't even know each other. And why is she judging my pants?? She is in my team for physical chemistry lectures but that's a part of the game," I always doubted people's intentions and assumed that they always had a hidden intention behind their sweetness with which they spoke.

"But little did I know that months later, How much I would appreciate that quality of hers."

I looked down at my pants, then at my shirt, and said, "Sirf pant me cheating hai na?"

"Achaa… even his shirt is different from others," Lea stated after a second.

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Thursday, 26th April 2023

Chemistry and Physics Practical

"Hey, do you have any idea why they told us to get a lab coat but a lab apron instead?" I asked Sushila, who was the first one to reach Khandpur station from her group.

"Bro, apron hi lab coat hota hai." "Oh, okay." I took a step back, realizing the mistake I made. "Don't tell me you brought a kitchen apron," she further taunted me with a giggle.

I pressed my lips and nodded my head, then turned around and blinked my eyes. An apron in terms of a chemistry lecture meant a lab coat, OHH FUCK!!!

"Waha khana banwayenge kya?" she taunted.

As her friends arrived, she told them, "Tanish brought a kitchen apron instead of a lab apron."

We had never been to a chemistry lab for actual practicals. The last time we went, I was left without an apparatus. India was failing to take a wicket against Australia in the initial phase of the 4th test match, and I found myself joining my hands in front of Sanjana, showing my helplessness and having zero ideas about the procedure told by the teacher, to which she laughed, revealing her crystal white teeth.

Unlike last time, fans were not to be switched on throughout the practical. Monika mam was in charge, and one of her prominent lines was, "Aap log CS ke practical me kya karte ho, bio ke practical me kya karte ho isse koi farak nahi padta. Ye chemistry ka practical hai yaha pe aap beth bhi nahi sakte ho."

The second thing she taunted us about was the lab coat. I quickly took out my phone and texted Vansh if he could meet me at the location from where he used to pick me when we went to play cricket after my practical and brought his lab coat with him.

The new in-charge arranged us in rows of alternate girls and boys and asked us to read the procedure of some experiment. Sanjana was asked to brief the procedure, which seemed no big task in front of her smartness.

Five students were called from the different groups we were divided into.

Mam showed us how we were supposed to only suck the solution from the pipette up to a certain level and not let it enter the mouth. The next moment she took the pipette out of her mouth and covered the opening with her thumb. She stood at her place for a few seconds, thinking about something, and then rushed to the washroom.

"She took it in right?" one of the girls chuckled and asked me. "Ya, she did." The entire class laughed the moment she went out, and there was a pin-drop silence the moment she came back, completely ignoring what had happened.

It is the month of April, and you are in Navi Mumbai. The practical book had become a fan. Sweat was dripping from all over. Girls had taken off their sleeveless jackets.

The lab had the perfect arrangement to make students stand for the entire practical. There was only one chair, that too was the teacher's chair, and if you ever commit the sin of sitting on a teacher's chair, there's one thing every teacher would say, "You don't have respect for a teacher if you sit on her chair. First, earn that position and then think of sitting on this chair."

We were finally done with the practical and headed back to our classrooms. I was playing Real Cricket 20; Ramesh and Neil were talking, and Sanjana was telling Lea about one of her school classmates who was a teacher's pet. It was when I got to know that she was in SSC in 10th as well, which took me by surprise.

For physics, we were assigned practical oscillations. I honestly never had a good practical knowledge. So I gave up at the beginning, saying that I wouldn't be performing the practical but could give all of them some cool air with my practical book. Once again, Sanjana and Ramesh took charge. I was sitting on the chair; thank god we were allowed to sit for the physics practical at least, and waving my book at everyone by turns. Lea was the one who was sweating the most and thanked me for that little thing I could do for them.

Sanjana performed the experiment, and Ramesh recorded the time period. Both of them coordinated well and made a note of the observations. The observations were written in their book, and then someone needed to go to mam and confirm the readings with her. I finally got up from my place after staring at their faces and using the practical book as a fan. I always loved to approach the teachers for anything on behalf of students.

"Should I take this book and confirm the readings with the teacher?" I asked Sanjana. She handed me Lea's practical book, and in return, I told Lea to take care of my practical book. She nodded her head. Upon approaching the teacher, I was told that the entire readings were incorrect, including the graph. She corrected everything with a pencil and gave me back the book.

Coming back, I could see what I feared. My practical book was missing from the table. Neil, Ramesh, and Sanjana were talking, and Lea was sitting alone. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts. I quickly walked to her and asked about my book. She shook her head irresponsibly as if I never told her to look after my book.

"Yaar, maine wahi table pe rakhi thi," I repeated. "Meko nahi pata," she replied, shaking her head.

I took an entire round of the physics lab but could not find my book anywhere. Lea was still roaming lost in her world.

"I WISH I COULD KILL YOU LEA, I WISH I COULD THROW YOU IN THE DUSTBIN. HOW DARE YOU NOT LOOK AFTER MY BOOK WHEN I WASN'T AROUND. I WISH I HAD TEARED YOUR BOOK BEFORE RETURNING IT TO YOU"

I checked every single book in the lab but couldn't find any with my name on it. And she was still roaming, caring about nothing. I hated it when I lost or damaged any of my belongings. I went from one table to another, whispering "abe yaar" every time I came back to the table from where I started.

UGHH I SWEAR I COULD KILL YOU LEA.

"Kya hua?" Sanjana questioned me when she saw me running inside the lab.

"Are meri practical books—" I didn't even complete the sentence and continued searching. One of the boys suggested that I should take any of the unnamed books lying on the last table. I found it a good idea and quietly folded the pages of one of the books and brought it with me, assuming it to be mine.

I hardly stood at my place when Amit interrupted and asked me to show the book in my hands. I hesitated and lied, "This is my book." He asked me to open it, and then he showed me the pencil dots he had made on his book. I had to return his book and apologize.

"Wait a minute..." My sixth sense was awake. "Did you write your name on the physics practical book or chemistry practical book?"

"On physics—" I replied to myself.

"Oh fuck, wait, did I really? No, no, no... I wrote my name only on the chemistry practical book. I had quickly taken out my physics book before coming into the lab and forgot to write my name on it." So it means one of the unnamed books lying there is actually mine.

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Friday, 27th April 2023

Day 2 of Physics and Chemistry Practicals

"Hey, this time I got a proper lab coat," I told Sushila, who smiled in response.

As we disembarked from the train, we took an auto from Neral station, with me sitting in the front. As we approached the college gate, I spotted Sanjana J walking in the opposite direction.

She had her hair in a bun, her bag slung over one shoulder, and her hand holding the strap of the bag. I smiled and waved, and she returned the gesture, reminding me of the girl with the glasses.

I got out of the auto and was puzzled to see us crossing paths. "Is there another way to get in?" I asked, turning around. "Oh, you're coming from the back entrance?" I realized my mistake, interrupting her before she could fully explain.

"Yahan se hi toh jaana…" she replied.

"Achaa, sorry, I see the gate now," I said, cutting her off again as I noticed the gate leading to the school building beside their school ground.

We started with the chemistry practicals, arranged in the same order as before, with the only difference being the girls' row was now on the other side of our table. Sanjana J was nearly in front of me, and I noticed one of her shirt buttons was undone. I tapped the bench a few times to get her attention, but she was focused on the apparatus at her table.

When our turn came, I was tasked with performing the practical. The light yellow liquid in the test tube was fascinating, but its odor was strong enough to deter me from tasting it.

Ma'am demonstrated some other practicals and mentioned the readings from her book. I saw the BS girls from B1 running around among the students. They asked me to copy the readings and pass them along.

I quickly glanced at Ma'am's book and jotted down the visible numbers in my own notebook with a pencil.

"Is this definitely an 8?" Sanjana J asked after reviewing my copied readings.

"Looks like it," I replied, but soon realized it was actually a 5, not an 8.

Lea, who had been quiet the previous day, looked at my observations and passed them to the other girl with a simple "ye le". Sanjana J then tapped me on the shoulder, praising my work. I saw it as an opportunity to ask her to close her button.

I gently tapped my stomach and tried to gesture towards her open button.

"Ha??" She leaned forward, her eyes widening slightly.

"Are, the button…" I said, feeling embarrassed, until Lea took Sanjana J aside and pointed out the button. To avoid further embarrassment, I apologized and moved toward the teacher, who was still demonstrating the experiment, while the two girls stood near the window.

Ramesh: When He Became 'Hamare Jee Ka MBBS'

For our physics practicals that day, we tackled the wave on a string experiment. The students from Neral joined us, and I noticed some of them were top achievers in the JEE exams.

I remained on the sidelines, observing the practicals. The wave motion was a strong chapter for me in physics, but practicals were my weak point.

Ramesh, still in his lab coat, struggled with making the paper bits fall from the wire. I teased him, calling him "Farzi MBBS," which didn't sit well since we weren't close. Every time I teased him, he would look up, make a tsk sound, and smile.

Within minutes, I found myself in the crowd of students around the setup. Aditya G told me about how his nickname became 'gaade', and I even managed to do ten push-ups for the first time, which Aditya appreciated. Priyanka from the Nerul branch joined in our laughter.

"Are you Piyush?" she asked.

"Hey Aditya, she's asking if I'm Paramjeet," I told him, which made us laugh even more.

"No, I'm Tanish," I corrected her.

"Aapne wo anchoring ki thi na annual day me?" she inquired.

I nodded, surprised she remembered.

Somehow, I ended up at the other end of the setup where Ramesh and Hashim were still trying to make the paper fall from the wire. The practical had turned into a game, with everyone trying their luck by tapping the tuning fork on the rubber pad and then placing it on the wire. Every failed attempt elicited a collective "Aww" from the crowd, including the BS girls from B1.

Instead of participating, I observed the procedure. Ramesh asked me to try, so I held the rubber pad in my right hand, struck the tuning fork, and placed it on the wire. The paper didn't fall.

"Are you a lefty?" he asked. I tried again with my left hand but still failed.

Sanjana J, Hashim, and others explained the correct technique.

"Abe hilata kis haath se hai?" Ramesh asked in front of everyone.

"Are bhai, main nahi hilata," I replied, squinting my eyes and joining my hands.

Eventually, Ma'am arrived but, surprisingly, even she struggled to make the paper fall off the wire.

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Saturday, 29th April 2023

Day 5: The Last Day and the Lost 2000 Rupee Note

Only four of us showed up for the practical today. Sanjana J didn't arrive.

"Lecture is one thing, but missing the entire practical?" I wondered. I didn't regret missing The Leopold Cafe for my parents' 19th marriage anniversary. My mother insisted that missing a practical wasn't a big deal, but I was too dedicated to miss even a single derivation lecture of electrostatics. The idea of missing an entire day of practicals was too far-fetched for me.

After enduring Monika mam's strictness for three days, I realized that no one is inherently rude—it's just the situation that can make someone seem arrogant. She allowed us to take pictures with the apparatus and chemicals, but only in groups. Despite this, I managed to snap a quick photo of myself.

The Lost 2000 Rupee Note

Before leaving the classroom to take pictures, I heard from Sushma that she only had a 2000-rupee note with her. By the time I returned, I learned that the note was missing.

Sushma was visibly distressed, with faint tears in her eyes. It reminded me of my own panic two days ago when I couldn't find my physics practical book, thanks to Lea.

Sushma accused Piyush, claiming he was the last to leave the classroom before our physics practical started. For this practical, we were assigned the same table we had used for the oscillations experiment. This time, Neral students joined us, so we were a total of 8 to 10 students.

Lea reported that she had seen Piyush throwing a piece of paper into the dustbin. Sushma then spoke to our practical in-charge, Anjali mam, about the situation.

Just then, a man in a white shirt and pants with a beard entered the classroom. He announced that whoever had stolen the note should come forward, confess, and apologize to Sushma. Otherwise, the CCTV footage would be reviewed, and the culprit would face consequences.

Fifteen minutes later, the man returned and took Piyush by the shoulder. I heard whispers that the dustbin was being checked.

"Hmmm… so the thief is actually Piyush," I thought to myself as I saw him wiping away his tears.

Another rumor was that Piyush had to call home to ask his parents to make an online payment for the stolen amount.

The physics practical concluded, and we gathered around the teacher. She shared that the previous year's practicals were quite strict, with no interference from teachers. She also mentioned that the next practicals would be scheduled around Diwali.

I was sitting with Karan, who I heard was trying to manipulate people. Finally, our five-day practical schedule came to an end.

Outside the college, Sushma continued to complain about Piyush, claiming he hadn't acknowledged his mistake or apologized. We quickly headed to Khandpur station, as we had a math lecture by Sajit sir later that day.

Arriving at the center about ten minutes before the lecture began, I noticed only a few students were present. The class filled up only five minutes before the lecture started. Sajit sir, noticing our condition, decided not to introduce any new concepts. Instead, he asked us to solve questions.

Little did we know, taking short naps during this lecture would cost us in the next one.

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Tuesday, 2nd May 2023

One of My Most Embarrassing Incidents in Synergy

I still don't understand why Sajit sir decided to do it. He asked all the B2 boys to stand up and then instructed each of us to sit between two girls on a bench meant for two students. Whispers filled the classroom, with everyone speculating that Sir had noticed us sleeping during the previous math lecture.

I found myself seated between Naira and Sanjana J.

Neither girl reacted as I approached their bench. Sanjana J, who was on the outer side, shifted to make room for me. "Hmm..." I glanced at Sir.

"Sit between both of them," he instructed, gesturing with his fingers.

"Oh God, this is not going to be a pleasant experience," I thought to myself.

Sanjana J got up, allowing me to sit beside Naira before returning to her seat. Almost immediately, whispers and taunts started coming from the back of the room, one of them being Neil, who was sitting right behind me.

I was acutely aware of the discomfort between us. I felt almost wedged between the girls. Naira, who had the cutest face and blinked rapidly, seemed to be squeezed against the wall. Sanjana J, on the outer side, appeared to be pushed out.

"Arre Tanish Bhai, what a place you got to sit. Nice one. Kya baat hai" they taunted from behind.

We were working on Functions for grade 12. Sir had explained how to find the inverse of a function and assigned ten to twelve questions. He stood near the whiteboard, observing the class.

"What about this one?" Sanjana J asked, looking at me.

"I'm not sure," I replied.

"What about this one?" she asked again, handing me her book.

"Wait, I'll ask Sir," I said, raising my hand. She shook her head, indicating 'no.'

"Arree Tanish Bhai..." The taunts resumed from behind, one person leading the conversation while the other laughed.

I turned to my right and, in my politest tone, asked the girl with tied hair, "Are you comfortable? Do you have enough space?"

"Yes, yes, it's fine... are you okay?" she replied.

"Aww, zamaane baad kisi ne hamse hamara haal pucha hai. I wish I could hug her tightly," I thought, feeling grateful.

"Bhai, usse bhi puch le," my sixth sense suggested.

"Are you comfortable?" I asked the girl with open hair. She looked down and nodded.

The two boys behind us heard my question and taunted me again. "Arree Tanish Bhai... looks pe mat jao."

"Addition changes into subtraction, and multiplication changes into division," Sir repeated his trick for finding the inverse of a function.

"Kya hua? Man nahi kar raha?" I asked Naira, who had her head on the desk, looking away.

"Bhai, mujhe maths nahi pasand," she smiled, her light pink lips revealing her teeth. I wished I could place my hand on her cheek and lightly rub it.

"Mujhe sona hai," she said, resting her head on her hands.

"Are, so mat," I whispered loudly, repeating it in my head.

"Tu so mat please. Tu so gayi toh yeh Shreya J aur mere beech ki silence mujhe nahi jheli jayegi."

To escape the awkwardness between me and Shreya J, I focused on remembering Sir's trick. I raised my hand again and answered correctly.

"How did you do this one?" Sanjana J asked, glancing at my notebook where I had written all the questions, likely curious about how I arrived at the answer without showing the solution.

I picked up my pen and began writing the solution, explaining each step. I managed to complete only two steps before she interrupted.

"Ache se likh," she said.

My handwriting, often criticized, might not be pleasant for someone trying to understand my notes while I was writing and explaining at the same time.

I pressed my eyes and wrote the third step more slowly.

"Ache se likh," she said again.

"Are, ab aur kitna acche se likhu?" I was frustrated. I read out each number and variable I had written in the solution.

"Tanish..." Sir called out, and we both looked at him. "Get up. Come to the front. Tejas, you move one bench back."

"Wow," I thought to myself. "You get a chance to sit beside Naira once in a while, and then you waste it." Sir further taunted, "Kitna baat karte ho," as I moved from their bench and muttered, "Main baat nahi kar raha tha, usko samjha raha tha."

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Friday, 12th May 2023

It was probably the first time since the beginning of twelfth grade that, out of the 30 students in Batch 1, only 18 were present. Seeing this, Sameer sir said he would finish capacitors in that lecture so that the absentees would miss a major part. It was the last day before the ten-day summer break, so low attendance was inevitable.

"Ha. And then Mayanti will say that she's not able to understand anything," I said loudly, causing everyone to laugh.

"Tanish..." I heard someone whisper my name from the back. I turned to see it was Naira.

"You shouldn't say this about her," she continued whispering.

"Why?"

"Because anyone present here might tell her, and then she will feel bad," she explained. I ignored her and didn't care that someone might tell Mayanti what I said.

The last day before our holidays ended. I got Chhole Bhature parceled for lunch and enjoyed the match between Mumbai and Gujarat later that night.

The next morning, I took my train to Gwalior. It was the first time I traveled alone by train...